The days of ambivalence in the Christian life are drawing to an end. Having one foot in the world and the other in the church has caused only pain and imbalance. It is time for us to stop walking along the shore, dreaming of the other side but staying put. It is time to act on our faith—come what may.
Fear of sharing our faith, except for those with the unstoppable sanguine temperament, causes many of us to experience faith-sharing paralysis. We just can’t do it. And since we can’t, we don’t. So another chance to trust in Jesus may have evaporated into thin air. When Christ told us to proclaim forgiveness of sins to all (Luke 24:46-48), He did not discriminate: • He did not isolate His command to Peter, James, and John, the big three. • He did not exclude the women in the room.
He did not pass over timid Thomas a week later (John 20:24-29).
Jesus saw a mighty army eager to share what they had learned from Him. He included everyone in His band of witnesses to the good news. Let’s follow His lead, shall we?
The first time I gave a gospel presentation to someone I didn’t do a very good job. And the second time I didn’t do much better. But I kept presenting. I kept focusing on those wonderful words of life in Scripture, and people began to listen and surrender to the love of God in Christ. Now the verses, illustrations, and analogies come to me naturally—awake or asleep.
Practice does make perfect. Let’s practice giving away our faith, and God will take our humble efforts and one day show us on the Sea of Glass the fruit of this wonderful labor.
Remember: “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
Again it’s time to act on our faith—come what may.
Ron E. M. Clouzet, D.Min., is ministerial secretary and director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI). He is also professor of Christian ministry and practical theology in Andrews University Theological Seminary.
No. church is not on my to-do list. In August 2009 I stopped going to church after doing so since age 10. Indeed.
I had arrived at the annual family reunion meet-and-greet on Friday evening expecting to have an entire meal of salad. I discovered that the hostess who in previous years had decided such fare to be sufficient for vegetarian Adventists had prepared a well-rounded meal with tasty vegetable protein. I rejoiced and chewed with gusto.
Then on Saturday morning while passing through the lobby I was called to explain to new-to-me relatives that I wasn’t going to the family picnic wearing a suit and heels. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to tell those family saints that I am a Seventh-day Adventist going to Sabbath School and church, etc., etc., etc.
But although the mouth was surely mine, the words were clearly His: “I’m going to worship God.” Period. That explanation received affirmations wafting on an air of respect. So I added, “I look forward to chatting with you when I get back and change my clothes.” And I did.
So I don’t go to church any more in favor of going to worship the God whose love for me is apparent in His constant and creative handling of my challenges.
Early on Saturday mornings I still pass people engaged in their passions apparent by the crowded parking lots in the strip mall, the beauty shop, the bowling alley, and the yards of yard-sale merchandise. But now sail by them all on my way to worship God—at church for sure, but there is an entirely different ring to the experience and the explanation.
Paul talks about the difference between babes in Christ and the spiritually mature. I’ve finally gotten his message. So the change is more than vocabulary, embracing my attitude and my wardrobe. The spirit wrapped in “worship” overpowers any negatives I encounter within the building called church or any of the people therein who may rain on my parade. So church is not on my to-do list. I go to worship God with the spiritual grownups.
The Fifth Annual Evolution Weekend sponsor claim that 850 congregations worldwide have been discussing the compatibility of religion and science February 12-14, 2010. This is an opportunity for local members to credibly express their view on evolution with other believers and leaders in their congregation and local conference. Notice the red flags added by this blogger.
The Clergy Letter Project Announces
The Fifth Annual Evolution Weekend
12-14 February 2010
850 Congregations Worldwide Will Discuss the Compatibility of Religion and Science
Contact: Dr. Michael Zimmerman, Founder and Executive Director
Clergy Letter Project
317.964.3188
mz@butler.edu <mz@butler.edu>
Web address: www.evolutionweekend.org <http://www.evolutionweekend.org/ <http://www.evolutionweekend.org/> >
Churches, temples and mosques from across the United States and around the world are joining together to celebrate Evolution Weekend, Feb. 12-14, a period designed to recognize that religion and science, two fields of critical importance to humans, should be seen as complementary rather than confrontational. Participation includes such activities as sermons, lectures, discussions and classes.
The fifth annual Evolution Weekend event is particularly timely this year since we are entering the third century since the birth of Charles Darwin and the 151th anniversary of the publication of his book, On the Origin of Species.
Twelve countries on five continents as well as all 50 states will be represented. A list of participants can be found at www.evolutionweekend.org <http://www.evolutionweekend.org/ <http://www.evolutionweekend.org/> > . More than 870 scientists on six continents, representing 29 countries, have signed on as consultants.
Michael Zimmerman, founder of Evolution Weekend and Professor of Biology at Butler University in Indianapolis, praised the participants.
“Religious leaders around the world are coming together to elevate the quality of the discussion about this important topic. They are demonstrating to their congregations that people can accept all that modern science has learned while retaining their faith,” said Zimmerman. “They are also demonstrating that those who are promoting their narrow religious views as the norm, are not speaking for most of the world’s religious community. Evolution Weekend shows that the disagreement is actually not between religious leaders and scientists, but rather between those who believe that their particular religious views should be incorporated into the science curriculum and clergy who recognize and respect the diversity of different faith traditions.”
Evolution Weekend is sponsored by The Clergy Letter Project (www.theclergyletterproject.org <http://www.theclergyletterproject.org <http://www.theclergyletterproject.org> > ), which Zimmerman started in 2004. The Christian Clergy Letter has been signed by more than 12,400 Christian clergypersons in the United States who agree that “religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.” Companion Letters by Rabbis (with more than 460 signatures) and Unitarian Universalists (with more than 220 signatures) have recently begun circulating as well.
The letters urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge. They ask “that science remain science and that religion remain religion, two very different, but complementary, forms of truth.”
“With clergy members and scientists banding together to proclaim that their two fields have much to teach us about the world and the people in it, with the two groups demonstrating that they can work collaboratively, there is now hope that we can put the divisiveness that has been the hallmark of this struggle behind us,” said Zimmerman. “We can look to a future in which it is no longer controversial to teach our children the best science has to offer. We can create a future in which experts in different fields respect one another and the ideas each has to offer.”
Maranatha!
Faith Johnson Crumbly
Editor, LEAD Magazine
301-393-4094
fcrumbly@rhpa.org
With the same patience God has to save his children, a French search and rescue team endured and rescued a Haitian girl from the rubble fifteen days after the deadly earthquake.“French rescuers pulled a teenage girl — very dehydrated, with a broken left leg and moments from death — from the rubble of a home near the destroyed St. Gerard University on Wednesday, a stunning recovery 15 days after an earthquake devastated the city.French Ambassador Didier le Bret praised the persistence of the French rescue team, which has kept looking for survivors for days after the Haitian government officially called off the search.”(Bull, Gregory and Fox, Ben. “Stunning Recovery: Haitian Girl Pulled from Debris.” www.news.yahoo.com. January 27, 2010.Accessed January 28, 2010.)
Just as the Christian walk often requires patience before we are able to see the fruit of our labor, campaigners waited years before they received their dream.“After a 17-year battle these tireless campaigners have proved persistence pays off.In 1992, after continually struggling to get across Longridge Road, in Ribbleton, Preston, community campaigners decided they needed a pelican crossing.After nearly two decades they have finally got their way.Rose Caine, 65, who led the campaign as part of the Longridge Road Tenants’ Association, said: “We want to say to people never give up on something. It has made a tremendous difference being able to cross.”(Robinson, Ben. “Tireless Campaign Wins Group Pelican Crossing.” www.lep.co.uk January 27, 2010.Accessed January 28, 2010.)
Jesus promises to give his people peace in a way that the world could never give even as world leaders must admit that their desires for peace were too ambitious.“President Barack Obama says his administration overestimated its ability to persuade the Israelis and Palestinians to resume meaningful peace talks.Obama says both parties have been unwilling to make the bold gestures needed to move the process forward. If the U.S. had anticipated that earlier, Obama says he might not have raised his expectations so high.Obama says the U.S. will continue to work toward a two-state solution in which Israel is secure and the Palestinians have sovereignty. His remarks came in an interview with Time Magazine published Thursday.”(Associated Press. “Obama: Expectations for Middle East Peace too High.” http://news.yahoo.com. January 21, 2010.Accessed January 21, 2010.)
Even in times of calamity, Haitian people of faith are able to find peace as they place their hope in God. “Carmella Delerme of Miami, Florida, said her mother clung to her Bible for days, reading psalms over and over again, as they waited for word on the whereabouts and condition of Delerme’s sister and other relatives.When her sister, who was in Haiti on a missionary trip with their Seventh-day Adventist Church, called late Thursday, Delerme said, ‘I went straight to church and prayed and prayed and prayed. We continue to pray for those who are lost and still in need.’On the streets of Port-au-Prince, with many of their churches crumbled, people have gathered to worship and sing Catholic and Protestant hymns.”(Ravitz, Jessica. “Haitians Everywhere United by Faith.” www.cnn.com. January 18, 2010.Accessed January 21, 2010.
The heart of God rejoices over the deliverance of his lost children, that he has gone through great lengths to save, in the same way one British couple rejoices over their twin sons that they spent tens of thousands to have.“Twins Ben and Walker are the pride and joy of a couple who spent £100,000 on fertility treatments in 25 years of trying for a child.Mum Monique Ward said yesterday of her two-week-old baby boys: ‘When I held them for the first time my eyes filled with tears.We’ve wanted this for so long it seemed unreal everything had finally come true. They’re our little miracles - both are perfectly healthy and neither of us can believe they are really here.’” (Chaytor, Rod.“Twins joy for couple who spent £100k in 25-year bid for a baby.”www.mirror.co.uk. January 14, 2010.Accessed January 14, 2010.)
Jesus warned believers that there would be tribulation in the world, and the devastation in Haiti is proof of that; yet, there is also comfort and joy in stories of hope.“Orphanages filled with scores of Haiti’s most vulnerable citizens — its parentless children —survived without losing a single child. A missionary lying trapped for 10 hours in the collapsed rubble that was once her mission was reunited with her husband, who drove hours to dig her out and take her to safety. A college student managed to send her worried parents a two-word text message that meant everything: ‘I’m OK.’” (Celizic, Mike.“Amid Haiti Horror, Stories of Survival and Hope.” www.msnbc.com. January 14, 2010. Accessed January 14, 2010.
Love is not something that we just say to others, but it sacrifices for others.“The traditional wedding vow line “in sickness and in health” has never been as true as it was for a New Iberia man who showed there are no boundaries when it comes to love.Brodie Dressel, 27, donated one of his kidneys in November to his wife, Cindy, who was dying of end stage renal failure.‘I pretty much made the decision to donate once I heard the diagnosis,’ Brodie Dressel said. ‘It pretty much had to be done.’” (Kirkpatrick, Ron. “Local Man Donates Life-Saving Token of Love.” www.katc.com. January 6, 2010.Accessed January 7, 2010.)
Love is a word defined by our actions towards those we know and those we don’t.“On a plane bound for O’Hare International Airport, Elsie Clark felt weak, scared and utterly alone – until she spotted a pair of shiny leather shoes across the aisle.What happened to the 79-year-old Canadian over the next 12 hours – she was embraced by a good Samaritan, escorted through O’Hare in a wheelchair and welcomed to a swanky high-rise for a dinner overlooking Lake Michigan – saved her from a traumatic stranding in Chicago.It also proved that, even in tough times, people can surprise each other with acts of kindness.”(Dizikes, Cynthia. “Good Samaritan Flies to Passenger’s Rescue. www.chicagobreakingnews.com. January 5, 2010. Accessed January 7, 2010.)
Just as God proves each of his people with test and trials, coaches aren’t just looking for skills on the court, but they want character.“Alexander Hamilton (Wis.) junior forward Darnell Harris, who scored 18 and 13 points in the team’s first two games against Socastee and Cedar Hill (Texas), respectively, played just eight first-half minutes Wednesday.Wildcats coach Tom Diener, however, said the benching was about attitude.‘He’s a heck of a player. He’s been good all year. He’s a valuable part of this team,” Diener said. “But he wasn’t playing the way he normally does last night and today. He’s a young kid, and part of our job as high school coaches is to build character.’”(Ripke, Ian G. “Beach Ball Classic Notebook:Coach Wants Character on the Court.” www.thesunnews.com. December 31, 2009.Assessed December 31, 2009.)
A person’s position in the church does not guarantee their spirituality, it is the fruit of a person’s life that will ultimately be judged.A former Catholic archbishop in Argentina has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual abuse of a seminary student in 1992, a court report said Wednesday.Former Archbishop Edgardo Gabriel Storni “acted with total impunity” and there was enough proof to convict him, Judge Maria Amalia Mascheroni said in the sentencing.“Being a rector of the faith, his injurious and immoral attitude contributed to the lack of credibility in the religious institution,” the judge is quoted as saying in a report by the Judicial Information Center, the nation’s official court news service.(“Argentine Ex-archbishop gets 8 Years in Sex Abuse Case, Court Reports.”www.cnn.com.December 30, 2009.Assessed December 31, 2009.)
Consequences of immorality affect the entire community. One person’s indiscretions can have damaging effects that extend far beyond the individual to the community of that person. “The private conduct - or misconduct - of Tiger Woods has brought with it potentially devastating public consequences to the sport of golf he has come to dominate, consequences that could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.” (Jeff Greenfield, “Tiger Scandal Could Cost PGA Millions.” www.cbsnews.com. December 7, 2009. Accessed December 10, 2009.)
Tempters also pay for their role in immorality. Just as God punishes those who entice his people into sin, seven states still allow jilted spouses to file “alienation of affection” suits against the paramour. “Juries in North Carolina have handed out awards in excess of $1 million on multiple occasions.” In Mississippi, Chip Pickering, who served as a congressman for 12 years, decided not to run for re-election after allegations of an affair. Then, his wife, Leisha Pickering filed an alienation of affection suit against her husband’s mistress Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd. “As a direct and proximate result of the negligent, wrongful and reckless misconduct and behavior of Creekmore-Byrd with Pickering,” the suit says, “plaintiff has suffered damage to the affection and consortium with her husband.” (Wayne Drash, “Beware cheaters: Your Lover’s Spouse Can Sue You.” www.cnn.com. December 8, 2009. Accessed December 10, 2009.)
