GroshLink

Scot McKnight's blog tipped me off to the difficult reality:  'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' won't be shown on many PBS channels starting Monday. I mourn its decline/loss in the eyes of PBS and the general viewer. My love of the conversation with Mr. Rogers, since a very early age, has only increased as he competes with the newer, hip cartoons of this day and age.  Let me add, a few years in 'da Burgh enabled me to hear the testimonies of a number of people which knew Mr. Rogers along with being able to identify some of the neighborhood trips (!).  And in our home, day after day our three year old Eden sits transfixed to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. ... just like her daddy ;-)

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Our small group leader passed along the link to Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer. Praying for our enemies ... not sure I'm up for it, but I remember being called to do such.  Anyone want to give it a try with us on this Lord's Day?

As the new academic year begins, pray for students to be open to the Gospel.  In a previous post I referred to college as a form of Rumspringa for those raised by the people of God, but many students come to campus with an antagonism toward the faith, stemming from their upbringing and accentuated at times by media, education, the social milieu, and even the people of God.  Below is an excerpt of Dan McClenendin's review of David Kinnaman's unChristian (2007), click here for the full review.

If you haven't read the book, it's time to prayerfully do such with a small group ... then by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit let's walk in the Light of the Word of God as little Christs connected together as the Body of Christ as a blessing to the creation and glimpse of the Kingdom of God which we long for it's coming in completeness.

In his book The Heart of Christianity (2003) Marcus Borg of Oregon State University describes how his university students have a uniformly negative image of Christianity. "When I ask them to write a short essay on their impression of Christianity," says Borg, "they consistently use five adjectives: Christians are literalistic, anti-intellectual, self-righteous, judgmental, and bigoted." ...

It would be hard to overestimate, says Kinnaman, "how firmly people reject-- and feel rejected by-- Christians" (19). Or think about it this way, he suggests: "When you introduce yourself as a Christian to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is an outsider, you might as well have it tattooed on your arm: antihomosexual, gay-hater, homophobic. I doubt you think of yourself in these terms, but that's what outsiders think of you" (93).

Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project who commissioned the Barna research remembers his first look at the data. "I'll never forget sitting in Starbucks, poring through the research results on my laptop. As I soaked it in, I glanced at the people around me and was overwhelmed with the thought that this is what they think of me. It was a sobering thought to know that if I had stood up and announced myself as a 'Christian' to the customers assembled in Starbucks that day, they would have associated me with every one of the negative perceptions described in this book" (222, his italics). Sad to say, Marcus Borg was even more right than he knew.

The other day, I had an extended conversation with a pastor from a sister congregation which returned again and again to the theme of crossing the line of commitment to God and the people of God.  I shared my recent musings regarding college serving in some manner as a form of Rumspringa, for which the local assembly prepares youth and after which young adults make a decision regarding whether they will remain part of the people of God.  Local assemblies are committed to their youth in this process and if one chooses to become part of the community of faith, one embraces the shared pursuit of holiness and the creative cultivation/transformation of individuals/culture. 

So when I came across these thoughts by Miller on Why Evangelicals are Quitting Church, see Sunday Morning, Staying Home, I found them of interest and turned to prayer/reflection/action.  It is with great joy that I can testify to Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ being a place for quitters to be welcomed to the people of God. To God be the glory and may He continue to bestow His grace upon our local assembly.

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Did you know that I'm part of a new, innovative Kingdom project (when am I not exploring fresh opportunities for Gospel work)? Well, what is it?

A blog for the Emerging Scholars Network ... for several years I've been advocating for a forum along these lines and I'm thrilled to work w/Mike Hickerson, Associate Director, Emerging Scholars Network, to explore this unchartered territory.

A brief aside:  God has been blessing our family in many ways this summer as we recieved the gift of Baby Lily Joy, I participated in my first Brethren in Christ Core Course, the twins entered 3rd grade, Eden began rumbling around, and the deck nears completion. It is a great joy to enter the fall term with such freshness.  To God be the glory!  Your prayers and partnership have been a great blessing.

So let me stop rambling in order for you to swing by and check out the Emerging Scholars Blog where I have posts on Andy Crouch’s brand new book Culture-Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture, and more to come over the course of the coming days, weeks, months. ... Please join the conversation by posting comments or dropping me an email with thoughts/reactions/topics for consideration.

Here's a recipe that I thought was really tasty and since plums are in season now is the time to make it.  Maybe you can find some very ripe plums on the reduced pile.  They are perfect for this recipe.

Plum and Ginger Soda

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A friend recently asked me what I knew about the faith of Rastafarians. As I pushed away the cobwebs of my mind, I remembered some conversations in Jamaica regarding the Queen of Sheeba, King Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant, Jesus Christ, and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. After sharing some of these reflections, I pulled some links together and I'm posting them here for reference. Note: If you have suggestions regarding additional material or particular insights regarding the faith of Rastafarians to pass along to my friend, please post them here. Thank-you.

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Today, the C. S. Lewis Seminar begins it's noontime gatherings for Penn State Harrisburg faculty and staff. The group will pick up last year's discussion of Lewis' The Screwtape Letters (we ended in Chapter 6), seeking to separate fact from fiction regarding the Christian faith. Pray for last year's crew to return eager for conversation and for newcomers to become part of the mix.