John Dominic Crossan has a reputation as a liberal theologian for his role in the Jesus Seminar, a group of scholars that has voted on the authenticity of the sayings of Jesus and other portions of the Bible. John Dominic Crossan has a reputation as a liberal theologian for his role in the Jesus Seminar, a group of scholars that has voted on the authenticity of the sayings of Jesus and other portions of the Bible. However, Crossan sometimes sounds like a conservative when talk turns to the apostle Paul. “I do not agree that there’s a discontinuity between Jesus and Paul, that Paul disagreed with Jesus or that Paul started Christianity,” said Crossan, professor emeritus of biblical studies at DePaul University and author of “In Search of Paul: How Jesus’ Apostle Opposed Rome’s Empire with God’s Kingdom.” The impact of the apostle Paul is a hot topic these days. The apostle has been the subject of at least three major new scholarly books in the past year, all of which celebrate him as one of history’s most important figures. Scholars seem to agree – after Jesus, Christianity and the history of western civilization was influenced more definitively by Paul than anyone who followed. Paul set the stage … [Read more...]

It is mid-morning on a typical Sunday – and literally tens of millions of Americans are engaged in a common activity. No, they are not tailgating for their favorite professional football team. And no, they are not slumbering in bed before arising for a late morning brunch. It is mid-morning on a typical Sunday – and literally tens of millions of Americans are engaged in a common activity. No, they are not tailgating for their favorite professional football team. And no, they are not slumbering in bed before arising for a late morning brunch. Instead, they are gathering in small, often non-descript rooms in some 300,000 churches around the nation for a weekly offering of Bible study. They are attending Sunday School. “The rumors of Sunday School’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated,” said David Kinnaman, director of a recent Barna Research Group study of the program. “Every weekend, more than 300,000 churches offer some type of systematic religious instruction in a classroom setting – and those programs are attended by nearly 45 million adults and more than 22 million youth and children.” “In fact, nearly nine out of every 10 pastors said they consider Sunday School to be an important part of their … [Read more...]

In life, there is at least one guarantee persons can count on – at some point, they will lose someone they love. In life, there is at least one guarantee persons can count on – at some point, they will lose someone they love. Coping with the death of a relative or friend is tough – and for people in faith communities, a few challenges are unique. Some people question God, grow angry and lose their sense of spiritual connection. Others may think they have to appear a rock at places like their house of worship, though pain overwhelms them. The journey through grief is different for each person.    However, experts agree there are some lessons that can help. Scream, cry, moan, say nothing – but mourn without apology, they stress. In 1994, Tony Cartledge’s 7-year-old daughter Bethany was killed by a drunken driver. Years later, he said the greatest ache was dealing with her absence. “There was a room full of toys and teddy bears and no little girl in it,” said Cartledge, editor of the North Carolina Biblical Recorder newspaper. “I realized she was gone and wasn’t coming back. “That was the hardest part,” said Cartledge, who wrote “A Whole New World: Life After Bethany” with his wife, Jan. After the … [Read more...]

Doctors’ faith A survey in the latest issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that three-fourths of doctors in the United States believe in God, and more than half are influenced in their medical practices by their religion. The survey of 1,044 doctors found that 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine. “We were surprised to find that physicians were as religious as they apparently are,” said Farr Curlin, a researcher at the University of Chicago. “There’s certainly a deep-seated cultural idea that science and religion are at odds.” Indeed, a previous survey reported that fewer than half of scientists believe in God. However, Curlin suggested that while medicine is science-based, doctors differ from scientists who work primarily in a laboratory setting. Doctors’ direct contact with patients in life-and-death situations may explain the differing views on matters of faith, Curlin maintained. Stem-cell decision Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could not convince legislators to underwrite destructive embryonic stem cell research, so, he found a way to do so … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist International Mission Board trustees updated the board’s strategic goals and objectives recently, taking solid aim at reaching key people groups around the world. Southern Baptist International Mission Board trustees updated the board’s strategic goals and objectives recently, taking solid aim at reaching key people groups around the world. The new strategy plan reflects major commitments the board has made to fulfill its primary ministry assignments. “God’s at work in the world, and this is what it will take to keep up with what he is doing,” mission board President Jerry Rankin said. “These are God-sized goals, and we’re challenging Southern Baptists to be on mission with him.” Key goals discussed and adopted by trustees include: • Engage all unreached people groups (i.e., begin reaching them with the gospel directly or through mission partners) with a population of more than 100,000 by the end of 2008. • Provide access to the gospel among all people groups by the end of 2010. • Increase the number of overseas baptisms – and the number of new believers and church members being discipled – by 20 percent annually. • Increase by 20 percent annually the number of new churches … [Read more...]

Thirty years ago, a group of Samford University students drove 900 miles in two days from Birmingham, Ala., to New York City to renovate an abandoned storefront that would serve as a Southern Baptist community center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Thirty years ago, a group of Samford University students drove 900 miles in two days from Birmingham, Ala., to New York City to renovate an abandoned storefront that would serve as a Southern Baptist community center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. They did not know they were working on the ministry that would revolutionize a neighborhood. “It was something we did when we were foolish college kids and didn’t know what we were biting off, but it’s had such a lasting impact for Christ in this neighborhood,” says Karon Bowdre, one of the 19 students who served at what would become the headquarters of Graffiti Community Ministries. This summer, 12 of the 19 students reunited at Graffiti, the umbrella ministry that also served as the beginning of East 7th Street Baptist Church and has been the subject of countless news stories, a book, and the center of Christian outreach to an inner-city neighborhood. The original student group came to New York in 1975 as part of … [Read more...]

Week of July 25, 2005 Potpourri DEVILLE – Philadelphia church:  Ridgecrest at Philly Sunday School Leadership Conference; Aug. 7, 6 p.m. with ice cream fellowship to follow; 5 p.m. worship service; Cliff Jenkins, guest speaker; for information, call (318) 442-0754; Philip Robertson, pastor. ALEXANDRIA – Horseshoe Drive church: Karen Peck and New River in concert; Aug. 4, 7 p.m.; love offering accepted; Aubrey Whitlock, pastor. ZACHARY – First church: Community Praise Celebration featuring Danny Wolfe, vocalist/trumpeter; Aug. 7, 6 p.m.; Billy Causey, minister of worship; Reggie Ogea, interim pastor. DEQUINCY – First church: Leslie Abdalla, missionary to Africa, guest speaker; July 31, 11 a.m.; men’s bakeoff at 5:30 p.m. followed by singing and dessert fellowship; for information, call (337) 786-7072. DEQUINCY – First church: Sandi Lewis in concert; Aug. 7, 6:30 p.m.; love offering accepted. Youth LAFAYETTE – First church: “God’s Creation Praise” summer music activity for kids program; Aug. 8-11, 9 a.m. - noon; for children having completed grades 1-6; $20 per child/includes t-shirt and materials; for information, call the music department at (337) 233-1774 ext. 3258; Perry Sanders, senior pastor; Steve … [Read more...]

Evangelistically, the Southern Baptist Convention is “on the path of slow but discernable deterioration,” a leading church growth expert said recently. Evangelistically, the Southern Baptist Convention is “on the path of slow but discernable deterioration,” a leading church growth expert said recently. However, he has a “modest proposal” designed to change that. The conservative resurgence has not yet reversed an “evangelistic crisis” in the Southern Baptist Convention, said Thom Rainer, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. (See Page One article) In articles related to a recent study, Rainer offers six possible hypotheses for the current condition of evangelism in the convention and five suggestions that may result in positive change. Rainer’s six possible hypotheses to explain the state of Southern Baptist Convention soul-winning are: • The evangelistic fields in the United States are much less receptive than they were in past years. Although the hypothesis seems plausible on the surface, Rainer argued that most non-Christian Americans remain receptive to the gospel. He cited research that finds that only 8 million of … [Read more...]

A word about faith from outside our religious bailiwick can be sobering. Take, for instance, these statements from Bob Jeffrey, chair and CEO of Worldwide JWT. These challenging statements are from an address the advertising guru gave in China. He was speaking about the influence of China and India – countries with the world’s two most massive populations – on the West, including the United States: A word about faith from outside our religious bailiwick can be sobering. Take, for instance, these statements from Bob Jeffrey, chair and CEO of Worldwide JWT. These challenging statements are from an address the advertising guru gave in China. He was speaking about the influence of China and India – countries with the world’s two most massive populations – on the West, including the United States: “It may sound strange to Chinese ears, but in the West, the spiritual traditions of the East have an increasingly large following,” Jeffrey noted. “Many of the people who rate themselves as spiritual rather than religious feel closer to Buddhism than to Christianity, Islam or Judaism. “Those three monotheistic religions that have shaped the history of the Middle East and the West now score pretty low on cool factor. In … [Read more...]

Jewish parody rap star 50 Shekel once was billed as “The World’s Most Kosher MC.” Now, he has shocked the Jewish world with two announcements on his Web site – he has accepted Jesus as his Messiah and wishes to be called by his birth name, Aviad Cohen. Jewish parody rap star 50 Shekel once was billed as “The World’s Most Kosher MC.” Now, he has shocked the Jewish world with two announcements on his Web site – he has accepted Jesus as his Messiah and wishes to be called by his birth name, Aviad Cohen. Cohen, 30, gained popularity with his hit “In da Shul,” a spoof on the gangster rap single “In da Club.” Cohen did gigs around New York in 2003. At the time, he said he wanted to rap about Judaism. Raised an observant Jew in Israel and Brooklyn, Cohen told Beliefnet in 2003 that he was in the process of becoming closer to the Torah and orthodoxy. “Judaism is what made me – all the values and ethics that the Torah teaches,” he said. But he said in early June that he has now chosen to lead a Messianic Jewish lifestyle. And on July 6, Cohen announced he has given up the name 50 Shekel and will now go solely by his given name. Like Christians, Messianic Jews believe that Jesus was the expected Messiah. Though … [Read more...]