Earlier this week while I was making a red blood platelet donation I was reading the Red Cross material about how a single blood donation can save many lives. I know- you are probably thinking, "What does this have to do with Christian Education?"- well, bear with me for a moment and I will make my segue.
Since you don't have much to do while donating platelets I got to thinking. And one of the thoughts that crossed my mind was that Jesus Christ with his blood donation saved the entire human race. As my mind wandered I got to thinking about the baptism we had last week during the 11 a.m. worship service and how Christians, at least in Lutheran theology, are baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the past I have had conversation with friends from a variety of denominations, some who disagree with infant baptism. Our baptist friends believe that a person should not be baptised until they are of an age where they can understand and make a conscious decision to be baptised. the argument goes something like this: An infant cannot make a rational decision to come to Christ and be baptised (and saved). You must be old enough to fully understand that you are 'coming to Jesus' and it is through your decision that you are saved. In essence, if you do not understand what you are doing it is not effective and salvific.
My support of the Lutheran positions runs something like this: You are a parent, you have had your child vaccinated against a number of childhood ailments. Does your infant understand how the MMR or DPT vaccine works? Does it protect them from illness nonetheless? The Lutheran position is that when we are baptised we are claimed, called and gifted by the Holy Spirit. This is nothing that we do, but accept this gift- there is no decision. The position that my friends espouse is what is known as 'Decision Theology', and this is one of the problems that many Lutheran ministers have with Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life.
We have been saved by the blood donation in a place called Golgotha almost two millinia ago by a Jewish teacher who healed and preached about the Kingdom of God and what our relationship should be with God (His father) and one another.
Please feel free to post your thoughts to this and other posts on this blog, it is my hope that this electronic kitchen will be the site of conversations for those who can't make it to some other forum.
Peace,
Clyde
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
What is happening this summer with Adult Chris Ed?
Just because it is the summer and classes are not meeting does not mean that Adult Chris Ed is dormant. At the the request of the Southeast PA Synod we will be offering the Book of Faith initiative this Fall. For those who participated last fall at one of our two time slots, please consider returning for more discussion of "How Lutherans read the Bible and what the Bible means to Lutheran theology". This second part will be a point of departure for our second offering, "A History of Christian Theology".
Each week during worship when we recite one of the Creeds we say, "I believe in God the Father almighty"; but, what do we believe? essentially Theology is the study of God and what we believe about God and the nature of God. What I hope to do is, through video, some readings and discussion help people come to clarify what they think about God and their relation to God and some of the things that those beliefs entail. When Jesus issued the 'Great Commission' he was a little thin on the theology. and as those who participated in earlier discussions learned, that is where Saint paul took up the job of developing a theology to explain God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Later Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and even Marting Luther and John Calvin, during the reformation, expanded theological thought. In the modern and post-modern church there has been the development and expansion of Liberation Theology.
What does this all mean? Well, if I knew, then I would be a theologian, but in our own way we are all theologians. So please accept this invitation to join us this fall at LCR Sunday mornings to explore and develop your theology.
Peace,
Clyde Beury
Each week during worship when we recite one of the Creeds we say, "I believe in God the Father almighty"; but, what do we believe? essentially Theology is the study of God and what we believe about God and the nature of God. What I hope to do is, through video, some readings and discussion help people come to clarify what they think about God and their relation to God and some of the things that those beliefs entail. When Jesus issued the 'Great Commission' he was a little thin on the theology. and as those who participated in earlier discussions learned, that is where Saint paul took up the job of developing a theology to explain God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Later Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and even Marting Luther and John Calvin, during the reformation, expanded theological thought. In the modern and post-modern church there has been the development and expansion of Liberation Theology.
What does this all mean? Well, if I knew, then I would be a theologian, but in our own way we are all theologians. So please accept this invitation to join us this fall at LCR Sunday mornings to explore and develop your theology.
Peace,
Clyde Beury
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