What does it actually mean to be a Christian in America? I have traveled across a lot of the country and talked to a lot of church-people about their faith. What I’ve discovered is interesting.
“I’m a Christian who is against social justice,” is what one Christian basically said in a discussion I once heard about Christians’ role in social justice. To be honest, the comment made me sad. It made me sad because I know that there are a number of church-people out there who would agree with this statement even though it is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Christ they seek to follow.
According to Pastor William D. Sanchez of the Faith Family Worship Center Apostolic Church (FFWCAC) in Sanger, more than 650 people were served a free meal, were registered and given free school supplies, and had their name put in a prize drawing for free bicycles, during their second annual Back to School Community Outreach event.
Today I continue a long term series called “Evangelical Culture Myths." I invite you to submit various sorts of cultural myths that we evangelicals tell. I’d love to cover some myths that you are interested in: either theological or practical in nature. Send them to me via email, FB, or Twitter (to tweet ideas, use this #EvangelicalMyths and “@kurtwillems”)!
If you are anywhere near the town of Exeter, be sure and stop in at the Cappella Coffee House. When you walk in you are greeted with the heavenly smell of coffee and a cozy atmosphere—requirements for any great coffee house—and chances are if it’s on the weekend there will be live music as well. And not only do they serve coffee and pastries, but also an all day breakfast and lunch menu.
When Jesus’ disciples, the men who travelled together with him for three years to learn under his tutelage, asked him to teach them how to pray, he gave them a very interesting model prayer. It’s one that has been prayed by many throughout the centuries, though I fear that many pray the words without really grasping what they mean.
Each week we’d hear the same tune through the 80s—-the theme song for the TV show Cheers, set in a Boston neighborhood bar that functioned as a "third place” for its regulars, a home-away-from-home and a place away from work where they could hang out and be accepted. A place where they are known.
Fourteen years ago, Gail Harder’s son announced to his mother that her help was needed for a fund raiser at church for Community Youth Ministries in Reedley. It involved the annual sale of the sweet treats.
Her son came home from church and said, “Mom, they need babysitting.” Gail answered the call and one thing led to another. Before she knew it, she was mentoring a young mother who later grew up to be a CYM volunteer herself.
Recently in Seattle, Washington a city ordinance was passed which bans the use of single use plastic bags. In other words, if you go to the grocery store to purchase food in Seattle (and other cities) you will not be given a plastic bag to carry it out. Plastic bags are banned. I personally think that this is a great law and a wonderful idea. This is something that Christ-followers ought to applaud and take to the next level in their personal choices.
This week we have the privilege of another guest post by local writer and Fresno Pacific Student Kurt Willems. It was originally published on Kurt's blog on October 24, 2011.
