Illegal Aliens

Posted on April 16, 2008 by Jay F Guin

A very thoughtful post from Patrick Mead on illegal immigration. It’s particularly impressive how he develops a Christian viewpoint separate from the political positions being argued.

A few of my own thoughts are here–

Sodom, Gomorrah & Illegal Aliens, Part 1

Sodom, Gomorrah & Illegal Aliens, Part 2

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Buried Talents: Genesis, Part 2 (the meaning of “helper”)

Posted on April 16, 2008 by Jay F Guin

What does “helper” really mean? The word translated “helper” is the Hebrew word ‘ezer. Following are all the other occurrences of the word in the Old Testament:

(Exo. 18:4) [T]he other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

(Deut. 33:7) “And this he said about Judah: “Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!”

(Deut. 33:26) “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.” Continue reading →

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Letter to a Gay Man in the Churches of Christ, Part 6

Posted on April 15, 2008 by Jay F Guin

gay

Yet, I haven’t 100% rejected the idea that being gay is OK with God. You can’t just undo a lifetime of being taught homosexuality is the worst possible sin in a short period of time.

No, it’s not the worst possible sin. Jesus himself said so.

(Mat 10:14-15) If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Jesus said that those who reject the gospel will suffer a worse fate than the men of Sodom and Gomorrah. But there’s more. Continue reading →

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Amazing Grace: The Mission of God Through the Church, Part 2

Posted on April 14, 2008 by Jay F Guin

That was the theology. This is the missiology: a theory of how to do benevolence.

I came to some of the foregoing conclusions, not by studying benevolence, but by asking how we can conduct teen and campus ministries in such a way that we keep more of our kids in the faith.

The fact is that our (meaning the church at large, not our particular ministries) teen groups do a very credible job of keeping our kids entertained and coming to church. And many also do what their elders demand — get lots of kids to come to weeknight devo. Nothing quite excites the elders like the sight of one or two hundred teens at youth or college events. This is so exciting that elders often give the youth minister leave to do things they’d never allow among the adults. After all, don’t the crowds prove that something righteous is going on? Continue reading →

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Buried Talents: Genesis, Part 1

Posted on April 14, 2008 by Jay F Guin

The most important scriptures dealing with the role of women are found in Genesis. In a number of places, Paul refers to the Creation accounts as the basis for his teachings regarding women (see 1 Cor. 11:8-9; 1 Cor 14:34; 1 Tim. 2:13-14).

Other times he refers simply to the “Law,” but we understand that Jews refer to the first five books of the Old Testament as the Law — not just the Law of Moses (found primarily in Leviticus and Deuteronomy). In fact, there is nothing in the Law of Moses commanding that women be subject or even submissive to men. Therefore, we take it that Paul is referring to the Creation accounts.

Because of this, the key to finding the truth of the matter is Genesis 1-3. We must first look to Genesis and find out what God’s plan for men and women really is. Only then can we look to Paul’s references to these accounts and determine the point that Paul was intending to make. We can certainly figure that Paul understood these account accurately. Continue reading →

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Amazing Grace: The Mission of God Through the Church, Part 1

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Jay F Guin

I’m teaching this because I’ve had (been given, actually, I think) some thoughts that I’m having trouble expressing. They are (you won’t be surprised to learn) about community service or benevolence. I just don’t think I’ve been able to adequately communicate what I feel called to say on the subject.

I’ve finally concluded that my communication problem is due to the fact that we are all used to thinking of evangelism and benevolence in certain ways. When we are confronted by a contrary way of looking at things, we see things in the way we are used to and don’t even realize that we’re being confronted with an entirely different approach.

The best I can tell, there are four views of benevolence at church. Continue reading →

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Letter to a Gay Man in the Churches of Christ, Part 5

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Jay F Guin

gay

I am about to give up the church of Christ because I can’t go on living a lie. If people in my singles class and my minister knew how I really am, I would be condemned and whatever else. Living a lie makes you an alcoholic or a drug addict and you can add any other vice. It’s also very exhausting.

My heart goes out to you. I mean, the last thing any Christian should ever have to do is live a lie. If the attitudes of the rest of us — we straights — force you to lie, then we’re the sinners. Continue reading →

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Rethinking the Oversight of Missions and Other Outreaches

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Jay F Guin

I’m a lawyer. I represent scores of churches and nonprofits. I’ve served on several nonprofit boards. I’ve gotten more nonprofits approved by the IRS than I can count. I know what I’m talking about.

When it comes to nonprofits within the Church of Christ world, we have a mess. It’s not a total mess. But the essence of how we do nonprofits is not right. It’s hard to explain, and no one talks about it. So I need to explain myself. I’ll start with an example.

The orphanage

About 25 years ago, when I was a young and idealistic lawyer, I was invited to sit on the board of a Church of Christ orphanage. I agreed. After all, the church I’d grown up in had split from another church 25 years earlier just to have the right to support this very orphanage. The least I could do was help this work.

I drove 90 minutes to my first board meeting, at which — much to my surprise and embarrassment — the chairman read a report from the local district attorney in which the grand jury found that the orphanage was rife with child abuse. Continue reading →

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Buried Talents: Four Alternative Views (edited)

Posted on April 12, 2008 by Jay F Guin

In 1 Women in the Church , Carroll Osburn reviews the literature on the role of women in the church and states that the positions of the authors may be summarized in four categories (I really have to apologize for the hard to pronounce — and hard to type! — words):

1. Radical feminism

2. Paternalism

3. Evangelical egalitarianism

4. Complementarianism or evangelical hierarchalism. Continue reading →

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Letter to a Gay Man in the Churches of Christ, Part 3.5

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Anonymous commented,

When I say lonely, I’m talking about not having a life partner. I think getting the alcohol out of my system and my life made me realize the loneliness that exists. I can’t drink it away and numb myself anymore.

I’ve spent the day pondering the question of loneliness. When I read your comment, my first thought was to go look at the Blue Like Jazz lesson material. I don’t know if you’ve read the book. It’s by Don Miller, a single Christian man, who has the gift of story telling. It’s great stuff.

As you might expect, as a long-term single man, a straight man with a commitment problem, as he describes himself, he has to wrestle with loneliness, and he talks about it in the book — with great poignancy. He writes,

I think being in love is an opposite of loneliness, but not the opposite. There are other things that I now crave when I am lonely, like community, like friendship, like family. I think our society puts too much pressure on romantic love, and that is why so many romances fail. Romance can’t possibly carry all that we want it to. (p. 153) Continue reading →

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