Some Questions on Questioning Darwin

This weekend I watched the new HBO documentary entitled "Questioning Darwin." The hour-long show documents Darwin's life, his theories concerning evolution and natural selection, and interviews Christians of the more fundamentalist variety (including Creationist Museum founder, Ken Ham), who reject evolutionary theory because of their belief that it is incompatible with biblical faith.

Interestingly enough, the film-maker himself agrees. Anthony Thomas is an agnostic who lost his Christian faith because he came to believe that evolution and the existence of God are incompatible. Since Thomas accepts evolution, he cannot accept the existence of God. (I presume his agnosticism represents enough humility on his part that he just might be wrong.)

Scriptures and Prayer for the First Sunday in Lent

Old Testament: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

Epistle: Romans 5:12-19

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
___
God of mercy, your word was the sure defense of Jesus in his time of testing. Minister to us in the wilderness of our temptation, that we who have been set free from sin by Christ may serve you well into life everlasting. Amen.

Don't Forget to Spring Ahead Tonight

Saturday at the Cinema: Reading Genesis with Ancient Eyes

Truth Is Stranger than Fiction: Human Hamsters?

NYC Artists Live on 'Human Hamster Wheel'

NEW YORK March 5, 2014 (AP)
By ULA ILNYTZKY Associated Press

Ever feel like you're on a big hamster wheel and you can't get off?

Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder know that feeling all too well. The two performance artists are spending 10 days living, eating and sleeping on a giant hamster wheel to make a larger point: We all have to work together to get through the daily grind.

"I wasn't prepared for this ... perhaps I should have been," Shelley said from atop the wheel, his feet dangling off the side of the 25-foot-tall wood and metal structure.

Lent: Clearing Away the Clutter

He [the Father] removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. (John 15:2; NRSV)

In John chapter 15, Jesus uses the allegory of the vine and the branches to illustrate the relationship between the disciples and himself. The New Revised Standard Version indicates that each fruit bearing branch (each individual disciple) is "pruned" by the Father so that it might bear more fruit-- works that bear witness to God's Kingdom.

Lent-- Forgiveness Travels Both Ways

...it must surely be admitted that the restoration of relationships requires not only forgiveness on the part of the offended but also the penitent willingness to be forgiven on the part of the offender. Thus R.C. Moberly interpreted the sacrifice of Christ in terms of the offering of perfect penitence by Jesus as the inclusive representative of all humanity.* The notion of inclusive representation responds to the need for a universal objective atonement. Some theologians will find this difficult and unnecessary, but certainly God's forgiveness comes alive for every sinner when he turns to God in penitence. The sign and effect of our willingness to be forgiven by God is our willingness to forgive others: the prayer 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us' implies that the lesson of the parable of the unforgiving servant has been learnt (Matthew 18:21-35). To forgive those who have wounded us is to grow into the moral and spiritual likeness of God. 'Be merciful, even as you Father is merciful' (Luke 6:35-38): that is a translation of 'perfection'.**

These words from Geoffrey Wainwright remind us of the dangers of observing Lent in a rampantly individualistic Western culture. Lenten discipline can all too often degenerate into a self-centered spiritual navel gazing instead of being a further step along the way of discipleship of becoming centrally focused on Jesus Christ and oriented toward others. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible continues to remind us that our biggest problem as human beings is ourselves, our central focus is ourselves, and all too often we attempt healing and reconciliation and restoration through ourselves. Only in a self-centered society can books be written that are labeled "self-help."

Sincerely Wrong Is Still Wrong: Why Doctrine Matters, Part 2 (Doctrinal Indifference?)

A perception persists that "one can believe anything and be United Methodist." ...[S]uch a characterization has deep roots in our history, though it misrepresents a misreading of our tradition. As faithful Anglicans, Wesley and his colleagues presumed and affirmed the basic doctrines, beliefs, practices, and liturgies of the established church. The Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Homilies of the Anglican Church formed the foundation of Methodist beliefs. Wesley held tenaciously to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith and diligently proclaimed and taught them to the Methodists and the masses who heard him preach (Kenneth Carder, Living Our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way, pp. 24-25).

Bishop Carder also notes several other reasons why Methodists have mistakenly embraced doctrinal indifference.

First, is a mischaracterization of what Wesley called the "catholic spirit." For Wesley, the catholic spirit meant that the church, in spite of its disagreements, was one Body of Christ, whether one was Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, et al. While Methodists have rightly encouraged diversity and intellectual exploration, such openness and freedom has "led some to assume that no doctrinal parameters exist" (p. 25). Wesley is often quoted that we Methodists "think and let think," but yet forget to refer to the entire sentence: "As to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think."

Caption Contest... And the Winner Is...

Nancy: "The AFLAC Duck makes a full recovery and is about to need AFLAC coverage once again."