On Building the Altar

One segment I'd like to add to this blog is a series of responses to sermons I've heard, mostly on Sunday mornings at MERCYhouse. I'm not entirely sure if I can make this a weekly thing, especially given that I'm two weeks behind as I write this, but at the very least, I'll throw some thoughts up here when I'm especially moved by a sermon.

The one I'm writing about here is Pastor Robert's sermon from September 22nd, which you can listen to here. I highly recommend doing so before you read any further.

I'll wait.

On the Beginning

As a teenager, one of my biggest objections to Christianity was Christians' insistence on believing their seven-day creation story, based on Genesis 1, instead of the theory of evolution that science has so obviously shown to be true. As a college student grappling with the truths of Christianity, I struggled off and on to reconcile my faith in God with my understanding of the scientific method. In my mind, believing the Bible is not as simple as saying “God said it, therefore it must be true.” Don't get me wrong, Scripture is true, but to fully understand that truth we need to put it in context.

In the case of Genesis 1, my solution has too often been to say “it's symbolic” and leave it at that.

On Controversial Texts, Part 1: Ephesians 5:22

Let's put this out there right away: The Bible is almost indisputably the most-read and most influential book in the history of the world, but it's also very likely the most controversial. Arguably no text elicits stronger emotions, both positive and negative, than Scripture.