Hey Joe

Hey Joe,

It was fun being at the conference and getting to know you and some of the folks. Your letter to Jon is very interesting.

I share your view that it is contrary to the teachings of the NT for believers to carry arms or use force, or to be in a occupation that would require it.

But scripture does give governments authority to use force, including warfare. (Because they are "outside of Christ," scripture does not mandate governments to abide by the Sermon on the Mount-- how could the police "turn the other cheek" to evildoers and still maintain law and order?)

That being said, the governmental and military authorities who make the decisions to use force, or to not use force, in particular situations are responsible for their decisions.

To me, it's basically the "Two Kingdom" idea: we (believers) are in one spiritual kingdom and the secular authorities and nonbelievers are in a different spiritual kingdom. (Many evangelicals might say that the two spiritual kingdoms overlap or should overlap, but I see that as an obsolete OT model which conflicts with the NT.)

As far as the current conflicts the US is waging, how can we say with certainty if they are good or evil? Is God's providential working in history and current events always discernable? He may be using these events, horrific as they are, for good ultimate purposes that we cannot know or see.

I'd be interested in what the others think about these ideas. I didn't always see things this way and (I hope) I'm still learning.

Blessings,
Chris.

Idea for Fall Study

Last week things were slow with my online course, since there were no major assignments due. I thought a little about ideas for a fall study I hope to teach, if there's interest in the church. My tentative title is, Near the Cross: Following and Obeying Jesus.

Summary. Becoming more like Christ is the essence of spiritual growth. God wants us to follow and obey Christ, that he might increase and we might decrease- thereby reflecting his glory. The main obstacle to growth is "self," which fights to maintain control. God has given us the means to overcome, if we are willing.

Send me your thoughts- betterpromises@yahoo.com

Real Life

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Jesus has given us the secret. It is the secret of taking hold of the true life. There is another life- the "life in this world," but that is not the real life.

Summer Conference

Last weekend we were in Corning, NY for the conference that I described in my posting of June 11 (see below). The drive was long but we avoided most of the traffic jams. We stayed at a Days Inn in Corning and traveled a few miles to a local firehouse where the conference was held in a community room. For our early morning walks we were able to walk along a nice canal that runs through the city and through a redone section of the old downtown.

At the conference, there were folks from Pennsylvania and various parts of New York. We were the only ones from Connecticut or New England. The teaching and the fellowship were very good. Two of the ladies there, from Rochester, had been in our home several years ago for lunch. They had come to Connecticut for the house church conference that we and another family had organized and hosted. That was in 2001.

Saturday night most of us (about 25-40 adults) went to an Italian restaurant for supper. My son (15) was the only teen for most of the weekend, but everyone made him feel welcome.

Some of the folks there had stopped attending any church on a regular basis- some were discouraged about the superficial nature of some fellowships and some described having been hurt or abused in some way. Many were house-churchers who feel that that sort of "non-institutional" setup does a better job of forming Christian relationships and avoiding the pitfalls of "Churchianity."

It was an interesting group of folks who have done a lot of thinking about their faith life and a fun time. The teaching was well-thought-out and in-depth, emphasizing both Scripture and church history. Jon Zens was our teacher.

Papers, Papers, Papers

This summer I'm teaching an online English course for Quinebaug Valley Community College and it's keeping me busy reading and correcting papers- the reason I haven't been posting lately. For the research paper, each one has to choose a topic under the general heading of "Spirituality in America at the Turn of the Millennium."

Several students are writing about Scientology and one is writing about Kabbalah, a form of Judaism popularized by Madonna. The interest in these topics seems related to certain music and movie "stars." A couple are researching the Amish (one of my favorite topics), one lady is writing about the Catholic Church and marriage, and another is writing about the "end times" as described in Revelation.