Linkathon!
Jesus is coming…plant a tree...I love and embrace this theology…
Seven Catholic theologians that every Protestant should read…
Saddleback, female pastors, and the SBC…
Christian Reformed Church codifies traditional sexuality…
SBC rejects CRT critic for presidency…
The forgotten marginalized group Jesus was obsessed with…
Roger Olson against “liberal theology”…
The key to understanding Scripture is in this video…
New vax could appeal to pro life Christians…
More later…
The article on “This Is My Broken Body” really moved me. This past week the sudden death from an unexpected cancer diagnosis of one of our classmates really shook up my 1975 graduating class. Although we are all 65 or almost that age (that would be me), we still see ourselves as young, with busy, meaningful lives. Many of us aren’t even retired yet (that would also be me), and we expect to get up most weekday mornings and head to work. 65 years is quite a lifespan, and although I hope for many years to come (and my doctor keeps pronouncing me healthy), I don’t want to forget that this life is not permanent. It’s the next life that is eternal. A failing body will keep me ever dependent on my Creator and the plans He has for me. It also helps me to focus on what is important, which usually is not what I consider important.
We’ll see if the covenants video gets taken down again…
What’s with the covenants video?
Reload…it’s up on my end
Oh no, I meant is there a problem with the video that it would be taken down. Technical issue? theological issue?
They took it down briefly…it’s very good.
We show Bible Project videos at our church all the time. In fact, we created our own VBS curriculum using some of their videos.
Michael,
I read the first link. Interesting. I can see where you are coming from in many of your comments. Like many here, I was told that I was to witness to as many people as possible at all times, as opposed to doing something that had no eternal value, like planting a tree. I know there is some exaggeration there, but that is my background: Heaven is a destination after you die and has no connection with the present, don’t bother with things that have no eternal value, etc. Frankly, it is kind of a foreign view to me, but then again I am all for having my paradigm challenged.
Dan,
The traditional view of heaven and the afterlife seemed to me to be as dull and banal as anything I ever heard and gave me no joy or desire to achieve that at all.
The original kingdom mandate was to care for the earth and all that was in it…it was good.
I think it’s still good…just in need for repair…
Thanks for the response Michael. I sometime wonder how much we believe in various traditions of the church is more influenced by some writings, like the writings of Dante, or even Tim LaHaye.
Dan,
A great deal of it is traditional…and much of what is called “deconstruction” is simply a realization of that…
Maybe that is a type of deconstruction that I am going through now!
Dan,
I highly recommend reading N.T. Wrights works to assist that process…
Thanks for the recommendation.
My view of the “afterlife” was substantially altered after reading Wright’s “For All the Saints?” Probably similar in content to Surprised by Hope but much more condensed which works well for me.
https://www.amazon.com/All-Saints-Remembering-Christian-Departed/dp/0819221333/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L0ZNNJ67AT7L&keywords=for+all+the+saints+nt+wright&qid=1655669457&sprefix=for+all+the+saints%3F%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1
Michael wrote:
“The traditional view of heaven and the afterlife seemed to me to be as dull and banal as anything I ever heard and gave me no joy or desire to achieve that at all.”
I have no desire for streets of gold and jewel encrusted vistas in someplace other than this here and now.
And yes you’re right Michael, it’s as banal as a TV commercial.
Jewish thought makes much more sense to me:
“We’re not in the business of getting to heaven. We’re in the business of bringing heaven down to earth.”