Clifton Stringer writes an excellent article on Christian bishops and in particular United Methodist bishops. At our General Conference held every four years (and which ended yesterday) our bishops are not allowed to vote. It's something to watch while they sit up on the stage in slience during GC. But I have to say, I've never understood that. They are our bishops. We have elected them to bish (See the UM Book of Discipline for what it means to "bish."). Why do they not have a vote? It makes no sense to me.
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On this day in 1818, Karl Marx was born. Some will be eating cake and others will be throwing it.
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Today is also Cinco de Mayo. There is a real reason for the celebration other than a day to get half off appetizers at Mexican restaurants. The details are here.
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Some good words from St. John Chrysostom: "Helping a person in need is good in itself. But the degree of goodness is hugely affected by the attitude with which it is done. If you show resentment because you are helping the person out of a reluctant sense of duty, then the person may receive your help but may feel awkward and embarrassed. This is because he will feel beholden to you. If,on the other hand, you help the person in a spirit of joy, then the help will be received joyfully. The person will feel neither demeaned nor humiliated by your help, but rather will feel glad to have caused you pleasure by receiving your help. And joy is the appropriate attitude with which to help others because acts of generosity are a source of blessing to the giver as well as the receiver."
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What is egalitarianism? What is complementarianism? How do they ultimately function? Rachel Held Evans has a very thoughtful post on this.
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I think Biologos is one of the greatest things since sliced bread. This from their website: "Biologos is a community of evangelical Christians committed to exploring and celebrating the compatibility of evolutionary creation and biblical faith, guided by the truth that 'all things hold together in Christ.'" [Col 1:17]
Indeed, as a Christian I have had my fill of pitting science against faith. We reflect upon the great work of God when reading the Bible and when pondering all of life and its development. Scripture is indeed inspired by God, and the heavens and earth declare the glory of God. As Biologos rightly note,
"In Christian belief, God reveals himself in both the written book of the Bible and the created 'book' of the natural world. Thus, the truths we find in scripture should not conflict with the truths we find in nature. Yet at times the two revelations seem to be saying contradictory things about how God made the world. Since God does not lie, the conflict must occur at the level of human interpretation: either a misunderstanding of what God is revealing in nature, or a misunderstanding of what God is revealing in scripture. Conflicts motivate us to reevaluate both interpretations. Christians may disagree on whether the scientific or the Biblical interpretation needs to change, but we can agree that God speaks to us in both revelations."
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Speaking of Scripture: here are thoughtful words on the Bible and Christian imagination.
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Speaking of science: ten things you probably didn't know about DNA.
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This Week in History: Athanasius, called the "Father of Orthodoxy" died on May 2, 373 AD. He fought against Arius' understanding of the Son as created by the Father and a "god" with a little "g." His arguments which led to the Nicene Creed became the orthodox view.
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Finally, on this Cinco de Mayo here are 25 habanero flavored foods to try. I am particularly fond of #5.
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