Christian Living

I am enjoying a Blog by a Christian writer who is seeking to engage people in conversations on very diverse topics.  He puts his own considered thoughts on dozens of subjects of all kinds (good stuff) and invites you to respond with your thoughts- a conversation.  Visit the site for yourself and see what it offers.

http://kudospress.com/

Here are two excellent and intellectual Christian [those are not oxymoronic categories] resources that analyze and comment on the interface of Christianity and today's American Culture

http://booksandculture.com/

http://wunderkammermag.com/about

"First, love Jesus Christ more than anyone or anything else. Four years of college fly by faster than you might imagine. And there are so many things you could give yourself to — so many things that can fill up your time. That’s why all your decisions need to be made in light of your relationship with Jesus. Is getting straight A’s your greatest goal? Or are friendships your primary concern? What about extra-curricular sports or clubs? Or again, overwhelmed by all the choices, will you attempt to become a “Renaissance person,” dabbling in a little bit of everything, a jack-of-all-trades while a master of none?" 

Read more of this excellent article  /making-most-of-college

“Learning to Live God's Way” is our goal, but what is God's way? My answer to that question changed a few years ago, as I rediscovered the Book of Genesis. I marveled again at God's Creation- both as noun and verb. I was also impressed with the importance of the “Cultural Mandate”, given by God to all human beings. This Mandate has never been negated by God. Far from it- it remains the main purpose for our lives- for all of us. Every person is to be fully engaged in enjoying, developing and maintaining all that God has made. This includes more than simply being caretakers of the environment and earth- far more than Stewardship (Conservation). Developing and maintaining and enjoying the Creation involves, by extension, creatively developing Cities, Culture and Civilization. This is all part of being fully human. That means realizing our potential as “persons” made in the Image of God.  And that is possible "in Christ", by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we live God's way.

Here is another helpful description of our Nation's economic situation with good analysis of why.  Among other topics it mentions deficit spending.  The Bible says to avoid debt, i.e.- we must live within our means.  Do not buy something if you do not have the means to pay for it.  Very basic, very simple. This is a Bible Principle that every Christian should know and practice.  Much of our Nation's (and our personal woes) can be attributed to the failure of Christians to do just that.  Many of us are materialists, living way beyond our means.  My point here is that our Government must operate according to this same God-given Principle.  Short term gains do not justify long term troubles.  And we must not be willing (let alone expect) our Government to pursue such folly!

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10848614/1/obamanomics-failing-to-create-jobs.html#disqus_thread

I get very upset every day by listening to and reading the "News".  The temptation is to ignore it and let it go, without thought or action.  But I am a Christian and I (we) can not do that!  This is my Father' world.  Satan and sin and sinful people are messing it up (and have been since The Fall).  BUT, it is still my (our) Father's world.  He has not given up on it  and we must not either.  Christ came to redeem sinners and to redeem and reclaim control over this world and make it as God created it to be.  (As the Lord taught us to pray: "Thy will be done on earth").

We are called by Him to fight the good fight.  We are not given leave by our Heavenly Commander-in-Chief to be absent from this war!

After catching up on the "News" (usually more of the "same old") I go into my Quiet Time.  Thank God for Scripture and the privilege of prayer.  The War continues -but with peace in my heart, driven by the power of the Holy Spirit and under the guidance of His Word.  The War goes on, but the victory is and shall be His!

Jon A. Shields has written a helpful review of Ziad Munson's "The Making of Pro-Life Activist".  Munson's book has lessons for those of us who pray that many more Christians will become involved in world-wide missions. The review has the spot-on title The Accidental Activists and therein is the major lesson.

"Munson conducted 82 life histories of pro-life activists seeking to learn who becomes a pro-life activist and why? One might suppose that those with strong pro-life sentiments simply join the movement. Yet Munson found that only 13 percent of the activists in his sample were "self starters"—citizens whose strong moral convictions led them to initiate contact with a pro-life organization. In addition, approximately half of the activists in Munson's sample were still ambivalent about abortion or even pro-choice prior to their participation in the pro-life movement. For these activists, pro-life sentiment was a consequence rather than the cause of participation in the right-to-life movement". 

See http://www.booksandculture.com/

Most pro-life activists got to be that way because of their association with others who are pro-life activists and because of something that happened in their life that got them interested.  (e.g.-A man I know became interested in being a fire fighter when he was about 35 when a neighbor's barn burned down.)

Munson concludes "activism emerged not because they consciously sought it out to express their beliefs but as an unintended result of their ordinary lives."

"Social contacts and networks are more important than preconceived attitudes," Munson shows. "Activism is as much about building community as about mobilizing individuals." That is the way the firefighter's life-long activism was sustained.  Could these conclusions be the key to turning ordinary, pew warming Christians into pro-missions activists?

There is an interesting review by Andy Crouch of James D. Hunter's book, "To Change the World". 

http://www.booksandculture.com/

Hunter, he writes,  does not believe we should (or can) change the world. Nor should we be 'redeeming the culture,' 'advancing the kingdom,' 'building the kingdom,' 'transforming the world,' 'reclaiming the culture,' [or] 'reforming the culture.'  According to Hunter, the strategies Christians have pursued are, by themselves, woefully incapable of changing the world.  The premise is that once the hearts and minds of ordinary people are properly revived and informed, the culture will change. "This account," Hunter says flatly, "is almost wholly mistaken."

"It is mistaken", Crouch summarizes, "because of its individualism: it ignores the central role of institutions in transmitting culture. It is mistaken because it is not just institutions that matter, but institutions at the cultural "center" rather than the "periphery".  It is mistaken, perhaps most of all, in its egalitarian assumption that the hearts and minds of ordinary people matter—in fact, cultural change is almost always driven by change among a small élite who occupy powerful positions in those culturally central institutions".

There are books such as "Under the Influence, How Christianity Transformed Civilization" by Alvin Schmidt, which document evidence to the contrary.  There is some truth in what Dr Hunter says and important lessons for Christians activists to learn from that truth. 

I agree that changing culture as such is not a mandate for Christians.  That is not our mission, never has been.  We are called to be faithful as God's Covenant People, living for His glory in all and what ever we do in the culture around us. We are to live according to His Law. When we do this, our lives shall be a witness to the world. 

God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, is acting in the world.  That is what He does. It is not our mandate or mission to build or advance God's work or Kingdom.  He is doing that. By definition, the Kingdom is His, not ours.  But when we are obedient to Him in our lives, He will use us, as His instruments or agents, to achieve His Purposes wherever we are.  That will have an impact on people and institutions and in that way the culture (s) of the world around us will be changed. 

That which God formed and Sin deformed, Christ will reform.