Japanese Relief Meal Plans

If you are available, please come and help us set up for our Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami meal at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday of this week. We will serve from 5:30 to 7:00.

When Christians Get It Wrong: Session Two (Food for Thought)

Theistic evolution or evolutionary creation is a concept that asserts that classical religious teachings about God are compatible with the modern scientific understanding about biological evolution In short, theistic evolutionists believe that there is a God, that God is the creator f the material universe and (by consequence) all life within, and that biological evolution is simply a natural process within that creation. Evolution, according to this view, is simply a tool that God employed to develop human life

Theistic evolution supporters can be seen as one of the groups who reject the regarding the relationship between God and science – that is, they hold that religious teachings about creation and scientific theories of evolution need not contradict. Proponents of this view are sometimes described as Christian Darwinists

Theistic evolution seems to be the official stance of the United Methodist Church. In 2008, the church's highest legislative body passed a resolution saying that "science's descriptions of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with [the church's] theology." Moreover, the church states that "many apparent scientific references in [the] Bible ... are intended to be metaphorical [and] were included to help understand the religious principles, but not to teach science."

This belief is not, however, shared by all. The opposite end of the religious spectrum can be found in the beliefs of Young Earth Creationism.

The central questions here seems to be

Is there room both theistic evolutionists and Young Earth Creationists in the Christian faith?

Are science and faith compatible?

As for religion and politics, check out the

1908 Methodist Social Creed

The Methodist Episcopal Church stands:

For equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations of life.

For the principles of conciliation and arbitration in industrial dissensions.

For the protection of the worker from dangerous machinery, occupational diseases, injuries and mortality.

For the abolition of child labor.

For such regulation of the conditions of labor for women as shall safeguard the physical and moral health of the community.

For the suppression of the "sweating system."

For the gradual and reasonable reduction of the hours of labor to the lowest practical point, with work for all; and for that degree of leisure for all which is the condition of the highest human life.

For a release for [from] employment one day in seven.

For a living wage in every industry.

For the highest wage that each industry can afford, and for the most equitable division of the products of industry that can ultimately be devised.

For the recognition of the Golden Rule and the mind of Christ as the supreme law of society and the sure remedy for all social ills.

Then read from the latest social creed

We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.

We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.

We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family.

We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress.

We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.

We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.

Do these words make Methodists liberals?

Is there room for progressives in our local church?

Thank you!

21st Time Sunday School Class,

Wow! Your class is amazing, and I'm not sure I can adequately thank you for all that you have done for our family since I had back surgery.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Your really took care of Kurtis and Katy while Kenby and I were in Wichita, but they did share some of the delicious food with us. The casserole, scalloped potatoes, cake, chips, cookies, candy, suckers, and pop tarts were all greatly appreciated. (I've probably left out something--so I should just say thanks for everything!) My mom came out for a few days, and she was amazed at all of the food and generous people. Since she didn't have to cook, she cleaned my house!

Thanks again and God bless you.

Love,

Lana Clawson

When Christians Get It Wrong: Session One

Adam Hamilton's When Christians Get It Wrong (We're using the DVD version.)

Introduction: There is a growing frustration and sometimes open hostility toward Christianity on the part of an increasing number of people today, particularly young adults. In fact, according to the research of the Barna Institute, 40% of young adults have turned away from Christianity and want nothing to do with Christians. In their 2007 book unChristian, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons outlined the Barna Institute's research with hundreds of young adults who were outside the Christian faith. They found that these young adults perceived Christians to be hypocritical among a host of other issues.

Session one serves as a warning that many of us have become the very Pharisees Jesus preached against, condemning first and asking questions later. Viewing the DVD segment brought up a number of questions for discussion.

Jesus warned his followers about four things related to hypocrisy: wrong motives, judging others, majoring in the minors, and being two-faced. How have we both as individuals and a church body been hypocritical? Consider these questions:

1. Do I point out other people's sins without recognizing my own?
2. Have I forgotten Jesus' assurance that our love for one another is how the world will know we are his followers?
3. Have I cleaned the outside of the cup but neglected the inside?
4. Have we as a church presented ourselves as the message rather than presenting Jesus as the message?
5. Are there barriers (walls) that we sometime don't recognize that are keeping people from finding God in our church?

Discussion of the topic of hypocrisy will continue next Sunday!

Upcoming Events

Sunday, April 17 @ 2:00 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt in conjunction with Satanta Chamber of Commerce

Saturday, April 30 @ 9:00 a.m. Provide water, fruit, etc. for runners and walkers participating in Run Down Cancer event

More on the Easter Egg Hunt Preparations

Found this note in a past blog update:

We will break the kids into three groups, 0-3, Pre-K - 2, and 3-6. The kids will hunt eggs at the same time in three separate areas.

Easter Egg Hunt Preparations

Brent reported this morning that the Chamber of Commerce has set April 17 for the Satanta Community Easter Egg Hunt. The event will start at 2:00 p.m. with our class providing the labor.

We'll need to . . .

check on our Easter egg supply.
purchase candy to stuff the eggs with.
talk to Matt about Centera donating three savings-bond grand prizes.
get PLENTY of quarters, etc. to fill eggs.
buy an Easter Bunny suit?
look at last year's notes to see what else we're forgetting.


Additionally, we also discussed providing the DISCO kids with an Easter Obstacle Course or Extreme Easter Egg Hunt perhaps along the lines of the YouTube video posted here.