Growing Together Blog

PDF | Print |

Written by Administrator Monday, 16 July 2007 10:17

Our current Sunday morning series focuses on the first letter written by the apostle John, the same man who authored the gospel that bears his name and the closing book of the Bible, Revelation. Written late in the first century, in all likelihood, this letter comes from the heart of an aging man who is concerned about the “health” of the church. For years, John had invested his time and energy to build up the saints in Ephesus and all Asia Minor (present day Turkey). But now, all that he has labored to do is being undermined by some who arrogantly present themselves as members of the spiritually elite and claiming to “know” more than the “ordinary” members of the congregation. Their teachings and attitudes have produced tensions, conflicts, and divisions among the believers.

PDF | Print |

Written by Administrator Saturday, 30 June 2007 17:56

George Shultz was the Secretary of State during the Reagan administration. One of the prominent features in his office was a large globe. Whether it was a newly appointed ambassador preparing to leave or a veteran ambassador debriefing the Secretary when returning from their posts, upon leaving that office Shultz had them perform one final ritual as a “test.” He would say, “You have to go over the globe and prove to me that you can identify your country.” They would go over, spin the globe, and invariably put their finger on the country to which sent.

PDF | Print |

Written by Administrator Monday, 25 June 2007 07:44

Earlier this year, The Washington Post set an unusual “experiment” in motion. Soliciting the talents of Joshua Bell, violinist extraordinaire, they sent the performer to entertain commuters coming and going on the DC Metro. Big deal … Bell entertains crowds all the time. But what made this occasion unique was that Joshua Bell was incognito. There were no announcements…no signs…no sponsors…no fanfare. Dressed in ordinary jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap Bell fit in with the “look” of the dozens of other minstrels who wander about playing unsolicited music for busy commuters. The project was described as “an experiment in context, perception, and priorities – as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste. [The question was…] in a banal setting, at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?”

PDF | Print |

Written by Administrator Friday, 15 June 2007 08:02

Is God great? Christopher Hitchens doesn’t think so. He attacks belief in God in his best-selling book, god is not Great. Early in the book Hitchens’ says, “God did not make us…. We made God.” In contrast to that brash statement, I came across another man who discovered that God was great and offers a moving testimonial. The man’s name is John W. Fountain. He is a professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was formerly a national correspondent for The New York Times. The following is an excerpt from “The God Who Embraced Me” which aired on NPR’s All Things Considered as part of their “This I Believe” series (posted 11-28-2005, www.npr.org).