Archive for September, 2003
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Has it been that long?
Friday, September 19th, 2003
I have to apologize for the apparent hiatus I’ve taken for the past week. Things around here have been cookin’.
Spiritual Renewal
We’re in the middle of a spiritual renewal week, led by Jeff Christopherson, pastor of The Sanctuary, a church-planting church in Toronto. He’s been blessing me big-time, and making me realize that I’m not idealistic when I’m focusing on the power of God in planting and growing a church.
He’s been talking a lot about how it’s God who plants a church, and when He does, He’s obligated to make provisions for the things He does; conversely, He is not obligated to make provisions for things that we simply choose to do. I’ve really enjoyed hearing the story of The Sanctuary, where God blessed from the very beginning. Tell me if you know of another church, only one year old at the time, had a budget of $700,000 because God had led them to plant four daughter churches in the first year (when they thought they’d only plant one in the first three years). And why did they meet the budget? Because God, who called them to do it, provided the means to do it.
I’m still processing through the week, but I’m sure I’ll have more to say later.
Teen Bible getting a lot of press
I’ve been watching the dialogue taking place over the new Teen Bible, called Revolve (here’s the link if you haven’t read about it). The latest discussions have been interesting.
Southern prof Russ Moore debated the issue with Laurie Whaley on MSNBC. Interesting points made on each side, I think.
Al Mohler, the DNA from which Moore has apparently been cloned (that was a joke, people…), had a follow-up article in Baptist Press yesterday, where he makes sound points about the book as well. Mohler does give credit where he believes credit is due, but in the end finds the book lacking as well.
I don’t know that I’ve seen an article as of yet that really wrestles with the issue. I do know that my problems with the book stem mainly from the images the book portrays. Just from the looks of the girls on the cover, were I a teenage girl wrestling with her weight, I might think there’s not a place in the kingdom of God for me.
I also think the make-up tips and such (from what I’ve read) don’t necessarily espouse a Christian view of beauty — beauty through the eyes of God, beauty on the inside, etc.
On the other hand, it excites me to think that girls who’ve had no previous exposure to the gospel might find exposure through this book. After all, it is the New Testament — the Bible — and God promises that His word won’t return void. I have a feeling Thomas Nelson will have a follow up story on the girls who’ve been led to Christ through this thing.
I wouldn’t use it for discipleship, though.
I’ll be back later with more on the website!
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