Scripture: Judges 10:10 So the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have worshiped the Baals.”
Thought for the Day: These are the recent comments of an unnamed clergy person: “The only thing that is going to save Western civilization is a more aggressive, a more violent Christianity.” There are numerous interpretations of the Christian faith that fall within the broad spectrum of respectable thought, and then there are those who are so clearly pushing an agenda that has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Some folks will quote a few select verses of scripture and call it Christianity, but the idea that Christianity is to be aggressive or violent is to utterly ignore the ministry, teaching and last week of Jesus’ life. Humility, compassion, sacrificial love and the nonviolent path were his way. But even within the Old Testament that has many moments of violence and destruction, we look at the Book of Judges and find an interesting cycle that occurs over and over again: sin, suffering, repentance and redemption. The problem is that often amidst the redemption part of the cycle there was excessive violence done by the people of God. Was this cycle and the violence simply the reality of life, or was the book of Judges attempting to show how violence was and is never the answer for true transformation? Violence will always come back in a destructive way until an alternative is found. Finally, saving Western civilization is not the task of Christianity, but especially not through violent means. Healing and redeeming is the work of Christ through the church, and though we always pray that it will have a healthy impact upon Western civilization, the Christ vision is something so much greater.
Prayer: For all your good work in and through Jesus, I share my gratitude with you, O God of Compassion. Continue to make my task clear – to bring a message of grace to people, systems and principalities that do not seek a vision of love and mercy. Amen.
AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR OUR CHURCH AND OUR COMMUNITY
Ecclesiological Etchings: 06-02-17
Ecclesiological Etchings
Scripture: Judges 10:10
So the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have worshiped the Baals.”
Thought for the Day: These are the recent comments of an unnamed clergy person: “The only thing that is going to save Western civilization is a more aggressive, a more violent Christianity.” There are numerous interpretations of the Christian faith that fall within the broad spectrum of respectable thought, and then there are those who are so clearly pushing an agenda that has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Some folks will quote a few select verses of scripture and call it Christianity, but the idea that Christianity is to be aggressive or violent is to utterly ignore the ministry, teaching and last week of Jesus’ life. Humility, compassion, sacrificial love and the nonviolent path were his way. But even within the Old Testament that has many moments of violence and destruction, we look at the Book of Judges and find an interesting cycle that occurs over and over again: sin, suffering, repentance and redemption. The problem is that often amidst the redemption part of the cycle there was excessive violence done by the people of God. Was this cycle and the violence simply the reality of life, or was the book of Judges attempting to show how violence was and is never the answer for true transformation? Violence will always come back in a destructive way until an alternative is found. Finally, saving Western civilization is not the task of Christianity, but especially not through violent means. Healing and redeeming is the work of Christ through the church, and though we always pray that it will have a healthy impact upon Western civilization, the Christ vision is something so much greater.
Prayer: For all your good work in and through Jesus, I share my gratitude with you, O God of Compassion. Continue to make my task clear – to bring a message of grace to people, systems and principalities that do not seek a vision of love and mercy. Amen.
AN IMPORTANT EVENT
FOR OUR CHURCH
AND OUR COMMUNITY
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Rev. Bruce Frogge
Sr. Minister
Cypress Creek Christian Church
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