CC's Are Up
Yet again, I am a week behind on posting Christian Carnivals. This week we have 136 and 137.
CXXXVI is at Jeremy Pierce's excellent site, Parableman. You know, I've long thought that U2 front man Bono has his head on straight in terms of faith, even if his association with the entertainment crowd (or his faith, for that matter) have led him to some freaky liberal political positions I don't agree with. Parableman links to a very good post at Codex. I remember that his number 4 selection was what first gave me a clue to the band's Christian moorings: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For:
It captured where I was in my much-wandering faith walk back in 1987 and started me listenting to the band. (Incidentally, I've very much found what I was looking for; keeping sight of it is just sometimes a problem...)
One omission though: I would have included Vertigo from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, one of my favorite recent songs. "Your love is teaching me how .... How to kneel."
CXXXVII is at John Howell's great site, Brain Cramps for God, which I have also linked to frequently. Lots of good posts here. One of the better posts I've read on "creation science" and a Christian reconciliation with the concept of evolution, which nature deomonstrates in all its aspects. The author, like me, believes that science and Christianity are reconcilable and that God gave us minds and senses for a reason. We just see now through a glass darkly.
This summarizes his position (and mine), but read his enitre argument against some of the more science-hostile (and science-illiterate) "creation science" advocates.
Another post from 137 (at Fiedes et Veritas) made my jaw drop:
Is this really still a problem in 21st century American churches? Sick and sad, is all I can say. I do agree with Jeremy Pierce in his comment to the post, however:
I hope he's right.
Monk
Update 6 Sep 06: A new commenter, Karl at Nonoya, (like that blog name -- pretty good blog, too), sends the following:
Yep, there's a few of us here. Know your hometown well by site -- we go through it frequently since we like to take 14 to and from Auburn to Prattville and vice versa. Nice town, even if I've only stopped there to eat, to be perfectly frank. AL actually a lot of really nice little towns: Prattville, Tallasee, Alex City, Brewton, that have a lot more Ye Olde American Small Town feel than anything I was used to up in Ynakee lands. The Tuscaloosa area is also very nice, though I don't know it as well. One of my duaghters who swam in competitions at Auburn and Bama, both, so I'm getting to know the college towns a lot better.
Cheers,
Monk
CXXXVI is at Jeremy Pierce's excellent site, Parableman. You know, I've long thought that U2 front man Bono has his head on straight in terms of faith, even if his association with the entertainment crowd (or his faith, for that matter) have led him to some freaky liberal political positions I don't agree with. Parableman links to a very good post at Codex. I remember that his number 4 selection was what first gave me a clue to the band's Christian moorings: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For:
This song is at once both a clear affirmation of the band’s faith (at least three of them at that time) as well as an expression of striving for a theological home: “You broke the bonds and you / Loosed the chains / Carried the cross / And my shame / All my shame / You know I believe it / But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
It captured where I was in my much-wandering faith walk back in 1987 and started me listenting to the band. (Incidentally, I've very much found what I was looking for; keeping sight of it is just sometimes a problem...)
One omission though: I would have included Vertigo from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, one of my favorite recent songs. "Your love is teaching me how .... How to kneel."
CXXXVII is at John Howell's great site, Brain Cramps for God, which I have also linked to frequently. Lots of good posts here. One of the better posts I've read on "creation science" and a Christian reconciliation with the concept of evolution, which nature deomonstrates in all its aspects. The author, like me, believes that science and Christianity are reconcilable and that God gave us minds and senses for a reason. We just see now through a glass darkly.
In summary: Christians can and should embrace science, they are not opposing belief structures. Believe the Bible, yes, but don’t reject science out of hand. God has given us glimpses into how the universe was made and what goes on there, embrace those things as gracious gifts from God. Again, I also want to point out that salvation is not dependant on your take on this issue. I just want you to move beyond a rigid understanding of what you think the Bible says, it probably was not intended that way. Exegesis is a good thing.
This summarizes his position (and mine), but read his enitre argument against some of the more science-hostile (and science-illiterate) "creation science" advocates.
Another post from 137 (at Fiedes et Veritas) made my jaw drop:
The Rev. John Stevens says Fellowship Baptist Church in Saltillo voted not to approve blacks as members during a scheduled Sunday night business meeting Aug. 6. Because of the decision, Stevens stepped down from the Baptist Missionary Alliance congregation that has an average Sunday morning attendance of 30 people.
According to Stevens, the church made race an issue after a biracial 12-year-old boy, Joe, began attending Fellowship Baptist with his temporary guardians.
The church was “afraid Joe might come with his people and have blacks in the church,” Stevens said. “I could not go along with that. There would always be a wall between us, so I resigned that night.”
Is this really still a problem in 21st century American churches? Sick and sad, is all I can say. I do agree with Jeremy Pierce in his comment to the post, however:
certainly agree with your criticism of this church, but it strikes me as strange to see it as a sign of how low the church has sunk. Given that this was extremely commonplace 100 years ago and is extremely rare now, I’d say that things have greatly improved. These outliers remind us that we haven’t completely recovered, but the fact that this is so uncommon should say something about how much better things are.
I hope he's right.
Monk
Update 6 Sep 06: A new commenter, Karl at Nonoya, (like that blog name -- pretty good blog, too), sends the following:
found your blog on the Christian Carnival, and I just wanted to say that it's good to see a fellow Alabamian up there. I grew up in Tallassee, and live in Northport now. Check out my blog when you get a chance.
Yep, there's a few of us here. Know your hometown well by site -- we go through it frequently since we like to take 14 to and from Auburn to Prattville and vice versa. Nice town, even if I've only stopped there to eat, to be perfectly frank. AL actually a lot of really nice little towns: Prattville, Tallasee, Alex City, Brewton, that have a lot more Ye Olde American Small Town feel than anything I was used to up in Ynakee lands. The Tuscaloosa area is also very nice, though I don't know it as well. One of my duaghters who swam in competitions at Auburn and Bama, both, so I'm getting to know the college towns a lot better.
Cheers,
Monk
posted by Monk | 05:05
