For those of you who are interested in this sort of thing, here is an article tracing the origins of the date of Christmas. We do not know when Jesus was actually born; what matters is that in Jesus Christ the Word of God became human. Some scholars think that Jesus was probably born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles , which is usually in September. This article explains why December 25th was chosen.
Calculating Christmas
William J. Tighe on the Story Behind December 25
Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals.
Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Son” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance.
A Mistake
The idea that the date was taken from the pagans goes back to two scholars from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Paul Ernst Jablonski, a German Protestant, wished to show that the celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25th was one of the many “paganizations” of Christianity that the Church of the fourth century embraced, as one of many “degenerations” that transformed pure apostolic Christianity into Catholicism. Dom Jean Hardouin, a Benedictine monk, tried to show that the Catholic Church adopted pagan festivals for Christian purposes without paganizing the gospel.
In the Julian calendar, created in 45 B.C. under Julius Caesar, the winter solstice fell on December 25th, and it therefore seemed obvious to Jablonski and Hardouin that the day must have had a pagan significance before it had a Christian one. But in fact, the date had no religious significance in the Roman pagan festal calendar before Aurelian’s time, nor did the cult of the sun play a prominent role in Rome before him.
There were two temples of the sun in Rome, one of which (maintained by the clan into which Aurelian was born or adopted) celebrated its dedication festival on August 9th, the other of which celebrated its dedication festival on August 28th. But both of these cults fell into neglect in the second century, when eastern cults of the sun, such as Mithraism, began to win a following in Rome. And in any case, none of these cults, old or new, had festivals associated with solstices or equinoxes.
As things actually happened, Aurelian, who ruled from 270 until his assassination in 275, was hostile to Christianity and appears to have promoted the establishment of the festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” as a device to unify the various pagan cults of the Roman Empire around a commemoration of the annual “rebirth” of the sun. He led an empire that appeared to be collapsing in the face of internal unrest, rebellions in the provinces, economic decay, and repeated attacks from German tribes to the north and the Pers ian Empire to the east.
In creating the new feast, he intended the beginning of the lengthening of the daylight, and the arresting of the lengthening of darkness, on December 25th to be a symbol of the hoped-for “rebirth,” or perpetual rejuvenation, of the Roman Empire, resulting from the maintenance of the worship of the gods whose tutelage (the Romans thought) had brought Rome to greatness and world-rule. If it co-opted the Christian celebration, so much the better.
A By-Product
It is true that the first evidence of Christians celebrating December 25th as the date of the Lord’s nativity comes from Rome some years after Aurelian, in A.D. 336, but there is evidence from both the Greek East and the Latin West that Christians attempted to figure out the date of Christ’s birth long before they began to celebrate it liturgically, even in the second and third centuries. The evidence indicates, in fact, that the attribution of the date of December 25th was a by-product of attempts to determine when to celebrate his death and resurrection.
How did this happen? There is a seeming contradiction between the date of the Lord’s death as given in the synoptic Gospels and in John’s Gospel. The synoptics would appear to place it on Passover Day (after the Lord had celebrated the Passover Meal on the preceding evening), and John on the Eve of Passover, just when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple for the feast that was to ensue after sunset on that day.
Solving this problem involves answering the question of whether the Lord’s Last Supper was a Passover Meal, or a meal celebrated a day earlier, which we cannot enter into here. Suffice it to say that the early Church followed John rather than the synoptics, and thus believed that Christ’s death would have taken place on 14 Nisan, according to the Jewish lunar calendar. (Modern scholars agree, by the way, that the death of Christ could have taken place only in A.D. 30 or 33, as those two are the only years of that time when the eve of Passover could have fallen on a Friday, the possibilities being either 7 April 30 or 3 April 33.)
However, as the early Church was forcibly separated from Judaism, it entered into a world with different calendars, and had to devise its own time to celebrate the Lord’s Passion, not least so as to be independent of the rabbinic calculations of the date of Passover. Also, since the Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months of thirty days each, every few years a thirteenth month had to be added by a decree of the Sanhedrin to keep the calendar in synchronization with the equinoxes and solstices, as well as to prevent the seasons from “straying” into inappropriate months.
Apart from the difficulty Christians would have had in following—or perhaps even being accurately informed about—the dating of Passover in any given year, to follow a lunar calendar of their own devising would have set them at odds with both Jews and pagans, and very likely embroiled them in endless disputes among themselves. (The second century saw severe disputes about whether Pascha had always to fall on a Sunday or on whatever weekday followed two days after 14 Artemision/Nisan, but to have followed a lunar calendar would have made such problems much worse.)
These difficulties played out in different ways among the Greek Christians in the eastern part of the empire and the Latin Christians in the western part of it. Greek Christians seem to have wanted to find a date equivalent to 14 Nisan in their own solar calendar, and since Nisan was the month in which the spring equinox occurred, they chose the 14th day of Artemision, the month in which the spring equinox invariably fell in their own calendar. Around A.D. 300, the Greek calendar was superseded by the Roman calendar, and since the dates of the beginnings and endings of the months in these two systems did not coincide, 14 Artemision became April 6th.
In contrast, second-century Latin Christians in Rome and North Africa appear to have desired to establish the historical date on which the Lord Jesus died. By the time of Tertullian they had concluded that he died on Friday, 25 March 29. (As an aside, I will note that this is impossible: 25 March 29 was not a Friday, and Passover Eve in A.D. 29 did not fall on a Friday and was not on March 25th, or in March at all.)
Integral Age
So in the East we have April 6th, in the West, March 25th. At this point, we have to introduce a belief that seems to have been widespread in Judaism at the time of Christ, but which, as it is nowhere taught in the Bible, has completely fallen from the awareness of Christians. The idea is that of the “integral age” of the great Jewish prophets: the idea that the prophets of Israel died on the same dates as their birth or conception.
This notion is a key factor in understanding how some early Christians came to believe that December 25th is the date of Christ’s birth. The early Christians applied this idea to Jesus, so that March 25th and April 6th were not only the supposed dates of Christ’s death, but of his conception or birth as well. There is some fleeting evidence that at least some first- and second-century Christians thought of March 25th or April 6th as the date of Christ’s birth, but rather quickly the assignment of March 25th as the date of Christ’s conception prevailed.
It is to this day, commemorated almost universally among Christians as the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel brought the good tidings of a savior to the Virgin Mary, upon whose acquiescence the Eternal Word of God (“Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten of the Father before all ages”) forthwith became incarnate in her womb. What is the length of pregnancy? Nine months. Add nine months to March 25th and you get December 25th; add it to April 6th and you get January 6th. December 25th is Christmas, and January 6th is Epiphany.
Christmas (December 25th) is a feast of Western Christian origin. In Constantinople it appears to have been introduced in 379 or 380. From a sermon of St. John Chrysostom, at the time a renowned ascetic and preacher in his native Antioch, it appears that the feast was first celebrated there on 25 December 386. From these centers it spread throughout the Christian East, being adopted in Alexandria around 432 and in Jerusalem a century or more later. The Armenians, alone among ancient Christian churches, have never adopted it, and to this day celebrate Christ’s birth, manifestation to the magi, and baptism on January 6th.
Western churches, in turn, gradually adopted the January 6th Epiphany feast from the East, Rome doing so sometime between 366 and 394. But in the West, the feast was generally presented as the commemoration of the visit of the magi to the infant Christ, and as such, it was an important feast, but not one of the most important ones—a striking contrast to its position in the East, where it remains the second most important festival of the church year, second only to Pascha (Easter).
In the East, Epiphany far outstrips Christmas. The reason is that the feast celebrates Christ’s baptism in the Jordan and the occasion on which the Voice of the Father and the Descent of the Spirit both manifested for the first time to mortal men the divinity of the Incarnate Christ and the Trinity of the Persons in the One Godhead.
A Christian Feast
Thus, December 25th as the date of the Christ’s birth appears to owe nothing whatsoever to pagan influences upon the practice of the Church during or after Constantine’s time. It is wholly unlikely to have been the actual date of Christ’s birth, but it arose entirely from the efforts of early Latin Christians to determine the historical date of Christ’s death.
And the pagan feast which the Emperor Aurelian instituted on that date in the year 274 was not only an effort to use the winter solstice to make a political statement, but also almost certainly an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already of importance to Roman Christians. The Christians, in turn, could at a later date re-appropriate the pagan “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” to refer, on the occasion of the birth of Christ, to the rising of the “Sun of Salvation” or the “Sun of Justice.”
The author refers interested readers to Thomas J. Talley’s The Origins of the Liturgical Year (The Liturgical Press). A draft of this article appeared on the listserve Virtuosity.
William J. Tighe is Associate Professor of History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a faculty advisor to the Catholic Campus Ministry. He is a Member of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is a contributing editor for Touchstone.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Christmas Message from one of our Archbishops (en francais)
Joyeux Noel from Archbishop Diropka of the Congo
Sunday December 24th 2006, 10:09 am Filed under: Uncategorized Link to: this post
Chers collègues Eveques, Partenaires et amis,
Fraternelles salutations dans le Précieux nom de Notre Seigneur et Sauveur Jésus Christ dont nous célébrons bientôt la nativité.
A cette occasion, nous présentons nos sincères vœux de Joyeux Noël et de Bonne Année 2007 à vous, votre famille, vos collaborateurs et a tous ceux qui vous sont cher.
Que la fête de la Nativité nous rappelle toujours ce grand amour de Dieu envers nous « Car la grâce de Dieu, source de salut pour tous les hommes, a été manifestée… Notre Sauveur Jésus christ qui s’est donne lui-même pour nous, afin de nous racheter de toute iniquité, et de se faire un peuple qui lui appartienne, purifié par lui et zélé pour les bonnes œuvres » (Tite 2 :11,14).
Ces fêtes de fin d’année doivent être pour nous, le moment de bilan de notre cheminement avec Jésus et de prendre de nouvel élan sous la conduite du Saint Esprit, pour un engagement encore plus sérieux de Le servir en servant les autres.
Que ce Roi d’Amour et de Paix naisse dans le cœur de chacun de nous, dans nos foyers, dans nos Pays respectifs et dans les lieux de nos travaux pour la plus grande gloire de Dieu. Alléluia !
The Most Revd Dr DIROKPA BALUFUGA FidèleArchbishop of Congo and Bishop of Kinshasa
Sunday December 24th 2006, 10:09 am Filed under: Uncategorized Link to: this post
Chers collègues Eveques, Partenaires et amis,
Fraternelles salutations dans le Précieux nom de Notre Seigneur et Sauveur Jésus Christ dont nous célébrons bientôt la nativité.
A cette occasion, nous présentons nos sincères vœux de Joyeux Noël et de Bonne Année 2007 à vous, votre famille, vos collaborateurs et a tous ceux qui vous sont cher.
Que la fête de la Nativité nous rappelle toujours ce grand amour de Dieu envers nous « Car la grâce de Dieu, source de salut pour tous les hommes, a été manifestée… Notre Sauveur Jésus christ qui s’est donne lui-même pour nous, afin de nous racheter de toute iniquité, et de se faire un peuple qui lui appartienne, purifié par lui et zélé pour les bonnes œuvres » (Tite 2 :11,14).
Ces fêtes de fin d’année doivent être pour nous, le moment de bilan de notre cheminement avec Jésus et de prendre de nouvel élan sous la conduite du Saint Esprit, pour un engagement encore plus sérieux de Le servir en servant les autres.
Que ce Roi d’Amour et de Paix naisse dans le cœur de chacun de nous, dans nos foyers, dans nos Pays respectifs et dans les lieux de nos travaux pour la plus grande gloire de Dieu. Alléluia !
The Most Revd Dr DIROKPA BALUFUGA FidèleArchbishop of Congo and Bishop of Kinshasa
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Christmas Season.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
Many thanks to all the many folks who attended our Carol Evening on the 15th and our Nine Lessons and Carols on the 17th.
Our Christmas Eve Service will be shared with our friends at Living Word Episcopal Church meeting at St Andrew's Pioneer Church building, Mission Hill, Courtenay at 11pm Sunday 24th December 2006.
As many folks are away for the holidays we shall cancel our 31st December service and meet again January 7th at 9:30 am at Berwick, 1700 Comox Ave.
Many thanks to all the many folks who attended our Carol Evening on the 15th and our Nine Lessons and Carols on the 17th.
Our Christmas Eve Service will be shared with our friends at Living Word Episcopal Church meeting at St Andrew's Pioneer Church building, Mission Hill, Courtenay at 11pm Sunday 24th December 2006.
As many folks are away for the holidays we shall cancel our 31st December service and meet again January 7th at 9:30 am at Berwick, 1700 Comox Ave.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Advent 2006
Hello all. So much for global warming. This balmy Pacific Island (Vancouver Island) is blanketed in snow and ice.
Advent begins this coming Sunday Dec 3rd.
COOL Berwick:
Advent begins this coming Sunday Dec 3rd.
COOL Berwick:
- Dec 3rd. We meet at Berwick at 9:30 for the Eucharist.
- Friday 15th we shall be holding a carol sing at 7pm in the Berwick foyer for the residents there.
- Sunday Dec 17th Service of 9 lessons and carols at 9:30 a.m
COOL Comox:
- Sunday evenings each week for potluck supper at 6pm at 1523 Eton Rd followed by Prayer and Praise plus Youth Quest series.
COOL Christmas:
- We join our Common Cause partners at Living Word Episcopal Church on Mission Hill in Courtenay for Christmas Eve.
- Their services that Sunday are 10 a.m. & 6p.m. and we shall join them for the 11pm "midnight mass" service with David celebrating.
Unpacking our Mission Statement - Fifth Instalment - Worship
Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
So far we have discussed how Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, which give us the five purposes in our mission statement.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Today we look at the final part of our mission statement: loving God with all that we are. This is what worship, in its most comprehensive sense, means. Worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes.
What is worship?
To worship something or someone is value them above everything else. It is to ascribe worth to them. We uses the concept in a non-religious sense when we ask what something is worth, or when we refer to the mayor as “his Worship” or we read about some “worthy fellow” in a story about merry England. Or when we say a soldier is worth his salt.
Reverence, awe, fear, wonder, and amazement are some of the feelings we may have when we participate in worship. Words we use to describe what we are doing include: exalt, glorify, magnify, praise, venerate, or revere. The highest of all of these terms is the worship which belongs to God alone. We may respect or revere humans we hold in high esteem but Christian worship is reserved for God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Our worship should reflect the fact that we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. What our preferred way is to worship God has a lot more to do with our personalities than with what is necessarily the right way to worship. Different denominations and traditions tend to emphasize or specialize in these different elements of worship. Some emphasize the mind, others the spirit. Heart speaks of emotion and enthusiasm. Soul refers to the core of our mortal beings. Mind speaks of the intellect and will. Strength reflects the physical part of us. Unlike some other religions and philosophies, Christians and Hebrew believers in God reject any dichotomy between the spiritual and material. God is Lord of both. In our Gospel passage today Jesus said God seeks those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. Truth is something we grasp with our minds as God illuminates our thinking. It also affects our emotions as we respond to it's truth, and it helps bring our spirits to life as his Spirit touches ours with the truth of his word.
At Church of Our Lord we try to bring a balance of these different aspects to our worship. We honour God’s Word, the Bible as we try to understand it with our minds and obey it with our strength. We are open to God’s Holy Spirit so that we can worship with our spirits or souls. We use our bodies to worship him as we sing, stand, sit or kneel, raise our hands or clap. We receive him spiritually by the physical act of eating bread and wine, when accompanied by faith.
What it is not:
Worship is not for our selves. It’s for our Saviour.
The Puritan Shorter Westminster Confession describes the purpose for which we are created as this: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” St Augustine wrote, “Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” We are wired for worship. Worship of some sort of deity or some sort of spirituality is common to all cultures even though some have tried to stamp it out and it is no longer fashionable in Western Society to believe in God. Human beings are incorrigibly religious. We are made that way because God made us for himself. Worship does bring us benefits, but that is no why we do it.
Unlike some other spiritualities, we do not worship in order to appease him, or earn something, or to manipulate him through magic. We worship because he is worthy of it. We worship him because of who he is. We worship in response to what he has already done.
Worship is not for sissies. It’s a sacrifice.
Salvation is free. Christ has made the sacrifice on our behalf. There is no sacrifice we can make to earn our salvation. But that does not mean the Christian life will always be easy or that there is no cost to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We love him because he first loved us. He calls us to love the same way, to follow in his steps.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote from the Nazi prison: “when God calls a man, he bids him come and die.” For many Christians around the world, admitting one’s allegiance to Christ or worshiping him openly or meeting with other believers is a life-risking affair. Whether or not we shall ever be called to pay that price is something we don’t know. We do know however, that we are called to present ourselves, our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Not just our words, or our time, talents and treasure but also ourselves – all of us.
The psalmist tells us to give God a sacrifice of thanks and praise. There are times when worship comes effortlessly, when we are lost in wonder, love and praise. There are other times when we do not feel like worshiping. It is not hypocritical to do s at those times. It is in fact a sacrifice: it takes effort to worship when we are tired or cranky or feeling off-sorts. When we honour God on such occasions by approaching him anyway, we are often surprised by how our feelings follow along afterwards. At other times, God tests us through what St John of the Cross called “a dark night of the soul”, when God seems distant and we wonder why we bother. He wants us to trust him even when we don’t have the feelings. He is trust-worthy and worthy of our worship regardless of our feelings.
Worship is not for Sundays (only). It’s a seven-day a week activity.
Christian worship is not limited to a special day, a special time, a special building, nor even only when a special class of people is present. The Samaritan woman tried to draw Jesus into a religious controversy over whether the Jews were right about worshiping in Jerusalem or the Samaritans at Mount Gerazim. Jesus ignored that. He said “neither”. God is Spirit, implying that he is not confined geographically. We can worship him any time and anywhere. But we are to worship him in spirit and in truth. The early Christians worshiped in synagogues and the temple until they were expelled. They also met in homes, or rented rooms or in the open air or in the catacombs in Rome. The Celtic Christians worshiped in the open air, under trees, in simple church buildings. They had prayers for every occasion: milking cows, getting dressed, going to work etc.
We too can do what the medieval monk, Brother Lawrence, called “practicing the presence of God”. We can worship our Father Monday to Friday too, and in every situation.
So far we have discussed how Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, which give us the five purposes in our mission statement.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Today we look at the final part of our mission statement: loving God with all that we are. This is what worship, in its most comprehensive sense, means. Worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes.
What is worship?
To worship something or someone is value them above everything else. It is to ascribe worth to them. We uses the concept in a non-religious sense when we ask what something is worth, or when we refer to the mayor as “his Worship” or we read about some “worthy fellow” in a story about merry England. Or when we say a soldier is worth his salt.
Reverence, awe, fear, wonder, and amazement are some of the feelings we may have when we participate in worship. Words we use to describe what we are doing include: exalt, glorify, magnify, praise, venerate, or revere. The highest of all of these terms is the worship which belongs to God alone. We may respect or revere humans we hold in high esteem but Christian worship is reserved for God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Our worship should reflect the fact that we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. What our preferred way is to worship God has a lot more to do with our personalities than with what is necessarily the right way to worship. Different denominations and traditions tend to emphasize or specialize in these different elements of worship. Some emphasize the mind, others the spirit. Heart speaks of emotion and enthusiasm. Soul refers to the core of our mortal beings. Mind speaks of the intellect and will. Strength reflects the physical part of us. Unlike some other religions and philosophies, Christians and Hebrew believers in God reject any dichotomy between the spiritual and material. God is Lord of both. In our Gospel passage today Jesus said God seeks those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. Truth is something we grasp with our minds as God illuminates our thinking. It also affects our emotions as we respond to it's truth, and it helps bring our spirits to life as his Spirit touches ours with the truth of his word.
At Church of Our Lord we try to bring a balance of these different aspects to our worship. We honour God’s Word, the Bible as we try to understand it with our minds and obey it with our strength. We are open to God’s Holy Spirit so that we can worship with our spirits or souls. We use our bodies to worship him as we sing, stand, sit or kneel, raise our hands or clap. We receive him spiritually by the physical act of eating bread and wine, when accompanied by faith.
What it is not:
Worship is not for our selves. It’s for our Saviour.
The Puritan Shorter Westminster Confession describes the purpose for which we are created as this: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” St Augustine wrote, “Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” We are wired for worship. Worship of some sort of deity or some sort of spirituality is common to all cultures even though some have tried to stamp it out and it is no longer fashionable in Western Society to believe in God. Human beings are incorrigibly religious. We are made that way because God made us for himself. Worship does bring us benefits, but that is no why we do it.
Unlike some other spiritualities, we do not worship in order to appease him, or earn something, or to manipulate him through magic. We worship because he is worthy of it. We worship him because of who he is. We worship in response to what he has already done.
Worship is not for sissies. It’s a sacrifice.
Salvation is free. Christ has made the sacrifice on our behalf. There is no sacrifice we can make to earn our salvation. But that does not mean the Christian life will always be easy or that there is no cost to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We love him because he first loved us. He calls us to love the same way, to follow in his steps.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote from the Nazi prison: “when God calls a man, he bids him come and die.” For many Christians around the world, admitting one’s allegiance to Christ or worshiping him openly or meeting with other believers is a life-risking affair. Whether or not we shall ever be called to pay that price is something we don’t know. We do know however, that we are called to present ourselves, our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Not just our words, or our time, talents and treasure but also ourselves – all of us.
The psalmist tells us to give God a sacrifice of thanks and praise. There are times when worship comes effortlessly, when we are lost in wonder, love and praise. There are other times when we do not feel like worshiping. It is not hypocritical to do s at those times. It is in fact a sacrifice: it takes effort to worship when we are tired or cranky or feeling off-sorts. When we honour God on such occasions by approaching him anyway, we are often surprised by how our feelings follow along afterwards. At other times, God tests us through what St John of the Cross called “a dark night of the soul”, when God seems distant and we wonder why we bother. He wants us to trust him even when we don’t have the feelings. He is trust-worthy and worthy of our worship regardless of our feelings.
Worship is not for Sundays (only). It’s a seven-day a week activity.
Christian worship is not limited to a special day, a special time, a special building, nor even only when a special class of people is present. The Samaritan woman tried to draw Jesus into a religious controversy over whether the Jews were right about worshiping in Jerusalem or the Samaritans at Mount Gerazim. Jesus ignored that. He said “neither”. God is Spirit, implying that he is not confined geographically. We can worship him any time and anywhere. But we are to worship him in spirit and in truth. The early Christians worshiped in synagogues and the temple until they were expelled. They also met in homes, or rented rooms or in the open air or in the catacombs in Rome. The Celtic Christians worshiped in the open air, under trees, in simple church buildings. They had prayers for every occasion: milking cows, getting dressed, going to work etc.
We too can do what the medieval monk, Brother Lawrence, called “practicing the presence of God”. We can worship our Father Monday to Friday too, and in every situation.
Unpacking our Mission Statement – fourth instalment. Discipleship.
Mission To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever.
Amen.
So far we have looked at Service, Evangelism and Fellowship. Today we look at what is means to be a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. At COOL we want to be an authentic community which encourages each other to grow in maturity as followers of Jesus Christ, to discover the gifts he has given us and to use those gifts for him.
Jewish rabbis of the day used to teach their students or disciples in small groups. A person who wanted to learn from a rabbi would ask to become his disciple. If accepted, he would become part of a small group of followers who would spend all of their time with the rabbi, eating, travelling, studying, discussing the Jewish law etc. They would even share accommodation and spend all their waking moments together. They attempted even to walk and talk like their teacher. Jesus’ small band of closest followers was similar, except that he chose them.
A disciple is a follower or student, one who patterns his life on his teacher. The term comes from the same root as “discipline”. Just as an athlete or musician develops skills by practice and exercises, so to develop as a disciple of Christ involves practicing spiritual disciplines, such as regular prayer, scripture reading, participating in worship and times of solitude, silence, meditation on scripture etc. Peter tells us that Christ left us an example to follow in his steps. God’s intention is for us to become like Christ. And that we are to be partakers of the divine nature.
Jesus’ disciples noted that he was a person of prayer and so they asked him to teach them to pray as John the Baptizer had taught his disciples. He gave them what we know as “the Lord’s prayer “ as a template for our prayers.
The topic of Christian discipleship is an enormous one. While preparing for today I thought that we could use the Lord’s Prayer as a framework, especially as we were looking at this prayer during our adult and youth Bible studies this week.
Our Father in Heaven: Jesus introduced them to a relationship with God as Father. This expression is only used of God a few times in the Old Testament. Jesus’ relationship with God as “Abba” or “Daddy”, as we would say, was entirely novel. What Jesus enjoyed by his very nature as the eternal Son of God, we can enjoy by adoption and grace. He said to say ”Our Father”, indicating that, in Christ, we collectively are God’s children.
John 1: 12 tells us But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Romans 8: 15 puts it this way: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
A disciple of Jesus is one who knows God as heavenly Father.
May your name be honoured: In Hebrew thought a person’s name represented who they were. To honour God’s name is to show him reverence and respect. It means not taking his name in vain or speaking disrespectfully of him. It means not bringing his name into disrepute, not being ashamed of him. Similarly we honour the name of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit.
A disciple of Jesus honours him.
Your Kingdom come:
Jesus constantly taught about the Kingdom of God. He indicated that in his own person the kingdom of God had arrived. He also said that the Kingdom was within or among them and that they could enter that kingdom by believing in him and being baptized. He further indicated that they were not to worry about material things. Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
How many of you are familiar with the legend of Robin Hood and his merry men? Of maid Marion, Little John, Will Scarlet etc? Richard, the rightful king of England, was away on the Crusades and had been abducted on his way back through Europe. His brother, Prince John had usurped control of the Kingdom. Robin and his band of men in green were loyal to Richard the Lionheart. They were outlawed and hunted down but on Richard’s return they helped him regain the throne. The Christian community is like that merry band, longing for the return of King Jesus, facing danger for him and remaining loyal regardless of the apparent futility of it.
A disciple of Jesus is a citizen of God’s kingdom, an ambassador for the King, a member of the church which is an outpost or colony of the kingdom.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven:
A disciple of Jesus surrenders his will to God, says “not my will but yours be done.”
Give us this day our daily bread
This is the only part of the Lord’s prayer which asks for something material. Bread is the staple food. Daily bread means essential nourishment enough for the day. While the Hebrews were in the wilderness during the Exodus God gave them manna from heaven enough for the day. Except on the day before the Sabbath they were only to collect enough for the day. Jesus taught his disciples total reliance on God. He also called himself the bread of heaven. He invites us to receive this bread at his table.
A disciple of Jesus relies on God for his needs and receives Jesus in the bread and wine of communion regularly.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us:
As creatures, we owe our creator a debt of obedience. Our rebellion incurs a debt, as it were, of what we owe him. Christ paid that debt by his perfect obedience as perfect man on our behalf. Through Jesus we have been offered forgiveness for our sin and a restored relationship with the Father.
A disciple of Jesus is one who knows he has been forgiven and who has learned the difficult lesson of forgiving others.
Lead us not into temptation (or save us from the time of trial)
God neither can be tempted himself nor tempts us. However, temptation is part of life. The same word is used for trial or testing and for temptation as temptation to do what is wrong is a test of our submission to God. He has promised us that we shall not be tempted beyond what we can bear.
We also have an advocate in heaven, Jesus, who was tempted in every way that we are so he is able to sympathise with our weaknesses and intercede for us before the throne of God. Christ gave us his example of resisting temptation.
A disciple of Jesus is one who faces trials in His strength, who avoids unnecessary temptation and who turns to God for forgiveness when he falls.
Deliver us from evil (or the evil one)
Christ has conquered death and evil by his crucifixion and resurrection. We have his promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against us.
A disciple of Jesus resists evil and has God’s promise that we shall overcome evil eventually.
We end the prayer as we begin, by worshipping God: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This brings us to the topic of worship which we shall be discussing next time when we look at “loving Him with all that we are.”
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever.
Amen.
So far we have looked at Service, Evangelism and Fellowship. Today we look at what is means to be a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. At COOL we want to be an authentic community which encourages each other to grow in maturity as followers of Jesus Christ, to discover the gifts he has given us and to use those gifts for him.
Jewish rabbis of the day used to teach their students or disciples in small groups. A person who wanted to learn from a rabbi would ask to become his disciple. If accepted, he would become part of a small group of followers who would spend all of their time with the rabbi, eating, travelling, studying, discussing the Jewish law etc. They would even share accommodation and spend all their waking moments together. They attempted even to walk and talk like their teacher. Jesus’ small band of closest followers was similar, except that he chose them.
A disciple is a follower or student, one who patterns his life on his teacher. The term comes from the same root as “discipline”. Just as an athlete or musician develops skills by practice and exercises, so to develop as a disciple of Christ involves practicing spiritual disciplines, such as regular prayer, scripture reading, participating in worship and times of solitude, silence, meditation on scripture etc. Peter tells us that Christ left us an example to follow in his steps. God’s intention is for us to become like Christ. And that we are to be partakers of the divine nature.
Jesus’ disciples noted that he was a person of prayer and so they asked him to teach them to pray as John the Baptizer had taught his disciples. He gave them what we know as “the Lord’s prayer “ as a template for our prayers.
The topic of Christian discipleship is an enormous one. While preparing for today I thought that we could use the Lord’s Prayer as a framework, especially as we were looking at this prayer during our adult and youth Bible studies this week.
Our Father in Heaven: Jesus introduced them to a relationship with God as Father. This expression is only used of God a few times in the Old Testament. Jesus’ relationship with God as “Abba” or “Daddy”, as we would say, was entirely novel. What Jesus enjoyed by his very nature as the eternal Son of God, we can enjoy by adoption and grace. He said to say ”Our Father”, indicating that, in Christ, we collectively are God’s children.
John 1: 12 tells us But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Romans 8: 15 puts it this way: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i] 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
A disciple of Jesus is one who knows God as heavenly Father.
May your name be honoured: In Hebrew thought a person’s name represented who they were. To honour God’s name is to show him reverence and respect. It means not taking his name in vain or speaking disrespectfully of him. It means not bringing his name into disrepute, not being ashamed of him. Similarly we honour the name of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit.
A disciple of Jesus honours him.
Your Kingdom come:
Jesus constantly taught about the Kingdom of God. He indicated that in his own person the kingdom of God had arrived. He also said that the Kingdom was within or among them and that they could enter that kingdom by believing in him and being baptized. He further indicated that they were not to worry about material things. Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
How many of you are familiar with the legend of Robin Hood and his merry men? Of maid Marion, Little John, Will Scarlet etc? Richard, the rightful king of England, was away on the Crusades and had been abducted on his way back through Europe. His brother, Prince John had usurped control of the Kingdom. Robin and his band of men in green were loyal to Richard the Lionheart. They were outlawed and hunted down but on Richard’s return they helped him regain the throne. The Christian community is like that merry band, longing for the return of King Jesus, facing danger for him and remaining loyal regardless of the apparent futility of it.
A disciple of Jesus is a citizen of God’s kingdom, an ambassador for the King, a member of the church which is an outpost or colony of the kingdom.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven:
A disciple of Jesus surrenders his will to God, says “not my will but yours be done.”
Give us this day our daily bread
This is the only part of the Lord’s prayer which asks for something material. Bread is the staple food. Daily bread means essential nourishment enough for the day. While the Hebrews were in the wilderness during the Exodus God gave them manna from heaven enough for the day. Except on the day before the Sabbath they were only to collect enough for the day. Jesus taught his disciples total reliance on God. He also called himself the bread of heaven. He invites us to receive this bread at his table.
A disciple of Jesus relies on God for his needs and receives Jesus in the bread and wine of communion regularly.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us:
As creatures, we owe our creator a debt of obedience. Our rebellion incurs a debt, as it were, of what we owe him. Christ paid that debt by his perfect obedience as perfect man on our behalf. Through Jesus we have been offered forgiveness for our sin and a restored relationship with the Father.
A disciple of Jesus is one who knows he has been forgiven and who has learned the difficult lesson of forgiving others.
Lead us not into temptation (or save us from the time of trial)
God neither can be tempted himself nor tempts us. However, temptation is part of life. The same word is used for trial or testing and for temptation as temptation to do what is wrong is a test of our submission to God. He has promised us that we shall not be tempted beyond what we can bear.
We also have an advocate in heaven, Jesus, who was tempted in every way that we are so he is able to sympathise with our weaknesses and intercede for us before the throne of God. Christ gave us his example of resisting temptation.
A disciple of Jesus is one who faces trials in His strength, who avoids unnecessary temptation and who turns to God for forgiveness when he falls.
Deliver us from evil (or the evil one)
Christ has conquered death and evil by his crucifixion and resurrection. We have his promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against us.
A disciple of Jesus resists evil and has God’s promise that we shall overcome evil eventually.
We end the prayer as we begin, by worshipping God: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This brings us to the topic of worship which we shall be discussing next time when we look at “loving Him with all that we are.”
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Unpacking our Mission Statement Third Installment: Fellowship
Mission To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Ephesians 1: 3-14, Acts 2: 41-47, Mark 3:31-35,
Church of Our Lord is a Christian community serving the Comox Valley. We have been looking at our Mission Statement the past few weeks. So far we have discussed service to others and how to share the good news about Jesus in a natural way. Today we’re talking about what it means to become and enjoy being part of God’s family, the church, and the riches, rights and responsibilities that go along with that. There are many other metaphors for the church in Scripture: Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, a Temple made of living stones, a new person, the people of God, a royal priesthood, etc. One metaphor is that of a family. It was Jesus himself who taught us to call God our Father; he used the Aramaic word “Abba, meaning Daddy, when he spoke of God. We were not meant to be alone. God himself is a community: three-in-one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When he made the first human being he said “it is not good for man to be alone.” We were meant for friendship with God and with others within the community of those who know him as Father through faith in his Son, Jesus.
We all have our own stories: depending on our different personalities and on our own experiences, we may approach or be drawn into this family through one of three different ways, though not necessarily in this order: belonging, believing, behaving.
Belonging: Some people need to experience what it means to be part of a loving, accepting community before they can be convinced of the truth of the Gospel: they need to belong before they believe or before their life-style changes.
Believing: Others have to be convinced of its truth before they will commit themselves. Some people approach the church firstly through intellectual questions. Often they need to come to the place where they accept that Christianity is not unreasonable. That believing in a creator, for instance, makes sense. Being a Christian is so much more than just giving mental assent to a list of doctrines, however, there are certain beliefs that we need to accept before we become Christians: “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6), We need to understand that there is a God, that Jesus is God’s son and died for us, rose again from the dead and is coming back and so on. Certainly, as we mature in faith it becomes more important to absorb and become more committed to the truths contained in His Word, the Bible. But it is surprising how little we need to believe and how faltering our faith can be to begin with, yet God is still able to meet us and draw us into a relationship with him. If we are aware of our sinfulness, are willing to turn from it and desire to know him even a prayer such as “God, if there is a God, please reveal yourself to me”, if sincerely prayed, will be answered.
Behaving: Still others want to know what practical difference believing in God and being part of his family makes to themselves and to society before they will be persuaded to consider the truth claims Jesus made. We cannot expect people to pattern their lives on Christ until they have met him.
For a few pragmatic individuals, though, trying for a while to live as though it were true (eg praying daily, planning their day as though God were real, living out the golden rule because it makes sense etc) might persuade them that the Christian life-style does work. Of course, there is no way we can really live as Christ would have us do without his help, nor can we earn our way into a relationship with him, that is a free gift.
We cannot expect people to change before coming to Christ but we can expect transformation after meeting him. One cannot have an encounter with the living God and be left unscathed. Growing into the family likeness is a process. As the saying goes: he loves us as we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are.
Our hope for this fellowship is that it will be a welcoming place, where people can feel safe asking questions, experiencing a little of what it means to be part of a worshipping community, gradually coming to believe in the truth as the scriptures teach it, growing in faith, and learning how to follow Christ’s example together.
We can introduce our friends to Jesus in this kind of comfortable environment. One of the best ways to do this is through an informal course on basic Christianity, such as the Alpha course, where after a meal together and a video explaining various aspects of the Christian faith, folks can discuss questions and perhaps even learn to pray together. God has used courses like that to bring many people from all walks of life into a relationship with him.
As John’s gospel puts it: 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Once we have understood the good news about Jesus, and responded to it, we become members of this community by faith, by trust in Christ, by baptism and receiving his Holy Spirit. We become new creatures, reborn or adopted into his family with all the privileges of being heirs to all the riches God has for us to inherit in Christ. And other Christians are our brothers and sisters.
There is a depth of fellowship that exists between believers in Jesus that cannot exist in any other sphere, although there are some secular settings where friendships can run very deeply: eg on a team that practices regularly together, in a small crew on a ship or in a small military unit. What these have in common is a common mission, purpose and allegiance, a hared experience in facing danger and overcoming obstacles together. Fellowship is deepest when we work together on common goals. In 1 John 15-7 we read
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; In him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Fellowship can only be deep when there is honesty, transparency and accountability to each other. These are best cultivated in small group settings such as a home fellowship, prayer partnership or cell group. At COOL we encourage people to be involved in small groups like that.
Next time we shall talk about becoming equipped to follow Christ’s example.
Readings: Ephesians 1: 3-14, Acts 2: 41-47, Mark 3:31-35,
Church of Our Lord is a Christian community serving the Comox Valley. We have been looking at our Mission Statement the past few weeks. So far we have discussed service to others and how to share the good news about Jesus in a natural way. Today we’re talking about what it means to become and enjoy being part of God’s family, the church, and the riches, rights and responsibilities that go along with that. There are many other metaphors for the church in Scripture: Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, a Temple made of living stones, a new person, the people of God, a royal priesthood, etc. One metaphor is that of a family. It was Jesus himself who taught us to call God our Father; he used the Aramaic word “Abba, meaning Daddy, when he spoke of God. We were not meant to be alone. God himself is a community: three-in-one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When he made the first human being he said “it is not good for man to be alone.” We were meant for friendship with God and with others within the community of those who know him as Father through faith in his Son, Jesus.
We all have our own stories: depending on our different personalities and on our own experiences, we may approach or be drawn into this family through one of three different ways, though not necessarily in this order: belonging, believing, behaving.
Belonging: Some people need to experience what it means to be part of a loving, accepting community before they can be convinced of the truth of the Gospel: they need to belong before they believe or before their life-style changes.
Believing: Others have to be convinced of its truth before they will commit themselves. Some people approach the church firstly through intellectual questions. Often they need to come to the place where they accept that Christianity is not unreasonable. That believing in a creator, for instance, makes sense. Being a Christian is so much more than just giving mental assent to a list of doctrines, however, there are certain beliefs that we need to accept before we become Christians: “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6), We need to understand that there is a God, that Jesus is God’s son and died for us, rose again from the dead and is coming back and so on. Certainly, as we mature in faith it becomes more important to absorb and become more committed to the truths contained in His Word, the Bible. But it is surprising how little we need to believe and how faltering our faith can be to begin with, yet God is still able to meet us and draw us into a relationship with him. If we are aware of our sinfulness, are willing to turn from it and desire to know him even a prayer such as “God, if there is a God, please reveal yourself to me”, if sincerely prayed, will be answered.
Behaving: Still others want to know what practical difference believing in God and being part of his family makes to themselves and to society before they will be persuaded to consider the truth claims Jesus made. We cannot expect people to pattern their lives on Christ until they have met him.
For a few pragmatic individuals, though, trying for a while to live as though it were true (eg praying daily, planning their day as though God were real, living out the golden rule because it makes sense etc) might persuade them that the Christian life-style does work. Of course, there is no way we can really live as Christ would have us do without his help, nor can we earn our way into a relationship with him, that is a free gift.
We cannot expect people to change before coming to Christ but we can expect transformation after meeting him. One cannot have an encounter with the living God and be left unscathed. Growing into the family likeness is a process. As the saying goes: he loves us as we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are.
Our hope for this fellowship is that it will be a welcoming place, where people can feel safe asking questions, experiencing a little of what it means to be part of a worshipping community, gradually coming to believe in the truth as the scriptures teach it, growing in faith, and learning how to follow Christ’s example together.
We can introduce our friends to Jesus in this kind of comfortable environment. One of the best ways to do this is through an informal course on basic Christianity, such as the Alpha course, where after a meal together and a video explaining various aspects of the Christian faith, folks can discuss questions and perhaps even learn to pray together. God has used courses like that to bring many people from all walks of life into a relationship with him.
As John’s gospel puts it: 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Once we have understood the good news about Jesus, and responded to it, we become members of this community by faith, by trust in Christ, by baptism and receiving his Holy Spirit. We become new creatures, reborn or adopted into his family with all the privileges of being heirs to all the riches God has for us to inherit in Christ. And other Christians are our brothers and sisters.
There is a depth of fellowship that exists between believers in Jesus that cannot exist in any other sphere, although there are some secular settings where friendships can run very deeply: eg on a team that practices regularly together, in a small crew on a ship or in a small military unit. What these have in common is a common mission, purpose and allegiance, a hared experience in facing danger and overcoming obstacles together. Fellowship is deepest when we work together on common goals. In 1 John 15-7 we read
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; In him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Fellowship can only be deep when there is honesty, transparency and accountability to each other. These are best cultivated in small group settings such as a home fellowship, prayer partnership or cell group. At COOL we encourage people to be involved in small groups like that.
Next time we shall talk about becoming equipped to follow Christ’s example.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Unpacking our Mission Statement. Second Installment
Last time we talked about service. We ended with the observation that the greatest service we can offer anyone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ, which brings us to the second purpose within our mission statement:
Mission
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
At this point we shall have a brief skit to illustrate what we mean:
Evangelism Skit Script.
Props: bench, bread, garbage can, crusts.
Scene: Park Bench. Beggar 1 sits on bench eating a loaf of delicious fresh bread. Poor Man approaches.
Poor Man: “Whatcha got there?”
Beggar 1: “Fresh bread from the new bakery up on First Street. It’s delicious. There’s plenty. Want some?”
Poor Man: “You’ve never worked a day in your life! Didja steal it?”
Beggar 1. “No. I smelled the fresh bread baking and looked in the window. A young baker there said he was minding his Father’s business and they’d just finished a batch from a new recipe. Did I want some? He said there was plenty more for anyone who was hungry.”
Poor Man: “I don’t accept charity. I’m going to earn my own dough. Heard there might be a job at the dump.” He leaves looking back hungrily.
Beggar 2 approaches.
Beggar 1 calls out: “Want some bread?”
Beggar 2: “Wow, that looks good. Where’d you get it?”
Beggar 1: “At Baker and Son on First. They’re giving it away.”
Beggar 2. “Can’t be any good then, if they’re giving it away. I’ll find my own bread.” He goes off rummaging in the garbage can for some crusts.
Beggar 3 comes by: “How come you’re looking so pleased with yourself?” he asks suspiciously.
Beggar 1, rubbing his stomach: “I’m so full I could burst. The Baker’s son gave me a whole loaf of fresh bread. Never tasted anything like it. Want some?”
Beggar 3, hands on hips: “I suppose you think you’re better than the rest of the neighbourhood now that you have your own supply of fresh bread?” Thinks better of it and adds, “ Mind you, I’m starving.” He sits down on the bench next to Beggar 1 and sniffs at the bread.
Beggar 1: “Here, have some. You’ll never know how good it is until you try it.”
Beggar 3: accepts and chews some bread appreciatively. “Wow, you’re right. This is great. Pity we can’t eat like this every day.”
Beggar 1. “We can. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to the young Baker. Once you’ve met him yourself you won’t have to take my word for it.
The two leave the park and head off to the bakery.
Introducing someone to Jesus is what is called in church language “evangelism” or “sharing the gospel”. Gospel comes from Old English “godspel” meaning “good news”. “Evangel” comes from the Greek evangelion which also means good news. C.H. Spurgeon referred to evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”. Now, the term evangelism has received a bad rap from caricatures on TV, stereotypes in the media and the televangelist scandals, but nothing could be simpler than telling a friend about something that really IS good news and introducing them to someone you know and love intimately and whom you think they would enjoy getting to know if they had only met him for themselves.
What is the Gospel?
(A)GOD who is totally perfect and complete in himself and who has no beginning or end, chose to create the universe. He is holy – which means he cannot tolerate evil, and he is loving, which means that he loves what he created, especially man.
(B) MAN was made in God’s image, to have a relationship of intimacy with God and to enjoy Him forever. He was appointed God’s vice-regent or steward to care for the Earth. He was give free will, which is the ability to choose between obeying God or going his own way in rebellion. The consequence of this rebellion was alienation from God and from other humans, a loss of innocence, and the loss of the potential for immortality. Sickness and death entered human experience. Each of us has inherited a bias towards evil. The image of God in us has not been eliminated but it is tarnished. We are incapable of restoring the relationship with God which we lost. We cannot earn it or buy it. We cannot save ourselves. Only someone who was both God and Man could bridge the gulf between God and Man.
(C) JESUS –both GOD and MAN. God himself became human in Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, and dying a blameless death, taking upon himself the punishment we deserve for our rebellion and conquering death by his resurrection. He offers to us the opportunity to call God our Father as he did, and to have the image of God restored. He has given us the gift of eternal life with him so that we need not fear death. When we come to faith in Christ he gives us his Holy Spirit to live within us to help us to grow more like him.
This is the gospel. That God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. He has extended to us the same ministry of reconciliation, charging us with the responsibility to share this message with others until he returns. He called himself the bread of life and gave himself to us. We share that free gift of bread with others.
What are the barriers to sharing the gospel?
Canadians are polite people. We view religion as a private matter, something not to be discussed in public. We are naturally reticent to appear self-righteous, superior or discriminating and if we are, then that certainly is a deterrent to others. We are also afraid of what others will think of us, perhaps afraid of loss of reputation or how it might affect our friendships or careers if we are known to be serious about Christ. Or perhaps we are not convinced ourselves of the truth about Christ. We cannot pass on to others what we have not received ourselves.
The Christian faith is not something we have invented, earned or purchased. It is a free gift which we are privileged to have received and are obligated to pass on. Coming from that perspective there is no room for pride or self-righteousness, only gratitude. If you had discovered something absolutely marvelous that everyone needed, like the cure to cancer or the common cold, or a limitless source of food or wealth, wouldn’t it be natural to want to share that? So it is with the gospel.
Some people will reject what we say; they may not realize they are hungry just yet. Or they may be offended by the exclusive claims of Christ who stated that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only route to the Father. They may not be prepared to receive a free gift, preferring to try to be good on their own. That does not wash with God.
How do we share the gospel and introduce people to Jesus?
Firstly, by our life-style. If knowing Jesus has transformed your life, then others will be interested in finding out why you are different, just as hungry people are drawn to the aroma of fresh baking.
Secondly by being ready to share what Jesus means to you. People can argue about theoretical concepts but they cannot negate your experience.
Thirdly, by inviting them to a course on basic Christianity such as the Alpha Course or Christianity Explained or Christianity Explored. Or inviting them to church or a small group that meets over a meal or a cup of coffee to discuss issues of life or God. Introducing people to Jesus overlaps with the next topic which is welcoming people into His family.
Mission
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
At this point we shall have a brief skit to illustrate what we mean:
Evangelism Skit Script.
Props: bench, bread, garbage can, crusts.
Scene: Park Bench. Beggar 1 sits on bench eating a loaf of delicious fresh bread. Poor Man approaches.
Poor Man: “Whatcha got there?”
Beggar 1: “Fresh bread from the new bakery up on First Street. It’s delicious. There’s plenty. Want some?”
Poor Man: “You’ve never worked a day in your life! Didja steal it?”
Beggar 1. “No. I smelled the fresh bread baking and looked in the window. A young baker there said he was minding his Father’s business and they’d just finished a batch from a new recipe. Did I want some? He said there was plenty more for anyone who was hungry.”
Poor Man: “I don’t accept charity. I’m going to earn my own dough. Heard there might be a job at the dump.” He leaves looking back hungrily.
Beggar 2 approaches.
Beggar 1 calls out: “Want some bread?”
Beggar 2: “Wow, that looks good. Where’d you get it?”
Beggar 1: “At Baker and Son on First. They’re giving it away.”
Beggar 2. “Can’t be any good then, if they’re giving it away. I’ll find my own bread.” He goes off rummaging in the garbage can for some crusts.
Beggar 3 comes by: “How come you’re looking so pleased with yourself?” he asks suspiciously.
Beggar 1, rubbing his stomach: “I’m so full I could burst. The Baker’s son gave me a whole loaf of fresh bread. Never tasted anything like it. Want some?”
Beggar 3, hands on hips: “I suppose you think you’re better than the rest of the neighbourhood now that you have your own supply of fresh bread?” Thinks better of it and adds, “ Mind you, I’m starving.” He sits down on the bench next to Beggar 1 and sniffs at the bread.
Beggar 1: “Here, have some. You’ll never know how good it is until you try it.”
Beggar 3: accepts and chews some bread appreciatively. “Wow, you’re right. This is great. Pity we can’t eat like this every day.”
Beggar 1. “We can. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to the young Baker. Once you’ve met him yourself you won’t have to take my word for it.
The two leave the park and head off to the bakery.
Introducing someone to Jesus is what is called in church language “evangelism” or “sharing the gospel”. Gospel comes from Old English “godspel” meaning “good news”. “Evangel” comes from the Greek evangelion which also means good news. C.H. Spurgeon referred to evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”. Now, the term evangelism has received a bad rap from caricatures on TV, stereotypes in the media and the televangelist scandals, but nothing could be simpler than telling a friend about something that really IS good news and introducing them to someone you know and love intimately and whom you think they would enjoy getting to know if they had only met him for themselves.
What is the Gospel?
(A)GOD who is totally perfect and complete in himself and who has no beginning or end, chose to create the universe. He is holy – which means he cannot tolerate evil, and he is loving, which means that he loves what he created, especially man.
(B) MAN was made in God’s image, to have a relationship of intimacy with God and to enjoy Him forever. He was appointed God’s vice-regent or steward to care for the Earth. He was give free will, which is the ability to choose between obeying God or going his own way in rebellion. The consequence of this rebellion was alienation from God and from other humans, a loss of innocence, and the loss of the potential for immortality. Sickness and death entered human experience. Each of us has inherited a bias towards evil. The image of God in us has not been eliminated but it is tarnished. We are incapable of restoring the relationship with God which we lost. We cannot earn it or buy it. We cannot save ourselves. Only someone who was both God and Man could bridge the gulf between God and Man.
(C) JESUS –both GOD and MAN. God himself became human in Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, and dying a blameless death, taking upon himself the punishment we deserve for our rebellion and conquering death by his resurrection. He offers to us the opportunity to call God our Father as he did, and to have the image of God restored. He has given us the gift of eternal life with him so that we need not fear death. When we come to faith in Christ he gives us his Holy Spirit to live within us to help us to grow more like him.
This is the gospel. That God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. He has extended to us the same ministry of reconciliation, charging us with the responsibility to share this message with others until he returns. He called himself the bread of life and gave himself to us. We share that free gift of bread with others.
What are the barriers to sharing the gospel?
Canadians are polite people. We view religion as a private matter, something not to be discussed in public. We are naturally reticent to appear self-righteous, superior or discriminating and if we are, then that certainly is a deterrent to others. We are also afraid of what others will think of us, perhaps afraid of loss of reputation or how it might affect our friendships or careers if we are known to be serious about Christ. Or perhaps we are not convinced ourselves of the truth about Christ. We cannot pass on to others what we have not received ourselves.
The Christian faith is not something we have invented, earned or purchased. It is a free gift which we are privileged to have received and are obligated to pass on. Coming from that perspective there is no room for pride or self-righteousness, only gratitude. If you had discovered something absolutely marvelous that everyone needed, like the cure to cancer or the common cold, or a limitless source of food or wealth, wouldn’t it be natural to want to share that? So it is with the gospel.
Some people will reject what we say; they may not realize they are hungry just yet. Or they may be offended by the exclusive claims of Christ who stated that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only route to the Father. They may not be prepared to receive a free gift, preferring to try to be good on their own. That does not wash with God.
How do we share the gospel and introduce people to Jesus?
Firstly, by our life-style. If knowing Jesus has transformed your life, then others will be interested in finding out why you are different, just as hungry people are drawn to the aroma of fresh baking.
Secondly by being ready to share what Jesus means to you. People can argue about theoretical concepts but they cannot negate your experience.
Thirdly, by inviting them to a course on basic Christianity such as the Alpha Course or Christianity Explained or Christianity Explored. Or inviting them to church or a small group that meets over a meal or a cup of coffee to discuss issues of life or God. Introducing people to Jesus overlaps with the next topic which is welcoming people into His family.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Unpacking Our Mission Statement: First instalment - SERVICE
Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
From the Great Commandment we get the purposes of service (love your neighbour as yourself) and worship (love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength); from the Great Commission we get the other three purposes: evangelism (make disciples), fellowship (incorporation into the family of God through Baptism), and discipleship, (teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you). All that Jesus intended his church to be and do can be distilled into these five purposes. Of course, different churches might describe them differently or major on some more than others. However, balanced, authentic Christianity encompasses these five purposes: service, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and worship (in the order found in our Mission Statement, though worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes).
First Instalment
Today we talk about service: Amongst Christian churches there is a tendency to specialize: either emphasis spirituality (eg worship) or social action (eg the liberation theologians or social gospel movement). It is natural for some organizations’ or individuals‘ gifting to be weighted more in one direction or the other. However, biblically-faithful Christianity strives to hold all these purposes together. The Christian faith cannot be reduced to social action or good works. They are the practical out-working of the life of faith. Jesus is our example: the limitless demand of the crowds for miracles of healing and food-multiplication could have occupied all his time. He used his miracles as illustrations for his teaching about the Kingdom of God. Although he served to the point of exhaustion at times, he also left the crowds to concentrate on training his 12 disciples, and took time out to pray alone as well as going to the synagogue or temple for worship.
COOL’s Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Micah 6:6-8, Philippians 2:2-13, John 13:1-17, Luke 22:24-27. Let us look at the example of Jesus.
1. Jesus knew the SOURCE of his authority and power. That is why he spent so much time in prayer, before every major decision and when most exhausted from ministry.
2. Jesus did not let the world or culture of his day SET his agenda. He refused to let them force him into the role of revolutionary or earthly king in rebellion against Rome. The church should likewise be involved in social justice issues without allowing the political special interest groups to determine what the church’s position should be.
3. Jesus left an example to follow in his STEPS.
• Jesus served without self-pity: he knew he was about to be betrayed, yet he washed Judas’s feet along with the others; he knew he was about to die for them yet he put their needs first. He continued to teach them despite his own impending suffering. He modelled a new kind of leadership: servant-leadership. Christian service means serving when you’d rather not. When it is inconvenient.
• Jesus served despite the unworthiness of his disciples. Judas would betray him. Peter would deny him. The others would abandon him. He did not ask them to clean up their act or to fully understand his teaching before he would serve them. He did not ask them to prove themselves worthy of his service. They did not earn it. Christian service means loving the unlovely, as God has loved us.
• Jesus served without arrogance. He had been God from all eternity, yet he humbled himself to take on the role of the most menial slave and to die the most degrading death Rome inflicted on slaves and traitors. Christian service means serving with humility but without condescension.
One of the first things the early church did after Pentecost was to select a group of seven men to look after the needs of the Greek-speaking widows as they were being neglected by the Hebrew Christians (Acts 6:1-6). From this arose the order of deacons or the diaconate. Deacon or diakonos means servant. Diakonia means service. These words are used in multiple occasions in the New Testament, sometimes in a non-official sense, sometimes of government officials (much in the same way we speak of government Ministers in Cabinet), sometimes the apostles called themselves deacons. The word is occasionally used of Christ himself. Every presbyter or bishop first has to be a deacon; this emphasises the service aspect of Christian ministry. There was no social welfare in the first century: it was up to the family or the church to look after the poor or those who had nobody to support them. Orders of virgins and widows, deacons and deaconesses were enrolled to serve the needs of church members and the poor. The qualifications for deacons were very similar to those required for bishops (1 Timothy 3), indicating that the church did not regard service to be a secondary matter for those who were less spiritual.
There was a division of labour according to vocation and gifting: the apostles’ role was chiefly to teach the faith, start new churches and oversee them, as is the role of their successors, the bishops. The deacons chiefly had the role of looking after the material needs of the believers. Nevertheless, as the church developed, deacons also had liturgical and teaching roles. Stephen was the first martyr. Phillip was an evangelist as well as a deacon. The apostles also were concerned for the well-being of the poor: Paul and his closest assistants raised money from amongst the other churches to help aid the poor in Jerusalem during a famine, for example. We cannot use the excuse that because our gifting is washing dishes we don’t need to share our faith with our friends and neighbours, or, that because we are gifted at preaching we have no responsibility to the poor or suffering.
Throughout history practical service has been part of the ministry of the church. Christians were known for taking in orphaned or abandoned children. Some sold themselves into slavery to share the gospel with slaves or risked leprosy to minister to lepers. Monastic orders founded the first hospices or hospitals. The evangelical revival in the Church of England during the 18th and 19th centuries was accompanied by an outpouring of concern for social issues such as child labour, factory conditions, prison reform, alcoholism and slavery. It was evangelical Christians who brought about the end of slavery within the British Empire. The 19th century missionary movement combined educational and medical missions alongside preaching the gospel. Unfortunately, during the 20th century, social concern and faithfulness to scripture tended to be separated as what used to be called the mainline churches promoted social justice while fundamentalist churches concentrated on the evangelism and doctrinal purity. This is a false dichotomy.
We serve because the Father expects it, the Son modelled it and the Spirit equips us for it.
How should we serve? We can serve with our time, talents and treasure. This coming week think about how you could use your time, your talents or your treasure to serve others in Christ’s name. He said even a gift of cold water in his name is as though we did it for him.
Examples of how COOL members serve:
Africa Community Technical Services, a non-profit which provides clean water and other development projects in Africa.
Compassion: sponsoring needy children in the third world.
Habitat for Humanity: building houses for people who could not otherwise afford them.
L’Arche: friendship in community for mentally challenged adults.
Order of St Luke: healing prayer.
Sonshine Lunch-club soup kitchen.
St Joseph’s Hospital: healthcare for the community.
Transplant Society
Tutoring
Visiting Extended Care Unit
Youth Unlimited.
Finally, Pope Benedict is reported to have said that the greatest service one can do for someone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ. Next time we shall look at how to do that.
Acknowledgements: To Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life and to Timothy Keller, author of Ministries of Mercy, The Call of the Jericho Road.
Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
From the Great Commandment we get the purposes of service (love your neighbour as yourself) and worship (love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength); from the Great Commission we get the other three purposes: evangelism (make disciples), fellowship (incorporation into the family of God through Baptism), and discipleship, (teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you). All that Jesus intended his church to be and do can be distilled into these five purposes. Of course, different churches might describe them differently or major on some more than others. However, balanced, authentic Christianity encompasses these five purposes: service, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and worship (in the order found in our Mission Statement, though worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes).
First Instalment
Today we talk about service: Amongst Christian churches there is a tendency to specialize: either emphasis spirituality (eg worship) or social action (eg the liberation theologians or social gospel movement). It is natural for some organizations’ or individuals‘ gifting to be weighted more in one direction or the other. However, biblically-faithful Christianity strives to hold all these purposes together. The Christian faith cannot be reduced to social action or good works. They are the practical out-working of the life of faith. Jesus is our example: the limitless demand of the crowds for miracles of healing and food-multiplication could have occupied all his time. He used his miracles as illustrations for his teaching about the Kingdom of God. Although he served to the point of exhaustion at times, he also left the crowds to concentrate on training his 12 disciples, and took time out to pray alone as well as going to the synagogue or temple for worship.
COOL’s Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Micah 6:6-8, Philippians 2:2-13, John 13:1-17, Luke 22:24-27. Let us look at the example of Jesus.
1. Jesus knew the SOURCE of his authority and power. That is why he spent so much time in prayer, before every major decision and when most exhausted from ministry.
2. Jesus did not let the world or culture of his day SET his agenda. He refused to let them force him into the role of revolutionary or earthly king in rebellion against Rome. The church should likewise be involved in social justice issues without allowing the political special interest groups to determine what the church’s position should be.
3. Jesus left an example to follow in his STEPS.
• Jesus served without self-pity: he knew he was about to be betrayed, yet he washed Judas’s feet along with the others; he knew he was about to die for them yet he put their needs first. He continued to teach them despite his own impending suffering. He modelled a new kind of leadership: servant-leadership. Christian service means serving when you’d rather not. When it is inconvenient.
• Jesus served despite the unworthiness of his disciples. Judas would betray him. Peter would deny him. The others would abandon him. He did not ask them to clean up their act or to fully understand his teaching before he would serve them. He did not ask them to prove themselves worthy of his service. They did not earn it. Christian service means loving the unlovely, as God has loved us.
• Jesus served without arrogance. He had been God from all eternity, yet he humbled himself to take on the role of the most menial slave and to die the most degrading death Rome inflicted on slaves and traitors. Christian service means serving with humility but without condescension.
One of the first things the early church did after Pentecost was to select a group of seven men to look after the needs of the Greek-speaking widows as they were being neglected by the Hebrew Christians (Acts 6:1-6). From this arose the order of deacons or the diaconate. Deacon or diakonos means servant. Diakonia means service. These words are used in multiple occasions in the New Testament, sometimes in a non-official sense, sometimes of government officials (much in the same way we speak of government Ministers in Cabinet), sometimes the apostles called themselves deacons. The word is occasionally used of Christ himself. Every presbyter or bishop first has to be a deacon; this emphasises the service aspect of Christian ministry. There was no social welfare in the first century: it was up to the family or the church to look after the poor or those who had nobody to support them. Orders of virgins and widows, deacons and deaconesses were enrolled to serve the needs of church members and the poor. The qualifications for deacons were very similar to those required for bishops (1 Timothy 3), indicating that the church did not regard service to be a secondary matter for those who were less spiritual.
There was a division of labour according to vocation and gifting: the apostles’ role was chiefly to teach the faith, start new churches and oversee them, as is the role of their successors, the bishops. The deacons chiefly had the role of looking after the material needs of the believers. Nevertheless, as the church developed, deacons also had liturgical and teaching roles. Stephen was the first martyr. Phillip was an evangelist as well as a deacon. The apostles also were concerned for the well-being of the poor: Paul and his closest assistants raised money from amongst the other churches to help aid the poor in Jerusalem during a famine, for example. We cannot use the excuse that because our gifting is washing dishes we don’t need to share our faith with our friends and neighbours, or, that because we are gifted at preaching we have no responsibility to the poor or suffering.
Throughout history practical service has been part of the ministry of the church. Christians were known for taking in orphaned or abandoned children. Some sold themselves into slavery to share the gospel with slaves or risked leprosy to minister to lepers. Monastic orders founded the first hospices or hospitals. The evangelical revival in the Church of England during the 18th and 19th centuries was accompanied by an outpouring of concern for social issues such as child labour, factory conditions, prison reform, alcoholism and slavery. It was evangelical Christians who brought about the end of slavery within the British Empire. The 19th century missionary movement combined educational and medical missions alongside preaching the gospel. Unfortunately, during the 20th century, social concern and faithfulness to scripture tended to be separated as what used to be called the mainline churches promoted social justice while fundamentalist churches concentrated on the evangelism and doctrinal purity. This is a false dichotomy.
We serve because the Father expects it, the Son modelled it and the Spirit equips us for it.
How should we serve? We can serve with our time, talents and treasure. This coming week think about how you could use your time, your talents or your treasure to serve others in Christ’s name. He said even a gift of cold water in his name is as though we did it for him.
Examples of how COOL members serve:
Africa Community Technical Services, a non-profit which provides clean water and other development projects in Africa.
Compassion: sponsoring needy children in the third world.
Habitat for Humanity: building houses for people who could not otherwise afford them.
L’Arche: friendship in community for mentally challenged adults.
Order of St Luke: healing prayer.
Sonshine Lunch-club soup kitchen.
St Joseph’s Hospital: healthcare for the community.
Transplant Society
Tutoring
Visiting Extended Care Unit
Youth Unlimited.
Finally, Pope Benedict is reported to have said that the greatest service one can do for someone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ. Next time we shall look at how to do that.
Acknowledgements: To Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life and to Timothy Keller, author of Ministries of Mercy, The Call of the Jericho Road.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
COOL Services Fall 2006
Church of Our Lord Services for Fall 2006 9:30 am alternate Sundays
September 24th Berwick Comox Valley, Comox Ave, Comox 9:30 am Holy Communion
October 8th “
October 22nd “
November 5th “
November 19th “
December 3rd “
December 17th “
Other Services/Studies
Youth discussion group will meet at Eton Rd on Sundays for supper at 6pm followed by their Bible study.
Marriage Course is Sunday evenings at Comox Pentecostal Church 7pm.
YFC/YU Discipleship Team meet at Eton Rd on Tuesdays at 3:30-5 pm
Youth Unlimited meets Wednesdays 7pm at St George’s United Church together with YFC/COOL Adult Bible Study 8-9pm.
September 24th Berwick Comox Valley, Comox Ave, Comox 9:30 am Holy Communion
October 8th “
October 22nd “
November 5th “
November 19th “
December 3rd “
December 17th “
Other Services/Studies
Youth discussion group will meet at Eton Rd on Sundays for supper at 6pm followed by their Bible study.
Marriage Course is Sunday evenings at Comox Pentecostal Church 7pm.
YFC/YU Discipleship Team meet at Eton Rd on Tuesdays at 3:30-5 pm
Youth Unlimited meets Wednesdays 7pm at St George’s United Church together with YFC/COOL Adult Bible Study 8-9pm.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Sundays at COOL
Thanks to everyone who helped make the first public service of COOL at Berwick Sunday 13th August a memorable occasion. We were delighted to be joined by Josh and Katie Wilton of St Simon's North Vancouver.
Sunday 20th David will be celebrating the eucharist at Living Word Episcopal Church (our Common Cause partner congregation of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Courtenay) for their 10am service. Sunday evening at 5 House Church meets for Communion at the Bowlers' new home 1523 Eton Rd in Comox. Supper at six followed by discussion.
We return to Berwick for the 9:30 a.m. service on Sunday 27th August.
A reminder: The Marriage Course begins Sunday evenings September 10th.
Stay tuned for info on the youth group.
Sunday 20th David will be celebrating the eucharist at Living Word Episcopal Church (our Common Cause partner congregation of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Courtenay) for their 10am service. Sunday evening at 5 House Church meets for Communion at the Bowlers' new home 1523 Eton Rd in Comox. Supper at six followed by discussion.
We return to Berwick for the 9:30 a.m. service on Sunday 27th August.
A reminder: The Marriage Course begins Sunday evenings September 10th.
Stay tuned for info on the youth group.
The Marriage Course How to build a healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime
Join COOL Comox and Comox Pentecostal Church (CPC) in the Marriage COurse this Fall. Starting September 10th at CPC with a candle-light dinner, the course runs eight weeks for couples who wish to build a stronger and healthier marriage.
For information and registration contact CPC 339-4536.
Co-ordinators: Claire and Cal Farnell for CPC, David and Jannice Bowler, Cynthia and Martin Davies for COOL.
For information and registration contact CPC 339-4536.
Co-ordinators: Claire and Cal Farnell for CPC, David and Jannice Bowler, Cynthia and Martin Davies for COOL.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
COOL Celebration this Summer plus Fall Term events.
Advance Notice:
1. Beginning 13th August at 9:30 a.m. we shall be launching public worship with Holy Communion. Services will be held in the chapel/multi-purpose room at Berwick on Comox Ave accross the road from Comox Quay. Everyone is welcome. A Regent College seminarian, Josh Wilton, New-comers pastor at St Simon's North Vancouver, will be our first speaker. We intend initially holding services there twice per month in the morning alternating with house church at 5pm.
2. In September we partner with Comox Pentecostal Church to hold an 8 week Marriage Course at 6pm Sunday evenings At CPC on Guthrie.This will be in place of House Church for those weeks. The Marriage Course is an excellent resource for strengthening communication in marriage and should be of benefit for any couple. It is not a counselling course for troubled marriages, though those can benefit too.
3. After Labour Day, Youth Unlimited launches the new term. We expect to be partnering with Youth For Christ to hold Bible Studies for adult volunteers and parents of teens at Y.U. at 8 pm on Wednesdays at St George's United Church in Courtenay. Other adults welcome too.
1. Beginning 13th August at 9:30 a.m. we shall be launching public worship with Holy Communion. Services will be held in the chapel/multi-purpose room at Berwick on Comox Ave accross the road from Comox Quay. Everyone is welcome. A Regent College seminarian, Josh Wilton, New-comers pastor at St Simon's North Vancouver, will be our first speaker. We intend initially holding services there twice per month in the morning alternating with house church at 5pm.
2. In September we partner with Comox Pentecostal Church to hold an 8 week Marriage Course at 6pm Sunday evenings At CPC on Guthrie.This will be in place of House Church for those weeks. The Marriage Course is an excellent resource for strengthening communication in marriage and should be of benefit for any couple. It is not a counselling course for troubled marriages, though those can benefit too.
3. After Labour Day, Youth Unlimited launches the new term. We expect to be partnering with Youth For Christ to hold Bible Studies for adult volunteers and parents of teens at Y.U. at 8 pm on Wednesdays at St George's United Church in Courtenay. Other adults welcome too.
Sunday August 6th 10:30 a.m. Joint Open Air Service
This Sunday there will be a Valley-wide joint service at Marina Park instead of the usual services. There will be no evening Eucharist, supper and discussion.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Sunday at Five, July 16th, 2006
This Sunday we meet at Martin and Cynthia Davies' house for Communion at 5pm followed by supper at 6 and the beginning of a series of discussions on St Paul's letter to the Christians at Ephesus. ("Ephesians"). If you have time, you might like to read through Ephesians in a modern translation.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Halftime Report
Here is and interesting article on a banker and his family making a difference in Rwanda.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
August long weekend Combined Open AIr Service
Once again we will be holding our Nautical Days service at 10:30 am on Sunday, August 6th in the Comox Marina Park. We will be focusing on Heart and Health and will be taking up an offering for St. Joseph’s Hospital.
This is a joint venture with the other churches of the Comox Valley.
This is a joint venture with the other churches of the Comox Valley.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Sunday 2nd July
Happy Canada Day everyone. Thanks to all those who participated in the confirmation service last night (June 30th). It was great and we all enjoyed hearing Bishop Lyons of Bolivia. Special thanks to the congregation of Living Word Episcopal (REC) Church who allowed us to worship in their facility.
Tomorrow, Sunday 2nd, we shall share a Latin American Potluck and Central America slide show at the Bowlers'.
The rest of the summer we shall meet at the Davies' home.
Tomorrow, Sunday 2nd, we shall share a Latin American Potluck and Central America slide show at the Bowlers'.
The rest of the summer we shall meet at the Davies' home.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Confirmation Service for Church of Our Lord, Comox Valley, Friday June 30th, 2006
The Right Rev Frank Lyons, Anglican Bishop of Bolivia, will be visiting COOL on the weekend of June 30th to share with us about the work of the South American Missionary Society (SAMS).
He will be the celebrant and preacher at a confirmation service to be held at Living Word Episcopal Church (Location: St Andrew's Pioneer Church, Mission Hill, Courtenay, BC on the 19a highway leading out of Courtenay towards Campbell River)at 7pm on Friday June 30th 2006. Come and worship with us.
He will be the celebrant and preacher at a confirmation service to be held at Living Word Episcopal Church (Location: St Andrew's Pioneer Church, Mission Hill, Courtenay, BC on the 19a highway leading out of Courtenay towards Campbell River)at 7pm on Friday June 30th 2006. Come and worship with us.
Sunday at Five, June 25th, 2006
For the rest of the summer we intend to offer the Lord's Supper at 5pm for anyone who wishes to attend. This will be followed by potluck at 6pm and a discussion or study at 7pm.
At the end of August we intend to launch public worship in Comox on Sunday mornings, details to follow. We will be running small groups/housechurch/marriage course etc this fall, probably Sunday evenings, and Bible study on Wednesday evenings in co-operation with Youth For Christ. Stay tuned!
Discipleship team on Tuesdays will resume in September along with Youth Unlimited Underground on Wednesdays.
Please pray for the summer Youth Unlimited camps: for strength for the leaders,safety for all, and for young people to respond to God's Spirit.
At the end of August we intend to launch public worship in Comox on Sunday mornings, details to follow. We will be running small groups/housechurch/marriage course etc this fall, probably Sunday evenings, and Bible study on Wednesday evenings in co-operation with Youth For Christ. Stay tuned!
Discipleship team on Tuesdays will resume in September along with Youth Unlimited Underground on Wednesdays.
Please pray for the summer Youth Unlimited camps: for strength for the leaders,safety for all, and for young people to respond to God's Spirit.
Monday, June 12, 2006
LONDON: I've found God, says man who cracked the genome
LONDON: I've found God, says man who cracked the genome
By Steven Swinford
The Sunday Times
June 11, 2006
THE scientist who led the team that cracked the human genome is to publish a book explaining why he now believes in the existence of God and is convinced that miracles are real.
Francis Collins, the director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute, claims there is a rational basis for a creator and that scientific discoveries bring man "closer to God".
His book, The Language of God, to be published in September, will reopen the age-old debate about the relationship between science and faith. "One of the great tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war," said Collins, 56.
"I don't see that as necessary at all and I think it is deeply disappointing that the shrill voices that occupy the extremes of this spectrum have dominated the stage for the past 20 years."
For Collins, unravelling the human genome did not create a conflict in his mind. Instead, it allowed him to "glimpse at the workings of God".
"When you make a breakthrough it is a moment of scientific exhilaration because you have been on this search and seem to have found it," he said. "But it is also a moment where I at least feel closeness to the creator in the sense of having now perceived something that no human knew before but God knew all along.
"When you have for the first time in front of you this 3.1 billion-letter instruction book that conveys all kinds of information and all kinds of mystery about humankind, you can't survey that going through page after page without a sense of awe. I can't help but look at those pages and have a vague sense that this is giving me a glimpse of God's mind."
Collins joins a line of scientists whose research deepened their belief in God. Isaac Newton, whose discovery of the laws of gravity reshaped our understanding of the universe, said: "This most beautiful system could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful being."
Although Einstein revolutionised our thinking about time, gravity and the conversion of matter to energy, he believed the universe had a creator. "I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details," he said. However Galileo was famously questioned by the inquisition and put on trial in 1633 for the "heresy" of claiming that the earth moved around the sun.
Among Collins's most controversial beliefs is that of "theistic evolution", which claims natural selection is the tool that God chose to create man. In his version of the theory, he argues that man will not evolve further.
"I see God's hand at work through the mechanism of evolution. If God chose to create human beings in his image and decided that the mechanism of evolution was an elegant way to accomplish that goal, who are we to say that is not the way," he says.
"Scientifically, the forces of evolution by natural selection have been profoundly affected for humankind by the changes in culture and environment and the expansion of the human species to 6 billion members. So what you see is pretty much what you get."
Collins was an atheist until the age of 27, when as a young doctor he was impressed by the strength that faith gave to some of his most critical patients.
"They had terrible diseases from which they were probably not going to escape, and yet instead of railing at God they seemed to lean on their faith as a source of great comfort and reassurance," he said. "That was interesting, puzzling and unsettling."
He decided to visit a Methodist minister and was given a copy of C S Lewis's Mere Christianity, which argues that God is a rational possibility. The book transformed his life. "It was an argument I was not prepared to hear," he said. "I was very happy with the idea that God didn't exist, and had no interest in me. And yet at the same time, I could not turn away."
His epiphany came when he went hiking through the Cascade Mountains in Washington state. He said: "It was a beautiful afternoon and suddenly the remarkable beauty of creation around me was so overwhelming, I felt, 'I cannot resist this another moment'."
Collins believes that science cannot be used to refute the existence of God because it is confined to the "natural" world. In this light he believes miracles are a real possibility. "If one is willing to accept the existence of God or some supernatural force outside nature then it is not a logical problem to admit that, occasionally, a supernatural force might stage an invasion," he says.
END
By Steven Swinford
The Sunday Times
June 11, 2006
THE scientist who led the team that cracked the human genome is to publish a book explaining why he now believes in the existence of God and is convinced that miracles are real.
Francis Collins, the director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute, claims there is a rational basis for a creator and that scientific discoveries bring man "closer to God".
His book, The Language of God, to be published in September, will reopen the age-old debate about the relationship between science and faith. "One of the great tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war," said Collins, 56.
"I don't see that as necessary at all and I think it is deeply disappointing that the shrill voices that occupy the extremes of this spectrum have dominated the stage for the past 20 years."
For Collins, unravelling the human genome did not create a conflict in his mind. Instead, it allowed him to "glimpse at the workings of God".
"When you make a breakthrough it is a moment of scientific exhilaration because you have been on this search and seem to have found it," he said. "But it is also a moment where I at least feel closeness to the creator in the sense of having now perceived something that no human knew before but God knew all along.
"When you have for the first time in front of you this 3.1 billion-letter instruction book that conveys all kinds of information and all kinds of mystery about humankind, you can't survey that going through page after page without a sense of awe. I can't help but look at those pages and have a vague sense that this is giving me a glimpse of God's mind."
Collins joins a line of scientists whose research deepened their belief in God. Isaac Newton, whose discovery of the laws of gravity reshaped our understanding of the universe, said: "This most beautiful system could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful being."
Although Einstein revolutionised our thinking about time, gravity and the conversion of matter to energy, he believed the universe had a creator. "I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details," he said. However Galileo was famously questioned by the inquisition and put on trial in 1633 for the "heresy" of claiming that the earth moved around the sun.
Among Collins's most controversial beliefs is that of "theistic evolution", which claims natural selection is the tool that God chose to create man. In his version of the theory, he argues that man will not evolve further.
"I see God's hand at work through the mechanism of evolution. If God chose to create human beings in his image and decided that the mechanism of evolution was an elegant way to accomplish that goal, who are we to say that is not the way," he says.
"Scientifically, the forces of evolution by natural selection have been profoundly affected for humankind by the changes in culture and environment and the expansion of the human species to 6 billion members. So what you see is pretty much what you get."
Collins was an atheist until the age of 27, when as a young doctor he was impressed by the strength that faith gave to some of his most critical patients.
"They had terrible diseases from which they were probably not going to escape, and yet instead of railing at God they seemed to lean on their faith as a source of great comfort and reassurance," he said. "That was interesting, puzzling and unsettling."
He decided to visit a Methodist minister and was given a copy of C S Lewis's Mere Christianity, which argues that God is a rational possibility. The book transformed his life. "It was an argument I was not prepared to hear," he said. "I was very happy with the idea that God didn't exist, and had no interest in me. And yet at the same time, I could not turn away."
His epiphany came when he went hiking through the Cascade Mountains in Washington state. He said: "It was a beautiful afternoon and suddenly the remarkable beauty of creation around me was so overwhelming, I felt, 'I cannot resist this another moment'."
Collins believes that science cannot be used to refute the existence of God because it is confined to the "natural" world. In this light he believes miracles are a real possibility. "If one is willing to accept the existence of God or some supernatural force outside nature then it is not a logical problem to admit that, occasionally, a supernatural force might stage an invasion," he says.
END
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The Truth About Da Vinci
The best-selling whodunit "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown is an intriguing novel which raises a number of questions for many readers who may not be aware of its many inaccuracies. This Sunday at five we meet at the Bowlers for supper and a 120 minute video /discussion entitled the "DaVinci Code Deception". Please feel free to come and to invite friends. It is worth knowing something about this polular book and how to examine its claims intelligently. The linked website also has some information which may interest you.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Sunday at Five
Sunday at Five meets at 2087 Beaton Ave, Comox for Holy Communion, Supper and a video/discussion. We are currently doing a series entitled "In the Dust of the Rabbi" from Focus on the Family. Coming soon: The Da Vinci Code Deception.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Some thoughts from Ed Hird on the Da Vinci Code
http://northshoreoutlook.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=43&cat=23&id=651360&more=
North Shore Outlook Newspaper
Interactive Code
Daniel Pi photo
THE OTHER GOOD BOOK - Rev. Ed Hird with the book that is making
headlines.
By JENNIFER MALONEY, Staff Reporter
May 18 2006
Minister welcomes Da Vinci Code film
as an opportunity to explore Christ's story.
Reverend Ed Hird won't be boycotting The Da Vinci Code movie when it
makes its world debut on the big screens of 68 countries tomorrow.
In fact, he's already read the book. The rector of St. Simon's Church in
North Van says the book's theories, which question Christian faith,
present an excellent opportunity to discuss his religion with
non-believers.
Hird credits Dan Brown's novel as sparking a cultural phenomena and
marvels at the 46 million print copies that have been published around
the globe.
But he doesn't like the fact that Brown mixes fact and fiction.
"We live in a very gullible culture where fact and fiction are being
blended together. This for some people is a vindication as to why they
don't like the Roman Catholic Church and those are the people I'd love
to have a conversation with."
The novel is centred around a Harvard professor who throughout the story
informs the reader of theories like how the Roman Emperor Constantine
tried to immortalize Jesus Christ to convert pagans to the Christian
religion. Hird claims such theories aren't new, but the way Brown has
effectively packaged them into a suspense thriller is.
"It's a novel that really grips people," he said. "I think it's worth
engaging. Just below the surface there's a real curiosity in Jesus. It's
on everyone's minds and I encourage people in our church not to be
defensive about it.
"Interact with people and talk about it."
2b) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/crier.htm
Will the Real Leonardo Please Stand Up?
-an article for the June 2006 Deep Cove Crier, North Vancouver, BC
The Da Vinci Code Movie bus ads boldly state: "Seek the Truth". I would
agree, as only the Truth can set us free. Dan Brown has his 'religion
expert' Leigh Teabing claim that, "almost everything our fathers taught
us about Christ is false." At the start of the 'Da Vinci Code' book,
Dan Brown pledges, "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents
and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." These remarkable
allegations are at the heart of many scholars' critique of an otherwise
interesting page-turner. Historical accuracy is not the strong suit of
the Da Vinci Code fad.
The Right Reverend Dr. Tom Wright, Anglican Bishop of Durham and former
Oxford scholar, said at Seattle Pacific University that "it is a
well-known fact of today's culture that some people can't tell fact from
fiction." One third of Canadians today, since reading the Da Vinci Code,
actually believe that descendants of Jesus are walking the earth today.
Dan Brown claims in his Da Vinci Code book that there really was a
Priory of Sion to which Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Victor Hugo
belonged. Bishop Wright comments that this claim 'can be shown very
easily to be false.' It is now becoming well-known that the Priory of
Sion documents that Dan Brown cites as evidence were 'forgeries cooked
up by three zany Frenchmen in the 1950s.' In fact, says Bishop Wright,
"they cheerfully confessed to this in a devastating television program
shown on British television...." As well, CBS's "60 Minutes" skillfully
outed "The Priory of Sion" as a convoluted hoax, created by two
Frenchmen, Pierre Plantard and Philippe de Cherisey, in 1956. "
Historical inaccuracies are found in virtually every chapter of the Da
Vinci Code. As Bishop Wright notes, "(Dan) Brown...includes the Dead
Sea Scrolls as documents about Jesus. They are nothing of the sort.
Neither Jesus nor early Christianity is mentioned anywhere in the
scrolls." Most significantly "there is not the slightest sign, in Nag
Hammadi (the gnostic Egyptian scrolls) any more than the Dead Sea
Scrolls, of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene and having a child by
her." Giving a holy kiss in the early church was not a sign of a secret
marriage, but a mark of being fellow Christians. How many people, for
example, would assume that modern Italians are married to everyone that
they kiss on the cheeks?
Thanks to Dan Brown, millions of people are scrutinizing Leonardo's Mona
Lisa and Last Supper paintings for evidence of secret mother-goddess
worship. Yet Mona Lisa, rather than being an androgynous self-portrait
and a secret name for Egyptian fertility goddesses, was actually Madonna
Lisa, married to Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo in March 5th
1495. Mona Lisa was a real life Florentine mother of five children, two
of which became nuns.
And what about the long-haired, rather effeminate, beardless person in
the Last Supper painting? Leonardo in his own notebooks clearly stated
that the person closest to Jesus in the Last Supper painting was John
the beloved disciple, not Mary Magdalene as an alleged secret
mother-goddess and wife. Credible art historians tell us that John the
beloved, as the youngest of the twelve disciples, was always painted by
medieval painters as looking young, beardless, and somewhat effeminate
from 21st-century standards. All one needs to debunk Dan Brown's Last
Supper allegations is to be able to count up to thirteen. As everyone
knows that there were 12 disciples plus Jesus present at the Last
Supper, the supposed addition of Mary Magdalene to the Last Supper
painting would have required fourteen people in the painting. Count it
for yourself: you will only find thirteen!
Did Leonardo's journals include secret codes and messages, as the Da
Vinci Code movie advertisements are telling us? Dr. Ward Gasque
explains that Leonardo's journals were written in common Italian, but
from right to left instead of the opposite method employed today. This
makes perfect sense as Leonardo was left handed. Leonardo's journals are
still on display today and can be read easily with the help of a
bathroom mirror, but no secret codes or messages have ever been
uncovered in his journals.
Dr. Stephen Andrews comments: "Why is it not obvious that The Da Vinci
Code is meant for entertainment, not education? It has about as much
historical credibility as Monty Python's The Life of Brian." Dr. Andrews
elaborates that contrary to Dan Brown's claims, "the Roman Catholic lay
movement, Opus Dei, does not have monks; Westminster Abbey does not have
spires; (and) the Christian habit of worshipping on Sundays was not a
Constantinian accommodation to paganism, but predates Constantine by 200
years..."
Dan Brown claims that the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century
invented the concept of Jesus being God in order to consolidate his hold
on the Roman Empire: "My dear", Teabing declared, "Until that moment in
history, Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet..." "Not
the Son of God?" (said Sophie). "Right", Teabing said. In fact, as
Bishop Tom Wright notes, "the divinity of Jesus was already firmly
established by Paul within 20 to 30 years of Jesus' death."
This claim to Jesus' deity was not a 4th century 'Johnny-come-lately'
invention. In 110AD, Ignatius of Antioch, Syria refers to Christ as
God, saying "God Himself was manifested in human form". In 150 AD,
Clement of Alexandria, Egypt said "It is fitting that you should think
of Jesus Christ as of God" In 180 AD, Irenaeus of Lyon, France said of
Jesus that: "He is God, for the name Emmanuel indicates this". In 235
AD, Novatian of Rome, speaking of Jesus, said"...He is not only man, but
God also..."
Dan Brown rejects the trustworthiness of the New Testament by asserting
in the Da Vinci Code (p. 256) that "history is always written by the
winners." But anyone who knows anything about Christian history knows
that the early Christians were anything but "winners." The early
Christians were persecuted, outlawed and even murdered. Some Christians
were thrown into the arena to be eaten by lions. Other were tied up on
poles, drenched with fuel, and lit as streetlamps at night.
"We may safely conclude", says Bishop Wright, "that the Da Vinci Code is
fiction not just in its characters and plot but in most of its other
details as well." I encourage Christians in particular not to be
defensive about the Da Vinci Code movie/book, but rather, as 1 Peter
3:15 puts it, to always be ready to answer those who ask us for the
reason for the hope within us, always with gentleness and respect. I
strongly commend Lee Strobel's brilliant video-based website on the Da
Vinci Code http://leestrobel.com and his book "Exploring the Da Vinci
Code" which can be purchased online. Let's look forward to discussing
http://discussdavinci.com both the claims of the Da Vinci Code and of
Jesus Christ with our neighbours, co-workers, and family during this
'spiritual tsunami' season.
The Reverend Ed Hird+
Rector, St. Simon's Church North Vancouver
Anglican Coalition in Canada
http://www3.telus.net/st_simons
3i) To order Lee Strobel's excellent new book "Exploring the DaVinci
Code" , click on
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310273722/ref=ase_churchcommuni-20/102-3059389-5669722?s=books&v=glance&n=283155&tagActionCode=churchcommuni-20
3ii) To order Lee Strobel's Video-based Curriculum guide "Discussing the
DaVinci Code", click on
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310272637/churchcommuni-20/102-3059389-5669722?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1
3iii) To watch what top scholars and experts are saying on video about
the DaVinci Code, click on http://www.leestrobel.com/LS_DaVinciCode.html
a) What are the Claims Made by the Da Vinci Code?
1) Why is America so Attracted to The Da Vinci Code? (5:19) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1100.htm
2) Was Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(5:50) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1087.htm
3) Was Jesus a Husband and a Father? (6:12) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1114.htm
4) Did Christianity Borrow from Other Religions as The Da Vinci Code
Claims? (2:57) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1085.htm
5) Breaking The Da Vinci Code (4:34) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1082.htm
6) What are the Most Blatant Errors in The Da Vinci Code? (4:20) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1097.htm
7) Is There a Secret Message Hidden in the Art of Leonardo Da Vinci?
(6:02) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1088.htm
8) Getting into the Specifics of The Da Vinci Code (5:01) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1031.htm
9) What Are Some of the Most Outrageous Claims of The Da Vinci Code?
(1:47) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1103.htm
10) Is The Da Vinci Code Fact or Fiction? (2:39) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1109.htm
11) The Da Vinci Code: Truth or Fiction? (5:10) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1030.htm
12) How Can We Trust the Oral Stories of the Early Disciples? (3:43)
John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1133.htm
13) How Did the Gospels Get Written? (7:02) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1134.htm
14) Did Jesus' Disciples Believe He Was Divine? (5:12) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1135.htm
15) Was Christianity Opposed to Women? (6:49) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1136.htm
16) Is The Da Vinci Code Good History? (4:51) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1137.htm
b) Can We Trust the Four Gospels?
1) Are There More than Eighty Gospels as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(4:58) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1083.htm
2) Has the Bible Changed Over Time as The Da Vinci Code Claims? (2:44)
Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1084.htm
3) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Can the Gospels be trusted? (1:51) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1034.htm
4) Can We Trust the Gnostic Gospels, like the Gospel of Judas? (7:47)
Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1111.htm
5) Are there More Than Four Gospels About Jesus? (12:00) D. James
Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1089.htm
6) What Really Happened at the Council of Nicea Anyway? (7:20) Erwin
Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1092.htm
7) How Did the New Testament Books Become Part of the Bible? (3:17)
Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1094.htm
8) Who Decided What Books Became Part of the Bible's New Testament?
(8:20) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. '
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1090.htm
c) What Does History Reveal?
1) How Reliable is The Da Vinci Code's Account on Emperor Constantine?
(5:44) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1028.htm
2) Can We Trust the Writers of History? (1:21) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1110.htm
3) Why is the Conspiracy Theory of The Da Vinci Code So Compelling to
People? (6:08) Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1093.htm
4) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Can history be trusted? (2:00) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1033.htm
5) What Does History Reveal about the Claims of The Da Vinci Code?
(5:23) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1096.htm
d) Is Jesus the Son of God?
1) What is so Unique About Jesus? (1:22) Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1095.htm
2) Did Jesus Claim To Be Divine, or Did He Become Divine Based on a
Vote? (10:24) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1091.htm
3) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Interview with Dr. Strauss (Part 1) (6:00) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1036.htm
4) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Interview with Dr. Strauss (Part 2) (7:33) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1037.htm
5) Did Jesus Actually Believe He Was Divine? (3:46) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1112.htm
6) Did People Vote to Make Jesus Divine as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(4:22) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1086.htm
7) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Perspective on the Matter (2:38) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1038.htm
e) How Can Christians Respond?
1) How Can Christians Respond to The Da Vinci Code? (6:43) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1113.htm
2) The Da Vinci Code: How Can Christians Respond? (2:07) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1032.htm
3) How do Christians Respond to The Da Vinci Code's Attacks on
Christianity? (3:43) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1101.htm
4) How Can I Capture the Spiritual Curiosity of People Through The Da
Vinci Code? (2:05) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1102.htm
4a)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com//servlet/story/LAC.20060519.DAVINCI19/TPStory/Entertainment/
Da Vinci groan
RICK GROEN, Globe and Mail Newspaper
The Da Vinci Code
*½
Directed by Ron Howard
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany
Classification: 14A
Before I dismiss the movie as middling-awful, forgive me -- first, just
one more word about the book. Clearly, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is
guaranteed to deeply offend anyone who has a strong belief in the
sanctity of (a) Jesus Christ, or (b) good literature. Just as certainly,
given those sales figures measurable in the multimillions, there are
more than a few of us who fall into neither devout category, and who
have thrilled to the experience of reading a novel that's all about a
futile search for the holy grail of a well-written sentence.
Okay, not quite all about, and this is where Brown proves himself rather
clever. He began with a story that has a certain built-in familiarity
factor, Christianity, and turned it into a vast conspiracy cum cover-up,
whose unravelling assumes the form of a treasure hunt -- complete with
maps followed, puzzles solved, codes broken, bullets dodged -- that
takes us on a contemporary trek through the prettier capitals of Europe,
all the while blurring the contrived fiction with historical facts and
presenting the whole thing in a series of minuscule chapters that flit
by like, well, scenes in a movie.
Cue the eureka, and enter director Ron Howard, along with his trusty
screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who might have been inspired by just that
"scenic" potential in the book (oh, and maybe a bit by the 40 million
copies sold). And perhaps, having already collaborated on A Beautiful
Mind and Cinderella Man, they saw a providential design in tackling a
work whose take on Christ might be summarized as A Beautiful Man (but
just a man). What they obviously did not see was a monumental problem
that, if not addressed, would make the novel unadaptable and the movie
risibly dull. But more of that later.
Instead, let's start with Goldsman's decision to retain the bulk of the
original plot. And I mean bulk -- even with the narrative somewhat
trimmed, the flick weighs in at a corpulent 2½ hours. So we again open
in the Louvre with a murder, which promptly gives rise to the mystery:
Seems the deceased, a.k.a. the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion,
literally held a key that opens a box that leads to a cylinder that
contains a riddle that points to documents that contain information that
will change human history by putting a newer spin on the New Testament.
Happily, in the agony of his dying moments, he's left behind clues
decipherable only to Robert the symbologist (Tom Hanks) and Sophie the
cryptologist (Audrey Tautou). Unhappily, they're also the prime suspects
in the homicide, at least in the eyes of that dour French cop with the
five o'clock shadow (Jean Reno).
This situation leads to a pattern of behaviour that pretty much
continues through the entire flick: Pause to solve a clue, run like hell
from the cop; solve another clue, run even faster. But not just from the
cop. There's also an albino monk lurking about (Paul Bettany, looking
like a whiter shade of Warhol), who belongs to that conservative crowd
called Opus Dei. I don't know about the Dei, but anybody who can make
cellphone calls in Latin, while flagellating his naked back raw, is a
real piece of Opus. And not to be messed with.
No wonder Hanks looks so sombre and stiff. His sole expression here is a
perpetual scowl framed by that grown-out mane of dishevelled hair --
apparently, playing a symbologist, he's concluded that long locks
symbolize a deep intellect and let's just leave it at that. As for
Tautou, the gamine of Amélie has gone robotic. She seems constantly
stunned, although, in her case, the poor girl may just be preparing
herself for the finale's grand revelation. (My, you'd be stunned too.)
And don't expect a molecule of chemistry between the two. Evidently,
when a symbologist meets a cryptologist, bogus ideas may fly but sparks
don't.
Luckily for us, after a full hour of this solving and fleeing, the pair
seek refuge in the chalet of an eccentric British knight thoroughly
versed in Holy Grail matters. Luckily, because who better to play Sir
Leigh Teabing than Sir Ian McKellen, and the wily vet is quick to give
this lumpy pic what it sorely needs -- an actor willing to shamelessly,
outrageously chew the scenery and spit it out for fun. Since it's the
only fun going, we're nothing if not grateful.
Unfortunately, even Sir Ian is stymied by that aforementioned problem,
the big one. Here it is. In the book, Brown is always embedding key
exposition right into the dialogue.
Time and again, the characters pause in the midst of escaping another
gun-wielding albino to engage in three pages of conversation designed to
expound upon the historical subject at hand -- all that controversial
stuff about the Church insisting on Christ's divinity while underselling
his humanity, especially his very human marriage to the regal Mary
Magdalene, embodiment of the "sacred feminine." In print, this device is
clumsy but workable, and good for readers who like their themes served
up as chat. On the screen, however, it's a proven disaster that,
astonishingly, the script waltzes right into.
So poor Hanks and McKellen are repeatedly weighed down with
marble-mouthfuls like, "That's when Constantine decided to unify Rome
under a single religion," or, "By the 1300s, the Knight Templars had
grown too threatening, so the Vatican issued secret orders to torture
and massacre them." Howard's notion of lightening this load is to
insert, over the gabbing actors, fuzzy flashbacks to the period under
discussion -- quick shots of Crusaders in red-crossed tunics mounting a
charge, or MM herself in the full cry of some Biblical passion. Sorry,
but the only effect is to stop an already moribund movie dead in its
tracks. When we aren't snoozing, we're snickering.
What's worse, having spent his energy on trying to illustrate the
yammering dialogue, Howard appears to have none left over for the rich
visual opportunities staring him smack in the face. Paris, London, the
Louvre, St. Sulpice, Westminster Abbey -- all those glorious locations
and yet so many grey shots. Like a two-bit philosopher working the wrong
side of the stone, Howard has managed to turn gold into lead.
Or maybe that bleakness is deliberate. Just maybe, somewhere between the
molehill of substance and the mountain of hype, The Da Vinci Code in its
various forms has a culture-shattering truth to tell, if only we could
locate and decipher the right clue. I ain't no symbologist, but here's
my pick: "So dark the con of Man."
4b)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19185172-2702,00.html
Jensen won't flagellate the Code
Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer
May 19, 2006
"PRETTY slow-moving," declared Archbishop Peter Jensen after attending
one of the first Sydney sessions of The Da Vinci Code.
"It's a bit long," he added yesterday.
There was a distinct - possibly ominous - lack of indignation from one
of Australia's top Anglicans, given it is controversy that has fed the
public appetite for Dan Brown's wildly successful novel about the "true"
story of Jesus.
Dr Jensen mused that there had been "nothing to greatly offend" in the
film, besides Silas the murderous monk's unpleasant flagellation scenes.
"My faith in Jesus is very secure and that faith is based on history,"
Dr Jensen said. "I'm not offended. From the point of view of what it may
do to people who do not know the facts, that's a worry."
If, however, people were affected by it, the church should take some
responsibility for not teaching them the facts.
The film posits that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child whose
descendants are alive today.
The theory says the legendary "holy grail" is Mary's bloodline and proof
of that has been safeguarded by a dedicated band of believers despite a
church-based conspiracy to destroy it.
"What the film does is raise the question of 'who is Jesus Christ?"' Dr
Jensen said. "It does it in the form of a salvation story. In this case,
it's salvation from the church: can the truth about Jesus save us from
the evil church which has oppressed humankind and especially women and
the poor?
"And if the truth about Jesus ... comes out, the power of the church
will be broken, Jesus will be saved himself, so to speak, and a better
religion will emerge." The film offered a false choice, between seeing
Jesus as human or divine whereas Christianity says he is both.
Dr Jensen sees the novel and film as products of an age in which the
space vacated by Christianity in the West has been filled by more
generalised religious experience he calls "spiritualities". "The Da
Vinci Code is simply the froth on top of the spirituality wave," he
said.
One of the main characters speculates near the end of the film that
maybe "the human is divine". This was a "typically new-age" view, in
which "we worship ourselves, we are divine. The evidence of history
tells us we are not divine".
Dr Jensen urged people to take the opportunity to talk and think about
Jesus. "The movie is not important, but the subject it raises is
immensely important ... Are we going to continue on the track with
Christianity, or go back to old paganism which really says that human
beings are divine? Which is it to be?"
4c) http://www.thedavincidialogue.com/
-an official Da Vinci Code website set up by Sony Pictures, encouraging
critiques by Christians.
4d)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=fbddd6ac-7146-4e67-b3ea-603b47d44a07&k=37225
Christian ad about Code gets pulledTheatre chain drops spot that was to
appear before film
Brian Hutchinson, National PostPublished: Friday, May 19, 2006
VANCOUVER - A movie house commercial that encourages churchgoers to see
and discuss Hollywood thriller The Da Vinci Code has been dropped by
Canada's largest cinema chain, which said the ad was part of a religious
campaign to "stalk" unsuspecting film patrons.
The 10-second spot was produced by evangelical Christians and was to be
shown for the next month inside 65 Cineplex cinemas in Ontario and
Western Canada.
The ad directs people to a Christian Web site
http://www.discussdavinci.com devoted to the controversial film, which
opens across North America today.
Cineplex Entertainment LP is promoting the movie heavily; however, on
Wednesday, the company abruptly cancelled its $63,000 advertising deal
with Campus Crusade for Christ Canada, a B.C.-based affiliate of the
world's largest evangelical Christian organization, CCC
International(...)
Reached at her office in Toronto, Cineplex spokeswoman Pat Marshall said
it was not, in fact, her company's view that Campus Crusade planned to
harass moviegoers. The e-mail that Cineplex sent to the organization was
a "mistake." Ms. Rajh, she added, "is misinformed."
Cineplex's decision to drop the brief spot was made because the company
"does not show any religious advertising at all," Ms. Marshall
explained, even if it promotes a film the company is showing in its
theatres. The contract with Campus Crusade was made in error. "It
slipped though the cracks."
But Campus Crusade officials note that their ad made no reference to
religion at all; rather, it showed an image of Leonardo's famous
painting, the Mona Lisa, and a tag line that read, "Seek the Truth."
The ad then revealed the address to a Web site operated by Campus
Crusade, where people can discuss The Da Vinci Code and read Christian
perspectives about the film.
That argument did not sway Ms. Marshall. Even if the ad was not overtly
religious, "it was made by a religious organization. And we don't accept
advertising from any religious group."
Famous Players, a Canadian cinema chain bought out by Cineplex last
year, accepted advertising from Campus Crusade when it screened The
Passion of the Christ two years ago. The movie went on to become one of
the highest-grossing films ever.
bhutchinson@nationalpost.com
4e)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060519.wxcrusade19/BNStory/Entertainment/home
Christian crusaders want to discuss Da Vinci
OMAR EL AKKAD
From Friday's Globe and Mail
5) http://www.reason-for-hope.com
The Rev'd Dr. Gil Stieglitz lite.
During a recent visit to Vancouver for the 19th Annual Renewal Mission
2006, Dr. Gil presented seven talks which have been captured on 3 DVDs
and are available for the bargain price of 30.00, including taxes and
shipping. The titles are:
How to Have a Personal Revival
How to Have a Healthy Church
How to Mourn (Processing Pain, Grief and Loss)
How to Draw Near to God
How to Build a Healthy and Vibrant Church (breaking the 200 barrier)
How to Draw the Power of God into Your Life
How to Build a Marriage of Great Joy.
To order go to www.reason-for-hope.com/stieglitz
North Shore Outlook Newspaper
Interactive Code
Daniel Pi photo
THE OTHER GOOD BOOK - Rev. Ed Hird with the book that is making
headlines.
By JENNIFER MALONEY, Staff Reporter
May 18 2006
Minister welcomes Da Vinci Code film
as an opportunity to explore Christ's story.
Reverend Ed Hird won't be boycotting The Da Vinci Code movie when it
makes its world debut on the big screens of 68 countries tomorrow.
In fact, he's already read the book. The rector of St. Simon's Church in
North Van says the book's theories, which question Christian faith,
present an excellent opportunity to discuss his religion with
non-believers.
Hird credits Dan Brown's novel as sparking a cultural phenomena and
marvels at the 46 million print copies that have been published around
the globe.
But he doesn't like the fact that Brown mixes fact and fiction.
"We live in a very gullible culture where fact and fiction are being
blended together. This for some people is a vindication as to why they
don't like the Roman Catholic Church and those are the people I'd love
to have a conversation with."
The novel is centred around a Harvard professor who throughout the story
informs the reader of theories like how the Roman Emperor Constantine
tried to immortalize Jesus Christ to convert pagans to the Christian
religion. Hird claims such theories aren't new, but the way Brown has
effectively packaged them into a suspense thriller is.
"It's a novel that really grips people," he said. "I think it's worth
engaging. Just below the surface there's a real curiosity in Jesus. It's
on everyone's minds and I encourage people in our church not to be
defensive about it.
"Interact with people and talk about it."
2b) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/crier.htm
Will the Real Leonardo Please Stand Up?
-an article for the June 2006 Deep Cove Crier, North Vancouver, BC
The Da Vinci Code Movie bus ads boldly state: "Seek the Truth". I would
agree, as only the Truth can set us free. Dan Brown has his 'religion
expert' Leigh Teabing claim that, "almost everything our fathers taught
us about Christ is false." At the start of the 'Da Vinci Code' book,
Dan Brown pledges, "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents
and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." These remarkable
allegations are at the heart of many scholars' critique of an otherwise
interesting page-turner. Historical accuracy is not the strong suit of
the Da Vinci Code fad.
The Right Reverend Dr. Tom Wright, Anglican Bishop of Durham and former
Oxford scholar, said at Seattle Pacific University that "it is a
well-known fact of today's culture that some people can't tell fact from
fiction." One third of Canadians today, since reading the Da Vinci Code,
actually believe that descendants of Jesus are walking the earth today.
Dan Brown claims in his Da Vinci Code book that there really was a
Priory of Sion to which Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Victor Hugo
belonged. Bishop Wright comments that this claim 'can be shown very
easily to be false.' It is now becoming well-known that the Priory of
Sion documents that Dan Brown cites as evidence were 'forgeries cooked
up by three zany Frenchmen in the 1950s.' In fact, says Bishop Wright,
"they cheerfully confessed to this in a devastating television program
shown on British television...." As well, CBS's "60 Minutes" skillfully
outed "The Priory of Sion" as a convoluted hoax, created by two
Frenchmen, Pierre Plantard and Philippe de Cherisey, in 1956. "
Historical inaccuracies are found in virtually every chapter of the Da
Vinci Code. As Bishop Wright notes, "(Dan) Brown...includes the Dead
Sea Scrolls as documents about Jesus. They are nothing of the sort.
Neither Jesus nor early Christianity is mentioned anywhere in the
scrolls." Most significantly "there is not the slightest sign, in Nag
Hammadi (the gnostic Egyptian scrolls) any more than the Dead Sea
Scrolls, of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene and having a child by
her." Giving a holy kiss in the early church was not a sign of a secret
marriage, but a mark of being fellow Christians. How many people, for
example, would assume that modern Italians are married to everyone that
they kiss on the cheeks?
Thanks to Dan Brown, millions of people are scrutinizing Leonardo's Mona
Lisa and Last Supper paintings for evidence of secret mother-goddess
worship. Yet Mona Lisa, rather than being an androgynous self-portrait
and a secret name for Egyptian fertility goddesses, was actually Madonna
Lisa, married to Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo in March 5th
1495. Mona Lisa was a real life Florentine mother of five children, two
of which became nuns.
And what about the long-haired, rather effeminate, beardless person in
the Last Supper painting? Leonardo in his own notebooks clearly stated
that the person closest to Jesus in the Last Supper painting was John
the beloved disciple, not Mary Magdalene as an alleged secret
mother-goddess and wife. Credible art historians tell us that John the
beloved, as the youngest of the twelve disciples, was always painted by
medieval painters as looking young, beardless, and somewhat effeminate
from 21st-century standards. All one needs to debunk Dan Brown's Last
Supper allegations is to be able to count up to thirteen. As everyone
knows that there were 12 disciples plus Jesus present at the Last
Supper, the supposed addition of Mary Magdalene to the Last Supper
painting would have required fourteen people in the painting. Count it
for yourself: you will only find thirteen!
Did Leonardo's journals include secret codes and messages, as the Da
Vinci Code movie advertisements are telling us? Dr. Ward Gasque
explains that Leonardo's journals were written in common Italian, but
from right to left instead of the opposite method employed today. This
makes perfect sense as Leonardo was left handed. Leonardo's journals are
still on display today and can be read easily with the help of a
bathroom mirror, but no secret codes or messages have ever been
uncovered in his journals.
Dr. Stephen Andrews comments: "Why is it not obvious that The Da Vinci
Code is meant for entertainment, not education? It has about as much
historical credibility as Monty Python's The Life of Brian." Dr. Andrews
elaborates that contrary to Dan Brown's claims, "the Roman Catholic lay
movement, Opus Dei, does not have monks; Westminster Abbey does not have
spires; (and) the Christian habit of worshipping on Sundays was not a
Constantinian accommodation to paganism, but predates Constantine by 200
years..."
Dan Brown claims that the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century
invented the concept of Jesus being God in order to consolidate his hold
on the Roman Empire: "My dear", Teabing declared, "Until that moment in
history, Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet..." "Not
the Son of God?" (said Sophie). "Right", Teabing said. In fact, as
Bishop Tom Wright notes, "the divinity of Jesus was already firmly
established by Paul within 20 to 30 years of Jesus' death."
This claim to Jesus' deity was not a 4th century 'Johnny-come-lately'
invention. In 110AD, Ignatius of Antioch, Syria refers to Christ as
God, saying "God Himself was manifested in human form". In 150 AD,
Clement of Alexandria, Egypt said "It is fitting that you should think
of Jesus Christ as of God" In 180 AD, Irenaeus of Lyon, France said of
Jesus that: "He is God, for the name Emmanuel indicates this". In 235
AD, Novatian of Rome, speaking of Jesus, said"...He is not only man, but
God also..."
Dan Brown rejects the trustworthiness of the New Testament by asserting
in the Da Vinci Code (p. 256) that "history is always written by the
winners." But anyone who knows anything about Christian history knows
that the early Christians were anything but "winners." The early
Christians were persecuted, outlawed and even murdered. Some Christians
were thrown into the arena to be eaten by lions. Other were tied up on
poles, drenched with fuel, and lit as streetlamps at night.
"We may safely conclude", says Bishop Wright, "that the Da Vinci Code is
fiction not just in its characters and plot but in most of its other
details as well." I encourage Christians in particular not to be
defensive about the Da Vinci Code movie/book, but rather, as 1 Peter
3:15 puts it, to always be ready to answer those who ask us for the
reason for the hope within us, always with gentleness and respect. I
strongly commend Lee Strobel's brilliant video-based website on the Da
Vinci Code http://leestrobel.com and his book "Exploring the Da Vinci
Code" which can be purchased online. Let's look forward to discussing
http://discussdavinci.com both the claims of the Da Vinci Code and of
Jesus Christ with our neighbours, co-workers, and family during this
'spiritual tsunami' season.
The Reverend Ed Hird+
Rector, St. Simon's Church North Vancouver
Anglican Coalition in Canada
http://www3.telus.net/st_simons
3i) To order Lee Strobel's excellent new book "Exploring the DaVinci
Code" , click on
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310273722/ref=ase_churchcommuni-20/102-3059389-5669722?s=books&v=glance&n=283155&tagActionCode=churchcommuni-20
3ii) To order Lee Strobel's Video-based Curriculum guide "Discussing the
DaVinci Code", click on
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310272637/churchcommuni-20/102-3059389-5669722?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1
3iii) To watch what top scholars and experts are saying on video about
the DaVinci Code, click on http://www.leestrobel.com/LS_DaVinciCode.html
a) What are the Claims Made by the Da Vinci Code?
1) Why is America so Attracted to The Da Vinci Code? (5:19) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1100.htm
2) Was Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(5:50) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1087.htm
3) Was Jesus a Husband and a Father? (6:12) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1114.htm
4) Did Christianity Borrow from Other Religions as The Da Vinci Code
Claims? (2:57) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1085.htm
5) Breaking The Da Vinci Code (4:34) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1082.htm
6) What are the Most Blatant Errors in The Da Vinci Code? (4:20) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1097.htm
7) Is There a Secret Message Hidden in the Art of Leonardo Da Vinci?
(6:02) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1088.htm
8) Getting into the Specifics of The Da Vinci Code (5:01) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1031.htm
9) What Are Some of the Most Outrageous Claims of The Da Vinci Code?
(1:47) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1103.htm
10) Is The Da Vinci Code Fact or Fiction? (2:39) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1109.htm
11) The Da Vinci Code: Truth or Fiction? (5:10) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1030.htm
12) How Can We Trust the Oral Stories of the Early Disciples? (3:43)
John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1133.htm
13) How Did the Gospels Get Written? (7:02) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1134.htm
14) Did Jesus' Disciples Believe He Was Divine? (5:12) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1135.htm
15) Was Christianity Opposed to Women? (6:49) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1136.htm
16) Is The Da Vinci Code Good History? (4:51) John Ortberg
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1137.htm
b) Can We Trust the Four Gospels?
1) Are There More than Eighty Gospels as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(4:58) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1083.htm
2) Has the Bible Changed Over Time as The Da Vinci Code Claims? (2:44)
Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1084.htm
3) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Can the Gospels be trusted? (1:51) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1034.htm
4) Can We Trust the Gnostic Gospels, like the Gospel of Judas? (7:47)
Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1111.htm
5) Are there More Than Four Gospels About Jesus? (12:00) D. James
Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1089.htm
6) What Really Happened at the Council of Nicea Anyway? (7:20) Erwin
Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1092.htm
7) How Did the New Testament Books Become Part of the Bible? (3:17)
Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1094.htm
8) Who Decided What Books Became Part of the Bible's New Testament?
(8:20) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. '
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1090.htm
c) What Does History Reveal?
1) How Reliable is The Da Vinci Code's Account on Emperor Constantine?
(5:44) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1028.htm
2) Can We Trust the Writers of History? (1:21) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1110.htm
3) Why is the Conspiracy Theory of The Da Vinci Code So Compelling to
People? (6:08) Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1093.htm
4) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Can history be trusted? (2:00) Lee
Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1033.htm
5) What Does History Reveal about the Claims of The Da Vinci Code?
(5:23) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1096.htm
d) Is Jesus the Son of God?
1) What is so Unique About Jesus? (1:22) Erwin Lutzer
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1095.htm
2) Did Jesus Claim To Be Divine, or Did He Become Divine Based on a
Vote? (10:24) D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1091.htm
3) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Interview with Dr. Strauss (Part 1) (6:00) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1036.htm
4) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Interview with Dr. Strauss (Part 2) (7:33) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1037.htm
5) Did Jesus Actually Believe He Was Divine? (3:46) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1112.htm
6) Did People Vote to Make Jesus Divine as The Da Vinci Code Claims?
(4:22) Mike Licona
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1086.htm
7) Discussing The Da Vinci Code: Is Jesus the Son of God? Lee's
Perspective on the Matter (2:38) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1038.htm
e) How Can Christians Respond?
1) How Can Christians Respond to The Da Vinci Code? (6:43) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1113.htm
2) The Da Vinci Code: How Can Christians Respond? (2:07) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1032.htm
3) How do Christians Respond to The Da Vinci Code's Attacks on
Christianity? (3:43) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1101.htm
4) How Can I Capture the Spiritual Curiosity of People Through The Da
Vinci Code? (2:05) Lee Strobel
http://www.leestrobel.com/videos/davinci/strobelT1102.htm
4a)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com//servlet/story/LAC.20060519.DAVINCI19/TPStory/Entertainment/
Da Vinci groan
RICK GROEN, Globe and Mail Newspaper
The Da Vinci Code
*½
Directed by Ron Howard
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany
Classification: 14A
Before I dismiss the movie as middling-awful, forgive me -- first, just
one more word about the book. Clearly, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is
guaranteed to deeply offend anyone who has a strong belief in the
sanctity of (a) Jesus Christ, or (b) good literature. Just as certainly,
given those sales figures measurable in the multimillions, there are
more than a few of us who fall into neither devout category, and who
have thrilled to the experience of reading a novel that's all about a
futile search for the holy grail of a well-written sentence.
Okay, not quite all about, and this is where Brown proves himself rather
clever. He began with a story that has a certain built-in familiarity
factor, Christianity, and turned it into a vast conspiracy cum cover-up,
whose unravelling assumes the form of a treasure hunt -- complete with
maps followed, puzzles solved, codes broken, bullets dodged -- that
takes us on a contemporary trek through the prettier capitals of Europe,
all the while blurring the contrived fiction with historical facts and
presenting the whole thing in a series of minuscule chapters that flit
by like, well, scenes in a movie.
Cue the eureka, and enter director Ron Howard, along with his trusty
screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who might have been inspired by just that
"scenic" potential in the book (oh, and maybe a bit by the 40 million
copies sold). And perhaps, having already collaborated on A Beautiful
Mind and Cinderella Man, they saw a providential design in tackling a
work whose take on Christ might be summarized as A Beautiful Man (but
just a man). What they obviously did not see was a monumental problem
that, if not addressed, would make the novel unadaptable and the movie
risibly dull. But more of that later.
Instead, let's start with Goldsman's decision to retain the bulk of the
original plot. And I mean bulk -- even with the narrative somewhat
trimmed, the flick weighs in at a corpulent 2½ hours. So we again open
in the Louvre with a murder, which promptly gives rise to the mystery:
Seems the deceased, a.k.a. the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion,
literally held a key that opens a box that leads to a cylinder that
contains a riddle that points to documents that contain information that
will change human history by putting a newer spin on the New Testament.
Happily, in the agony of his dying moments, he's left behind clues
decipherable only to Robert the symbologist (Tom Hanks) and Sophie the
cryptologist (Audrey Tautou). Unhappily, they're also the prime suspects
in the homicide, at least in the eyes of that dour French cop with the
five o'clock shadow (Jean Reno).
This situation leads to a pattern of behaviour that pretty much
continues through the entire flick: Pause to solve a clue, run like hell
from the cop; solve another clue, run even faster. But not just from the
cop. There's also an albino monk lurking about (Paul Bettany, looking
like a whiter shade of Warhol), who belongs to that conservative crowd
called Opus Dei. I don't know about the Dei, but anybody who can make
cellphone calls in Latin, while flagellating his naked back raw, is a
real piece of Opus. And not to be messed with.
No wonder Hanks looks so sombre and stiff. His sole expression here is a
perpetual scowl framed by that grown-out mane of dishevelled hair --
apparently, playing a symbologist, he's concluded that long locks
symbolize a deep intellect and let's just leave it at that. As for
Tautou, the gamine of Amélie has gone robotic. She seems constantly
stunned, although, in her case, the poor girl may just be preparing
herself for the finale's grand revelation. (My, you'd be stunned too.)
And don't expect a molecule of chemistry between the two. Evidently,
when a symbologist meets a cryptologist, bogus ideas may fly but sparks
don't.
Luckily for us, after a full hour of this solving and fleeing, the pair
seek refuge in the chalet of an eccentric British knight thoroughly
versed in Holy Grail matters. Luckily, because who better to play Sir
Leigh Teabing than Sir Ian McKellen, and the wily vet is quick to give
this lumpy pic what it sorely needs -- an actor willing to shamelessly,
outrageously chew the scenery and spit it out for fun. Since it's the
only fun going, we're nothing if not grateful.
Unfortunately, even Sir Ian is stymied by that aforementioned problem,
the big one. Here it is. In the book, Brown is always embedding key
exposition right into the dialogue.
Time and again, the characters pause in the midst of escaping another
gun-wielding albino to engage in three pages of conversation designed to
expound upon the historical subject at hand -- all that controversial
stuff about the Church insisting on Christ's divinity while underselling
his humanity, especially his very human marriage to the regal Mary
Magdalene, embodiment of the "sacred feminine." In print, this device is
clumsy but workable, and good for readers who like their themes served
up as chat. On the screen, however, it's a proven disaster that,
astonishingly, the script waltzes right into.
So poor Hanks and McKellen are repeatedly weighed down with
marble-mouthfuls like, "That's when Constantine decided to unify Rome
under a single religion," or, "By the 1300s, the Knight Templars had
grown too threatening, so the Vatican issued secret orders to torture
and massacre them." Howard's notion of lightening this load is to
insert, over the gabbing actors, fuzzy flashbacks to the period under
discussion -- quick shots of Crusaders in red-crossed tunics mounting a
charge, or MM herself in the full cry of some Biblical passion. Sorry,
but the only effect is to stop an already moribund movie dead in its
tracks. When we aren't snoozing, we're snickering.
What's worse, having spent his energy on trying to illustrate the
yammering dialogue, Howard appears to have none left over for the rich
visual opportunities staring him smack in the face. Paris, London, the
Louvre, St. Sulpice, Westminster Abbey -- all those glorious locations
and yet so many grey shots. Like a two-bit philosopher working the wrong
side of the stone, Howard has managed to turn gold into lead.
Or maybe that bleakness is deliberate. Just maybe, somewhere between the
molehill of substance and the mountain of hype, The Da Vinci Code in its
various forms has a culture-shattering truth to tell, if only we could
locate and decipher the right clue. I ain't no symbologist, but here's
my pick: "So dark the con of Man."
4b)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19185172-2702,00.html
Jensen won't flagellate the Code
Jill Rowbotham, Religious affairs writer
May 19, 2006
"PRETTY slow-moving," declared Archbishop Peter Jensen after attending
one of the first Sydney sessions of The Da Vinci Code.
"It's a bit long," he added yesterday.
There was a distinct - possibly ominous - lack of indignation from one
of Australia's top Anglicans, given it is controversy that has fed the
public appetite for Dan Brown's wildly successful novel about the "true"
story of Jesus.
Dr Jensen mused that there had been "nothing to greatly offend" in the
film, besides Silas the murderous monk's unpleasant flagellation scenes.
"My faith in Jesus is very secure and that faith is based on history,"
Dr Jensen said. "I'm not offended. From the point of view of what it may
do to people who do not know the facts, that's a worry."
If, however, people were affected by it, the church should take some
responsibility for not teaching them the facts.
The film posits that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child whose
descendants are alive today.
The theory says the legendary "holy grail" is Mary's bloodline and proof
of that has been safeguarded by a dedicated band of believers despite a
church-based conspiracy to destroy it.
"What the film does is raise the question of 'who is Jesus Christ?"' Dr
Jensen said. "It does it in the form of a salvation story. In this case,
it's salvation from the church: can the truth about Jesus save us from
the evil church which has oppressed humankind and especially women and
the poor?
"And if the truth about Jesus ... comes out, the power of the church
will be broken, Jesus will be saved himself, so to speak, and a better
religion will emerge." The film offered a false choice, between seeing
Jesus as human or divine whereas Christianity says he is both.
Dr Jensen sees the novel and film as products of an age in which the
space vacated by Christianity in the West has been filled by more
generalised religious experience he calls "spiritualities". "The Da
Vinci Code is simply the froth on top of the spirituality wave," he
said.
One of the main characters speculates near the end of the film that
maybe "the human is divine". This was a "typically new-age" view, in
which "we worship ourselves, we are divine. The evidence of history
tells us we are not divine".
Dr Jensen urged people to take the opportunity to talk and think about
Jesus. "The movie is not important, but the subject it raises is
immensely important ... Are we going to continue on the track with
Christianity, or go back to old paganism which really says that human
beings are divine? Which is it to be?"
4c) http://www.thedavincidialogue.com/
-an official Da Vinci Code website set up by Sony Pictures, encouraging
critiques by Christians.
4d)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=fbddd6ac-7146-4e67-b3ea-603b47d44a07&k=37225
Christian ad about Code gets pulledTheatre chain drops spot that was to
appear before film
Brian Hutchinson, National PostPublished: Friday, May 19, 2006
VANCOUVER - A movie house commercial that encourages churchgoers to see
and discuss Hollywood thriller The Da Vinci Code has been dropped by
Canada's largest cinema chain, which said the ad was part of a religious
campaign to "stalk" unsuspecting film patrons.
The 10-second spot was produced by evangelical Christians and was to be
shown for the next month inside 65 Cineplex cinemas in Ontario and
Western Canada.
The ad directs people to a Christian Web site
http://www.discussdavinci.com devoted to the controversial film, which
opens across North America today.
Cineplex Entertainment LP is promoting the movie heavily; however, on
Wednesday, the company abruptly cancelled its $63,000 advertising deal
with Campus Crusade for Christ Canada, a B.C.-based affiliate of the
world's largest evangelical Christian organization, CCC
International(...)
Reached at her office in Toronto, Cineplex spokeswoman Pat Marshall said
it was not, in fact, her company's view that Campus Crusade planned to
harass moviegoers. The e-mail that Cineplex sent to the organization was
a "mistake." Ms. Rajh, she added, "is misinformed."
Cineplex's decision to drop the brief spot was made because the company
"does not show any religious advertising at all," Ms. Marshall
explained, even if it promotes a film the company is showing in its
theatres. The contract with Campus Crusade was made in error. "It
slipped though the cracks."
But Campus Crusade officials note that their ad made no reference to
religion at all; rather, it showed an image of Leonardo's famous
painting, the Mona Lisa, and a tag line that read, "Seek the Truth."
The ad then revealed the address to a Web site operated by Campus
Crusade, where people can discuss The Da Vinci Code and read Christian
perspectives about the film.
That argument did not sway Ms. Marshall. Even if the ad was not overtly
religious, "it was made by a religious organization. And we don't accept
advertising from any religious group."
Famous Players, a Canadian cinema chain bought out by Cineplex last
year, accepted advertising from Campus Crusade when it screened The
Passion of the Christ two years ago. The movie went on to become one of
the highest-grossing films ever.
bhutchinson@nationalpost.com
4e)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060519.wxcrusade19/BNStory/Entertainment/home
Christian crusaders want to discuss Da Vinci
OMAR EL AKKAD
From Friday's Globe and Mail
5) http://www.reason-for-hope.com
The Rev'd Dr. Gil Stieglitz lite.
During a recent visit to Vancouver for the 19th Annual Renewal Mission
2006, Dr. Gil presented seven talks which have been captured on 3 DVDs
and are available for the bargain price of 30.00, including taxes and
shipping. The titles are:
How to Have a Personal Revival
How to Have a Healthy Church
How to Mourn (Processing Pain, Grief and Loss)
How to Draw Near to God
How to Build a Healthy and Vibrant Church (breaking the 200 barrier)
How to Draw the Power of God into Your Life
How to Build a Marriage of Great Joy.
To order go to www.reason-for-hope.com/stieglitz
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