A Question about Congregational Autonomy

Posted on July 31, 2008 by Jay F Guin

MergerI get emails. Here’s one with a very thoughtful question about congregational autonomy —

… According to Josephus, there were 100,000 Christians in Jerusalem at the end of the first century (or so I have heard – I have not read that in Josephus myself). But if that is true, where did they all meet? I think we assume there was a Main Street Church of Christ at the time and every Sunday all the Jerusalem Christians assembled for worship. We assume there was one congregation of the saints in one city and everyone knew one another and they all met in one location regularly. Continue reading →

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Colbert and Congregational Autonomy

Posted on July 29, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Just thought you’d enjoy Colbert’s take, as a Catholic, on the Anglican split over gay priests.

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On Slowing Down

Posted on July 28, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Dear readers,

I’m going to slow the pace of posting for awhile. I’m not sure how much or for how long. I just know I need to take a break.

I’ve got some medical issues to deal with over the next few weeks, and I’m feeling pretty lousy. So I don’t think I can do the blog justice right now. (It has to do with my arthritis. I’m not dying, having surgery, or anything like that.)

And so, if I don’t respond to your questions or go several days without posting, don’t give up on me. I’m still alive and kicking. I’m just on an internet vacation.

Jay

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community (Breaking Bread)

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Jay F Guin

I was about to move on to the next topic when I realized I’d never addressed the description of Christian community found in Acts 2. Immediately after Peter’s sermon and the baptism of 3,000, we read,

(Acts 2:42-47) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Continue reading →

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Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 3

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Notice how we tend to think about political issues.

* Some of us see political issues as entirely separate from Christianity. Church has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. The Bible simply doesn’t address such things.

* Others see the “spiritual” part, but that’s all. Hence, we should certainly invite immigrants, legal or illegal, to church and share Jesus with them, but the question of whether they should be here in the first place is purely political and quite separate from spiritual concerns. The Bible is only about salvation, not government.

* Contrary to either of those views, I’m arguing that our Christianity touches and changes everything about us. In fact, as politics is often all about nationalism and selfishness, Christianity especially touches and changes politics. Indeed, Christianity condemns nationalism and selfishness, and wrapping those up in the name of politics does not rescue them from God’s judgment (meaning by “nationalism” allowing our concern and love to stop at a man-made border). Continue reading →

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Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 2

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Jay F Guin

We are the aliens

The next theological observation is found in several verses, such as —

(Heb 11:13) All these people [in the honor roll of faith] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

(1 Pet 1:17) Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

(1 Pet 2:11) Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Continue reading →

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Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 1

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Jay F Guin

I’ve been trying to think of a good example of the difference between the Christian perspective and the political perspective for class. I think illegal immigration likely shows the difference as well as anything.

Imagine that you’re a U.S. Senator. What are the political considerations that impact a decision on what to do about illegal immigration? Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community (More Hauerwas)

Posted on July 25, 2008 by Jay F Guin

I probably shouldn’t spend this many posts on the subject — except it’s an area where we struggle … a lot.

In America today, community is largely gone. We often barely know our neighbors. We find work is the center of our social life, and yet work is an unnatural place to make friends. I mean, we’re supposed to be busy working — and work brings only certain kinds of people together. It’s just not an entirely satisfactory place to find true community. Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 4 (Small Groups)

Posted on July 24, 2008 by Jay F Guin

The fashionable remedy to the Biblical need for community is a program of small groups — and they are fast becoming a standard part of how everyone does church. Which worries me, because if everyone is doing it, it must not be very hard. And because if it was all that effective we’d be seeing churches and denominations radically changed — and we’re not.

Well, in some places it’s happening. But most places, small groups don’t accomplish all that much. They are vastly better than what they replaced — Sunday night worship, typically — but they aren’t all that effective in forming our members to be like Jesus. Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 3 (Kingdom Parables)

Posted on July 23, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus begins a parable with the “Kingdom of Heaven is like …”? Well, replace “Kingdom of Heaven” with “church”* and re-read those parables. For example,

(Mat 13:31-32) He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” Continue reading →

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