Why Racial Diversity in the Church is Good
I believe racial diversity in a local church is a good thing. And not a 'if it happens that's great' good thing. I believe racial diversity is something that every church should seriously aim to achieve. Up to this point my only argument for such diversity is what it communicates about the saving work of Christ. A 'white church' say's, Jesus can save white people. A 'black church' says, Jesus can save black people. A 'hispanic church' says, Jesus can save hispanic people...(I could go on but I think you get the point.) But Jesus Church says, Jesus can save people--white, black, hispanic, asian, and anything else you can think of. If you're a person, Jesus can save you.Recently, however, I added a second argument in favor of racial diversity. I came across it in Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica. Aquinas is nearly universally held as the greatest philosopher the church has ever seen. The Summa is one of his easier to read works, and, in my opinion, one of the most accessible works of Christian philosophy ever written. In the Summa Aquinas argues:
For God brought things into being in order that his goodness might be communicated to creatures and represented by them. And because his goodness could not be represented by one creature alone, he produced many different creatures so that what was wanting in one in the manifestation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another. For goodness, which in God is simple and uniform, in creatures is manifold and divided. Hence the whole universe together participates in the divine goodness more perfectly and represents it better than any single creature whatever (Summa Theologiae, 1.47.1)
Aquinas' point was driven home one fall afternoon at Duke University. Rebekah was in the hospital and I was walking through Duke Gardens. Here's what I saw.
Right in front of me was Aquinas' argument. Such diversity in plant life, and a much more glorious and big picture of God than any one of those plants alone could have given me!I think Aquinas' argument can be applied to racial diversity. There is no single human race in existence that can alone display all the divine goodness. When combined our racial differences--which include phenotypic characteristics, geographic ancestry, physical appearance, and ethnicity--paint a much bigger and brighter picture of God's goodness. So racial diversity says something about Christ's ability to save AND the goodness and wonder of our God.I need reminders of both of those truths on a regular basis. And what better place to be reminded than the community of the redeemed, the church? For those two reasons, let every church intentionally aim to reach every race represented in its community.
Why I'm not mad at God: how tragedy can drive us to holiness
I've had this blog in mind since the week Rebekah was diagnosed with leukemia. I thought it best to wait some time before I wrote it so that I would not seem too presumptuous. But today feels like the right day to write it. Easter Sunday (April 24, 2011) was the first Sunday my family missed gathering with our church because of Rebekah's cancer. And this past Sunday marked the day our whole family returned to our church gathering. It was a great day of rejoicing for both my family and our church. It's in light of that milestone that I feel I can honestly write what I'm about to say.Throughout Rebekah's cancer I have not been mad at God. I was not mad when she was diagnosed. I was not mad when she was stuck time after time for blood draws, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirations, or lumbar punctures. Don't get the wrong idea, I've not done this in my own strength. In God's good providence, before any of this happened, I had the privilege of walking with precious saints through great tragedy--some that led to death and some that did not. In addition, my seminary studies largely focused on the problem of evil. The lessons that God taught me on those journeys has helped me keep what I believe to be a biblical perspective through tragedy.It's not that I haven't been angry. Anger has been, and will continue to be there. My anger, however has been directed at sin rather than God. While I whole heartedly believe in the sovereignty of God over every molecule, I also believe that the cause of all misery and tragedy in the world is sin. Sin that infects hearts, minds, bodies, and the whole of creation. Let there be no mistake, my daughter's cancer, like every tragedy, is rooted in sin. We are fallen people who live in a broken world. Things don't work the way they're supposed to--though they will one day!If you view suffering this way every tragedy will produce in you a growing hatred for sin, not God. Here's how it works in my life. When I'm tempted to sin I remember the devastating effect sin has had in my daughters life. And when I see that, how could I choose to embrace sin? I loth it, I hate it, and my only recourse is to turn to God and find refuge in him. It's a cruel irony that tragedy often drives people away from God. Running from God is by nature running to sin. Run to sin and you're running to the very thing that lies behind the tragedy you're experiencing. When we face tragedy we should instead run away from sin and find comfort in the very precious and great promises of God. In short, tragedy viewed correctly leads us to holiness.I pray that as we look at our fallen, broken world, full of personal and distant tragedy, we will see the sin that lies behind it. I also pray that will see the God who is greater than sin, the God who sent his son to redeem us from the devastating effects of sin. And seeing those two truth, may every tragedy drive us away from sin and deeper into God, into holiness.
Meaningful Celebration
I've been thinking lately about how to celebrate the birth of Jesus with my family (particularly my little girl) in a meaningful way. Like it or not, there are a plethora of things that vie for attention and affection on Christmas day. There is the excitement of giving and receiving, sharing meals with family and friends, playing (mainly if your a kid) with friends and your new toys (the latter applies to grown-up kids as well!), cooking and hosting, and the never ending list continues. None of these things are bad. They all have their place in loving one another and enjoying the company of other people. They do, however, present a challenge for a family that wants to meaningfully celebrate the birth of Jesus.Let me give you some examples. I think the most common way to celebrate Jesus birth on Christmas is to wake up early in the morning and read the biblical story of Jesus' birth before the first present is opened. That's a great tradition! From personal experience, however, I've noticed that almost everyone is gazing wide eyed at presents while someone is reading the birth story. It's hard to stay focused on a story when you know as soon as its over you're going to tear into presents. That scenario has led some families to read the birth story on Christmas Eve. Again, a great tradition! However, the same problem often persists. Trying to get kids or adults to really focus on the birth story when they're jacked up about the next morning is hard.I don't have a one size fits all solution to the problem, mainly because every family is different. This year our family is going to try celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas night. As a kid Christmas night always seemed so dull to me, all the excitement was over. My hope is that on Christmas night we'll be able to put aside some of those wonderful distractions and really focus on Jesus. And we're going to get creative with it! Forget just reading a story. We're going to act it out with puppets, manger scenes, and as much drama as we can conjure up. If you don't have kids that's probably not the best way for you to celebrate Jesus' birth, but that's no reason not to be creative. If you're an adult celebrating with other adults you could read the birth story and take turns sharing why Jesus' birth means so much to you, how his gospel has changed your life.There are literally thousands of ways you can meaningfully celebrate the birth of Jesus. In fact, if you have a few moments, I'd like you to share how your family celebrates the birth of Jesus. Maybe we'll inspire each other to celebrate Jesus in a fresh, meaningful way this year.A NOTE TO HUSBANDS AND FATHERS: As always, men, the spiritual tone and direction of your family rests on you. So, a challenge going out to all of us. Joyfully step into your role as spiritual leader this Christmas and lead your family in a meaningful celebration of Jesus birth.
Jehovah's Witness at the door
It seems as of late that the local kingdom hall (the meeting place for Jehovah's Witnesses) has been sending its members into Franklinton. In the past month we've had two visits at our house and one at a local gas station. I thought I would put up some useful information to show the differences between a Jehovah's Witness and a Christian. I'm including an article from the Apologetics Study Bible as well as some useful links and information.
Are the Teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses Compatible with the Bible?
by Robert M. Bowman Jr.
Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) claim to regard the Bible as the absolute Word of God and to base all their beliefs on it. In fact, the teachings of JWs are contrary to the Bible.
The Bible. JWs use a doctored version of the Bible called the New World Translation (nwt). The JW leaders who produced the nwt were not biblical scholars, and it shows. The most obvious difference between the nwt and other Bibles is its use of “Jehovah” in the NT. JWs claim that the NT originally used the Hebrew name YHWH (translated “Jehovah” or “Yahweh”) and that apostate scribes put “Lord” (Gk kurios) in its place. There is no historical or manuscript evidence for this claim.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. JWs teach that the Father alone is Jehovah, the almighty God; that the Son, Jesus Christ, is “a god” (their translation of Jn 1:1) inferior to the Father; and that the “holy spirit” is an impersonal force emanating from God. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God (Jn 1:1; 17:3; 20:28; Ac 5:3–4; 2 Co 3:17–18; Ti 2:13). The Son made everything (Heb 1:10–12) and is to be honored as God (Jn 5:23; Heb 1:6; Rv 5:13). The Holy Spirit is a person, called the “Comforter” or “Helper” (Gk parakletos); He teaches, speaks, and bears witness to Jesus (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26–27; 16:13–14).
Death, the soul, and eternal punishment. According to JWs, when unsaved human beings die, they cease to exist. There is no intermediate state of the dead and no eternal punishment for the wicked (who are annihilated instead). The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that human beings exist after their deaths as spirits awaiting the resurrection and final judgment (Lk 16:19–31; 23:43; Heb 12:9, 23; Rv 6:9–11). (The nwt mistranslates Lk 23:43 and the Hebrew texts to avoid this implication.) The wicked will suffer eternal punishment (Mt 25:46; Rv 14:9–11; 20:10).
Jesus’ resurrection and return. JWs believe that God “raised” Jesus from the dead as an angelic spirit, with a so-called spirit body. They deny that He will return visibly and personally to earth. Scripture, however, teaches that Jesus rose with the same physical body with which He died, though glorified and immortal, and that His body possessed flesh and bones, hands and feet, and even marks of His crucifixion (Lk 23:49; Jn 2:19–22; 10:17–18; 20:20, 25; Ac 2:24–32). Though He is the second person of the Godhead, Jesus is also a glorified man (Ac 17:31; 1 Co 15:47; 1 Tm 2:5) and He will return personally and bodily to the earth (Ac 1:9–11; 3:19–21; 1 Th 4:16; Heb 9:26–28).
Salvation. JWs view Jesus’ death as providing a “corresponding ransom,” releasing all people in principle from the condemnation due to Adam’s sin. However, to enjoy everlasting life, JWs believe they must not only accept Christ’s ransom but also prove themselves worthy by their works. The Bible’s teaching is quite different. Christians are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ, and our good works are the fruit of salvation, not the prerequisite for it (Rm 3:21–28; 5:1–11; Eph 2:8–10; Ti 3:4–8).¹
1. Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1562.
When you're deciding whether or not to talk to a JW keep in mind that you don't have to argue against what they believe. You can, and some of you more argumentative people (like myself) will enjoy the opportunity. Ultimately, however, a JW needs to hear the same Gospel that ever other lost man and woman do. So if you get a chance to speak to a JW, don't feel the pressure to deconstruct their belief, just share the Gospel with them.Here are some links you may find helpful.http://www.watchman.org/articles/jehovahs-witnesses/http://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses