Category Archives: Religion

Ethos, Faith in Action, Mission, Popular Culture, Religion, Remarkable, Stories, The Word, Thoughts

Penn Gets a Bible

I came across this video earlier in the week. A friend posted it on their Facebook page and I have been going over it in my mind all week. It is a video blog posted by Penn Jillette, the illusionist. In the video Penn, an atheist, recounts a conversation that occurred after a Penn & Teller show between him and a Christian business man. Watch the video below and then read my observations. (If you are reading this in RSS you may need to click through to see the video)

Ok, now for some observations:

Genuiness. The first thig that Pen noticed about this man was that he was GENUINE. The way the man complemented the show and spoke praise to Penn & Teller came across as real and from the heart. Penn also saw that this genuine nature wasn’t just evident in the way he praised the show. This man had a genuine concern for Penn’s soul. Having the character trait of being genuine with and about people was shared by Timothy in the Bible. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that Timothy was a man who had real and genuine concern for the people of Philippi. Paul writes, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” (Philippians 2:19-22)

Boldness. Acts 14:3 says, “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time (in Iconium), speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” Penn Jillette is a bear of a man. At 6’6″ he towers over most men and his booming voice looms large as well. Penn speaks his mind and is very animated when he talks. As nice as he seems most people would try to avoid any argument with this vivacious magician. However, it was the boldness of this man that seemed to capture Penn’s attention and his respect. It seems that Penn wasn’t the only one pulling off amazing wonders that night. God had a few tricks up his sleeve as well.

Love. Penn argues, “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Penn, a dedicated atheist, believes that sharing your faith in Jesus Christ is ultimately an act of love and that keeping quiet about your faith is actually telling the world that you hate them and want them to go to hell. Think about that one for a minute.

One. In the video clip, you can tell that Penn is wrestling with the entire situation. He isn’t dismissive. He was touched. He isn’t defensive. He’s disarmed. He isn’t angry. He is thankful. One man. One incident. One gift. One conversation. That’s all it took.

“I know there’s no God and one polite person doesn’t change that… but I’ll tell ya, that was a very, very, very good man. And… that’s real important. And with that kind of goodness… it’s ok to have that deep of a disagreement. And I still think that religion still does a lot of bad stuff, but, man, that was good man who gave me that book.”

I’ve really been thinking about this video all week. How can I make an impact on others the way this man impacted Penn? I hope that I too can be GENUINE, BOLD, and LOVING to others so that God can use me to impact others in His name.

Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Popular Culture, Prayer, Religion, Resources, Youth Ministry, Youth Ministry Tips

Youth Ministry Focus: New Stats

USAToday published an article this morning looking at the religious habits and beliefs of today’s 18-29 year olds. In some respects the article is nothing new to those of you who are currently working with churches or with teenagers. However, this study shines a bright light on the need for strong, Gospel-intensive, disciple-making leaders to step up and fill in the obvious void. I have included the article below and highlighted some of the stats and comments that I found most interesting. We’ll unpack some of these later in the week.

Survey: 72% of Millennials ‘more spiritual than religious’
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Most young adults today don’t pray, don’t worship and don’t read the Bible, a major survey by a Christian research firm shows.

If the trends continue, “the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships,” says Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. In the group’s survey of 1,200 18- to 29-year-olds, 72% say they’re “really more spiritual than religious.”Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, “many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,” Rainer says. “Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.”

Key findings in the phone survey, conducted in August and released today:

  • 65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
  • 65% rarely or never attend worship services.
  • 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts.

Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: Half say yes, half no.

“We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church,” Rainer says.

The findings, which document a steady drift away from church life, dovetail with a LifeWay survey of teenagers in 2007 who drop out of church and a study in February by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, which compared the beliefs of Millennials with those of earlier generations of young people.

The new survey has a margin of error of +/-2.8 percentage points.

Even among those in the survey who “believe they will go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus Christ as savior”:

  • 68% did not mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked what was “really important in life.”
  • 50% do not attend church at least weekly.
  • 36% rarely or never read the Bible.

Neither are these young Christians evangelical in the original meaning of the term — eager to share the Gospel. Just 40% say this is their responsibility.

Even so, Rainer is encouraged by the roughly 15% who, he says, appear to be “deeply committed” Christians in study, prayer, worship and action.

Collin Hansen, 29, author of Young, Restless, Reformed, about a thriving minority of traditionalist Christians, agrees. “I’m not going to say these numbers aren’t true and aren’t grim, but they also drive people like me to build new, passionately Christian dynamic churches,” says Hansen, who is studying for the ministry. He sees many in his generation veering to “moralistic therapeutic deism — ‘God wants you to be happy and do good things.’ … I would not call that Christianity, however.”

The 2007 LifeWay study found seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30, both evangelical and mainline, who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23. And 34% of those had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30.

The Pew survey found young people today were significantly more likely than those in earlier generations to say they didn’t identify with any religious group. Neither are Millennials any more likely than earlier generations to turn toward a faith affiliation as they grow older.

I agree with Hansen. Yes, the numbers seem overwhelming. The task is daunting. The consequences of failure are real. However, all is not lost my friends. Remember, the gates of Hades will not overcome the Body of Christ.

Looks like we’ve got some work to do.

Popular Culture, Religion, Resources, Resurrection, Teaching

Bible Major Geek Out! Shroud Edition

Archeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered a first-century burial shroud. The find seems to be extremely significant and pretty cool as well.

Jerusalem (CNN) — Researchers said Wednesday for the first time they have found what they believe to be pieces of a burial shroud from the time of Jesus. The find is of importance because tests on the shroud and the body it wrapped revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy in the Old City of Jerusalem. And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus. According to researchers involved in the excavation and subsequent testing, the recently discovered shroud lends more credible evidence that the Shroud of Turin does not date to Roman times when Jesus died but from a later period.The latest shroud was found in a tomb complex on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem. “This is the first time that we have a shroud from the time of Jesus,” said Shimon Gibson, the excavation director.

In my opinion the article places way to much emphasis on the Shroud of Turin (If I’m honest, I could care less about the Shroud of Turin). This new shroud however, is a collossal find on it’s own merit for a couple of reasons.

First, this find seems to corroborate a specific element of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He called such a find in the Jerusalem area unique because the high humidity levels in the city do not normally allow for the preservation of organic material. Gibson said the remains of the man covered in the cloth consisted of different wrappings for the body and the head, which was consistent with burial practices of the era. He also said research had shown that the weave of the cloth was a simple one, much different from the more complex Shroud of Turin’s.

John 20:6-8 says, “Then Simon Peter came along behind (John) and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.” This is just a little throw away detail about the resurrection of Jesus and yet it is these details that often underscore the larger truths. If the authors get the details right- the thought goes- then it lends greater credibility to the whole. Jesus’ body was wrapped and then a head cloth was placed over his face- the exact practice verified by first century traditions.

Secondly, it gives us a better idea as to what the tomb of Jesus may have looked like.

Based on the tomb’s location and the style of the shroud wrappings, researchers have said the shrouded man was an affluent member of Jerusalem society.

Jesus was buried in a tomb donated by a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin named Joeseph of Arimathea. It is very possible that this tomb would share some of the same characteristics. I look forward to filing these pictures away for use as a visual aid in my teaching classes. Let’s hope the archeologist took some great pictures. Hey guys, post those pics on Facebook! Kidding. High Res shots would be much better.

Finally, this find means that we could be close to understanding that age old skin condition known as leprosy. Now maybe we can speak with authority instead of basically making things up.

Because of the unique nature of the find, the remains of the shroud and the bodily remains were subject to molecular and DNA testing. Researchers said they were surprised to find that the shrouded man suffered from both leprosy and tuberculosis. The discovery of leprosy was found in DNA samples taken from the skeletal remains and is the earliest proven case of the disease, according to Hebrew University professor Mark Spigelman. It is likely the shrouded man died from tuberculosis, Spigelman said, and its presence in other remains found at the site suggest “the significant impact social diseases such as tuberculosis had on society from the low socioeconomic groups up to the more affluent families, such as Tomb the Shroud in first-century Jerusalem.”

Leprosy? Are you kidding me! (Allow me to slip into Bible teacher mode) This could mean that I can stop saying things like, “Well… we don’t know exactly what leprosy was…” or “Leprosy could have been a simple skin disorder…” NO MORE! Leprosy can be leprosy! Yay!

I’d encourage you to read the article and to check out the pics for yourself (first century corpse- you’re welcome!). It will be interesting to find out more about this latest find. As the weeks go on I hope that the researchers will release more of their findings so we can find out all we can about the times in which Jesus lived.

Story at CNN.com

2008, Blabbering, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Lauds, Leadership, News, Politics, Popular Culture, Prayer, Religion, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture

The Day After

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I couldn’t help but log onto Facebook last night to watch all the status updates change (almost by the second) in reaction to the news that Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. The status updates volleyed between fear and excitement, despair and relief, anger and “nanny-nanny-boo-boo.”

Some friends cried foul and vowed to move to Mexico. Some ridiculed others because their candidate came out on top. Some lifted up prayers of lament. Some merely gave thanks.

Throughout the campaigns I tried to avoid updating my status with cute platitudes or sarcastic zingers because, quite frankly, I try to avoid sounding stupid.

That’s right. I said it. Updating my Facebook status to sound off on the political process would make me feel stupid. Without tooting my own horn, I take pride in being as culturally informed as I possibly can. I read, I watch, I discuss, I weigh, I ponder, I worry, I step up, I step back, and I still, at the end of the day, with much fear and trepidation, can honestly say that I rarely have a good answer much less a snappy quip to throw around for the whole world to see.

After looking at the status updates last night my head hung pretty low. It is obvious that today we are still divided. It is ok to hold differing views and it is ok to disagree (often this is necessary). However it is never ok to demonize someone because they are different from you, even when they are radically different. This goes for both sides.

So I updated my status.

Not with a pithy statement about my disappointment. Not with a zinger about how thrilled I was. I updated my status with one of those “hard teachings” found in scripture.

Hard Teachings are those passages that you read and then say, “Great! Wish I hadn’t read that!” because you now know that what is required from you is an attitude and a heart that submits to God rather than your own desires. These passages require a mental, spiritual, and, some times, physical 180 from the way you want to do things to a new way. A God way.

So, regardless how you feel about last night…

Regardless how you feel today…

Regardless…

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
(1Timothy 2:1-4 TNIV)

Want to make a difference today? Do you want to really enact change? Start with yourself.

Lift up the men and women who won last night. Not just the winners in blue and not just the winners in red. Pray for ALL those who now have authority over us.

Regardless how you feel about last night…

Regardless how you feel today…

Regardless…

Discipleship, Ethos, Religion, Stories, Theology

the gods aren’t angry tour

On November 16, Rob Bell’s the gods aren’t angry tour passed through Dallas. The event was awesome to say the least. If the the tour is coming anywhere near where you live (and it isn’t sold out already) by a ticket now!

I was a little hesitant because I had no clue what he would be speaking on. It was the first time my wife heard him live and we had brought two teens from church with us. I have heard him a half dozen times and I was hoping that tonight’s message would connect with them. I was not disappointed.

Notes from “the gods aren’t angry”:

Bell started the evening by walking out on to the stage and diving right into the story. No announcements, no welcome, no intro.

At the dawn of time cave-woman and cave-husband recognized that the world was sustained through patterns of life and nature through some unseen force(s) and that they were some how connected and dependant upon this/these unseen force(s). They were dependant on plants and the plants were dependant on drops of water from the sky and the ball of fire. Cycles in the moon corespend with the cycles of cave-woman’s body. Stars, sun, moon, weather… men and women then began to put names to these forces and to worship them. These gods, while having the temperment of humans, where far removed from humans. They were above. We were below.

When things went right- new birth, large crop, healthy family- you made sacrifices of thanksgiving to the gods. To ensure that the gods would smile on you, you would sacrifice more to the god to receive more favor.

If things went poorly for you and your family- sickness, failed crops, death- then it was assumed that the gods were angry with you. You hadn’t sacrificed enough to the gods and were being punished.

The hitch is that you never knew where you stood with the gods- were you doing enough, should you do more?

“We are at the mercy of these forces. We need to get these forces on our side.” So a system began to take shape.

The Altar– higher, off the ground, offer up
The Priests– the experts, “Here are the steps you must follow to get the gods to smile upon you.”
The Offering– what is most sacred to you. Began with crops/animals but evolved as time went by

Over time man developed a primal anxiety towards these forces- “If this sacrifce isn’t working then I must do more to appease the gods!” Things quickly spirald out of control.

The fertity goddess Cybele required that men take on female characteristics and so men dressed as women and (as Bell said) “offered their maleness” upon the altar .

Capacocha– the sacrificing of children in order to find favor with the gods.

Molec- offer your first born to the fire

The gods demanded what was most sacred from you. They desired what was most precious to you. Year in and year out this cycle continues.

Then comes Abram. The stoy of Abram wasn’t written in a vaccum devoid of this cuture. It comes in the midst of this culture of god and goddesses that demand so much yet our standing before them is so unknown.

Genesis 12 tells of a new god who doesn’t demand from man. He blesses man. This revolutionary god has conversations with man. He is intimately involved in what they do. He invites Abram to follow him into a new destiny and to leave his “father’s household”- his father’s old system of gods and goddesses.

Then comes Genesis 22– At first glance this is yet another instance of a god requiring the blood of the first born-what Abraham holds most dear. Abraham doesn’t bat an eye when asked to sacrifice Isaac because this is nothing new to him- gods demand. Business as usual. Instead this new god provides a ram. This god doesn’t take. He provides.

This god is different. he says, “I AM not like these other gods. They demand. I bless. I provide.”

To be continued…

Church History, Religion, Theology

Reformation Day

Did you know that today is Reformation Day? Until a few weeks ago I didn’t either.

martin_luther_by_cranach.jpg

If you’re like me you spent most of your life hearing about the Restoration and then getting confused when you heard about the Reformation.

Somebody: Luther started the Reformation.
Me: I think you mean the Restoration.
Somebody: Um, no. I said it correctly. The RE-FOR-MA-TION. Get with the program.
Me: But… nevermind.

Anyway, back to today. It’s Reformation Day.

Today is the day that in 1517 Martin Luthur walked up to the door of Whittenberg Church in Germany and nailed his 95 thesis there for the world to see.

Well, more than likely he sent a letter to Archbishop Albrecht with the thesis and then posted the letter on the door of the church. Maybe. (One book I have said that Luther sent a “polite letter”)

Regardless, that one act of defiance and passion has had a lasting effect on Christianity as we know it.

I love One Person stories. You know what I’m talking about. Stories where one person, despite all the odds, in spite of the people who threaten, regardless of the danger and mounting opposition stand up for what they believe in and in so doing change the course of history.

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures, or by evident reason (for I put my faith neither in popes nor councils alone, since it is established that they have erred again and again and contradicted one another), I am bound by the scriptural evidence adduced by me, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, I will not recant anything, for it is neither safe nor right to act against one’s conscience. God help me. Amen.– Luther, 17 April 1521

Regardless of how you come down on the Reformation or on Luther himself, take a little time today and celebrate that the seemingly small acts of one man made it so that you can read your own Bible, attend the church of your choosing, and pray to God on your own.

So eat a big fat burger (Papal Bull) and pass out some gummi worms (Diet of Worms) to trick or treaters tonight* in celebration of Reformation Day.

*Reformation Day celebration ideas via Tony at The Shepherd’s Scrapbook

Discipleship, Ministry, Religion, Theology

Are You Illiterate?

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Religiously Illiterate that is.

This week I have been reading Stephen Prothero’s masterwork Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know- And Doesn’t. Prothero’s “radical” idea that religion should be taught in public schools got a little play earlier this year when his ideas were featured in the April 2nd issue of TIME. In the article The Case for Teaching the Bible author David Van Biema quotes some staggering statistics from Prothero’s book.

According to Religious Literacy, polls show that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible holds the answers to “all or most of life’s basic questions,” but pollster George Gallup has dubbed us “a nation of biblical illiterates.” Only half of U.S. adults know the title of even one Gospel. Most can’t name the Bible’s first book. The trend extends even to Evangelicals, only 44% of whose teens could identify a particular quote as coming from the Sermon on the Mount.

As a minister I know that these statistics are sadly the rules and not the exceptions. I get frustrated very quickly when I find that I cannot lead a Bible class or a religious discussion very far or deep because students (and adults) have a very, very limited working knowledge of Scripture.

At the outset of the book, Prothero provides the reader with a copy of a Religious Literacy Quiz that he gave to his university students in the Spring of 2006.

I took Prothero’s quiz and scored a 45 out of 50.

Are you interested in how you would fare in this basic exam? Many of you that read this blog grew up in a conservative background where you were at church if the doors were open and many of you were leaders in youth group and at school and you have continued to lead in the workplace. I know that you take your faith seriously. I think that many of you can pass this quiz with flying colors.

I have provided the quiz below and I will post the answers in the comment section. I am interested in how well you fared taking the quiz so leave a comment with your score or with comments on what you think about the quiz or teaching religion in schools. Good luck.

Religious Literacy Quiz
1) Name the four Gospels. List as many as you can.
2) Name a sacred text of Hinduism.
3) What is the name of the holy book of Islam?
4) Where according to the Bible was Jesus born?
5) Pres. George W. Bush spoke in his first inaugural address of the Jericho road. What Bible story was he invoking?
6) What are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament?
7) What is the Golden Rule?
8) “God helps those who help themselves”: Is this in the Bible? If so, where?
9) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God”: Does this appear in the Bible? If so, where?
10) Name the Ten Commandments. List as many as you can.
11) Name the four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
12) What are the seven sacraments of Catholicism? List as many as you can.
13) The First Amendment says two things about religion, each with its own “clause.” What are the two religion clauses of the First Amendment?
14) What is Ramadan? In what religion is it celebrated?
15) Match the Bible characters with the stories in which they appear. Some characters may be matched with more than one story or vise versa.

1. Adam and Eve
2. Paul
3. Moses
4. Noah
5. Jesus
6. Abraham
7. Serpent

a. Exodus
b. Binding of Isaac
c. Olive Branch
d. Garden of Eden
e. Parting of the Red Sea
f. Road to Damascus
g. Garden of Gethsemane

Discipleship, Hope, Leadership, Ministry, Religion, Resources, Youth Ministry

Robert Webber

Becoming a disciple, just like becoming a fully mature being, takes time, takes the involvement of committed people, and takes a process of growth and development that is intentional and well worked out. The problem that we are dealing with is not only the problem of individual Christians who don’t grow but the problem of local churches that don’t have a process for nurturing and growing new Christians into mature disciples.

I never got the chance to meet Dr. Robert Webber but he had a profound impact on my life and my ministry. His writing took my theological box where I stored my ministry paradigms, ideas, things I thought I knew, my church upbringing, and what I thought was my safe, little god and dumped it out on the floor for me to examine. When all was said and done I decided to do away with a box altogether and just make Christ my pursuit and my all consuming passion. When I first read the words quoted above I immediately knew that I had found my calling. I wasn’t just a minister. I am a disciple who makes disciples. As simple and profound and challenging as that. I promptly devoured everything by him I could get my hands on. I have even spent the year walking with him through the Christian calendar, something I would have never been able to experience without his prodding and help, by using his book Ancient-Future Time. I will be forever grateful.

Dr. Webber’s battle with cancer ended on Friday.

I also echo the prayer that was posted on the press release:

“Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world; in the name of God the Father Almighty who created you; in the name of Jesus Christ who redeemed you; in the name of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you. May your rest be this day in peace, and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God. Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Bob. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.”

Thank you Dr. Webber for your work and your life. I am indebted to you for insight and your relentless pursuit of Christ Jesus, our Lord. He is the Victor. May you rest in His arms tonight.

link

Politics, Popular Culture, Religion

Heads Up

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It should be an interesting Monday morning. Don’t know what to make of this right now but Al Capone’s Vault keeps coming to mind.

Brace yourself. James Cameron, the man who brought you ‘The Titanic’ is back with another blockbuster. This time, the ship he’s sinking is Christianity.

In a new documentary, Producer Cameron and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, make the starting claim that Jesus wasn’t resurrected –the cornerstone of Christian faith– and that his burial cave was discovered near Jerusalem. And, get this, Jesus sired a son with Mary Magdelene.

No, it’s not a re-make of “The Da Vinci Codes’. It’s supposed to be true.

Let’s go back 27 years, when Israeli construction workers were gouging out the foundations for a new building in the industrial park in the Talpiyot, a Jerusalem suburb. of Jerusalem. The earth gave way, revealing a 2,000 year old cave with 10 stone caskets. Archologists were summoned, and the stone caskets carted away for examination. It took 20 years for experts to decipher the names on the ten tombs. They were: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua.
Israel’s prominent archeologist Professor Amos Kloner didn’t associate the crypt with the New Testament Jesus. His father, after all, was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family. And all were common Jewish names.

There was also this little inconvenience that a few miles away, in the old city of Jerusalem, Christians for centuries had been worshipping the empty tomb of Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christ’s resurrection, after all, is the main foundation of the faith, proof that a boy born to a carpenter’s wife in a manger is the Son of God.

But film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family.

Ever the showman, (Why does this remind me of the impresario in another movie,”King Kong”, whose hubris blinds him to the dangers of an angry and very large ape?) Cameron is holding a New York press conference on Monday at which he will reveal three coffins, supposedly those of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene. News about the film, which will be shown soon on Discovery Channel, Britain’s Channel 4, Canada’s Vision, and Israel’s Channel 8, has been a hot blog topic in the Middle East (check out a personal favorite: Israelity Bites) Here in the Holy Land, Biblical Archeology is a dangerous profession. This 90-minute documentary is bound to outrage Christians and stir up a titanic debate between believers and skeptics. Stay tuned.

link

Discipleship, Ethos, Faith in Action, Leadership, Ministry, Religion, Theology

Great Reminder From a Great Man

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will. But if the church will free itself from the shackles of a deadening status quo, and, recovering its great historic mission, will speak and act fearlessly and insistently in terms of justice and peace, it will enkindle the imagination of mankind and fire the souls of men, imbuing them with a glowing and ardent love for truth, justice, and peace. Men far and near will know the church as a great fellowship of love that provides light and bread for lonely travellers at midnight.”

-Dr. Martin Juthur King, Jr.