Book Review: Why Christian?

Douglas Hall is Professor Emeritus of Theology at McGill University in Montreal and the author of the trilogy Christian Theology in a North American Context. In Why Christian? he has taken a conversational approach to describing why Christianity offers a viable worldview in the context of a modern pluralist postmodern society.

Each chapter of the book consists of a summary of a “conversation” with an inquiring student who starts off by saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t see why anybody today would be a Christian.” Precisely. This is a question that many are asking. This summary is then followed by an essay that seeks to provide a thoughtful response to the issues raised in the conversation. Despite Hall’s academic qualifications, he has managed to write a genuinely respectful, open, intelligent and simple (not simplistic) book about some of the most significant issues facing Christians in demonstrating the relevance of this worldview. Some of the issues addressed are:

• why a person believes in a particular religion in the first place – isn’t it just an accident of birth?
• the particularity of Jesus the Christ – what does it mean when it is claimed that all “salvation” comes through Jesus?
• the nature of salvation – what does it mean to be saved? and saved from what? for what?
• spirituality – what does spirituality mean in a highly secularised and pluralised society? And what are Christians talking about when they refer to the Holy Spirit?
• what difference does believing in Jesus the Christ make to everyday living? How do the core values of Christianity - faith, hope, and love – work themselves out and provide meaning in a world that has seemingly deteriorated and where people are searching for meaning?
• what about the fact that there are many different religions? what does it mean to be a “church” and/or “denomination” in a pluralistic society? how does Christianity conceive of itself in relation to the “others”?
• What does Christianity have to say about “hope” and what is its view of “the end”?

Hall’s book is a delight to read – it is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the vocally powerful fundamentalist Christians who arrogantly assert their rightness, exclusiveness, and narrow-mindedness. Douglas Hall actually engages conversationally with his readers in an approach that is appropriate for the world in which we live. One gets a sense of Hall’s willingness to listen, humility in presenting his views, and a genuine engagement with what people are really asking about when it comes to Christianity. He presents a statement of Christianity which is attractive, authentic, and respectful of others.

So who would benefit from reading this book? Anyone who is:

• a Christian who is having doubts about the relevance of Christianity in the modern world
• a Christian who can no longer live with narrow-minded, arcane, arrogant, and rigid forms of Christianity
• a Christian who experiences doubts and wants to be reassured that doubting is actually an essential part of growth and development
• an atheist who wishes to read a statement of a form of Christianity that is more balanced, open, positive, constructive, and respectful than the one that comes from the fundamentalists
• anyone considering Christianity as a worldview but has their doubts about what they are getting themselves in for
• a Christian who wants an intelligent faith that is well-informed, real, and takes account of the fact that we are living in a very different world

There’s just one thing I would have liked to see in the book. Hall never discusses the historical nature of Christianity and the nature of the evidence that is used to support it – much of which is questioned nowadays by non-theist scholars and writers. The only reason given by the author for omitting so many important issues is that space is limited. I think I will chase up his other writings which, he states in this book, fill in the gaps he has left.

As you can probably tell, I highly recommend this book – for anyone interested in Christianity from whatever perspective they come.

Technorati Tags: Christianity,faith,doubts

Human Rights Issues in the Middle East

For readers interested in the Palestinian perspective regarding conflicts in the Middle East, I recommend Mazin Qumsiyeh’s Popular Resistance.

http://popular-resistance.blogspot.com/

The Unfinished Tower and Unprepared Army

by Sakae Kubo

This is a book first posted on Grace Connection, the Magazine. There is no printed edition. All 30 chapters will appear on the Wheel in the following weeks.

Chapter 7

Luke 14:25-30; 31-33

At this period in Jesus' ministry, he was very popular. Large crowds followed him everywhere. But Jesus was not an ordinary leader or slick politician whose ego swelled with the size of the crowds. He did not mind having many followers as long as they understood the meaning of discipleship. He would not deceive them by failing to mention the sacrifices they would have to make, the suffering they would have to endure, and the shame they would have to face. Consequently, he confronted them with the cost of discipleship.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

The Lion Whisperer

Amazing video of a man who belongs to a pride of lions.

http://www.flixxy.com/lion-whisperer-kevin-richardson.htm

My Mother, the Doctor

This story is an introduction to the life and times of my uncle, Emanuel J. Sorenson, a missionary in pre and post-WWII Ethiopia and Jamaica. Once a week my cousin, Jane Spear, will provide a glimpse of what missionary life was like for his family.

“Shirley and Jane are very puny.” My parents often heard this remark when we arrived in America. I was too young to remember the scrutiny given to us by our hundreds of relatives. By this time, Shirley’s head was covered with soft blond hair, after being shaved by my mother. During the time we were traveling, if any comment were made about her hair, she would respond with a beautific smile.

We did enjoy fresh milk, but viewed ice cream with suspicion. Grandma Hanson was constantly presenting us with wonderful sugar cookies. She loved us, even if we were puny.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

After the Apocalypse

Twenty-five years after the meltdown at Chernobyl, an irradiated Eden is coming to life according to Henry Shukman.

http://theweek.com/article/index/213498/after-the-apocalypse

Kathryn Schultz: On Being Wrong

Many Christians refuse to entertain the possibility they could be wrong about what they believe. But, according to Kathryn Schultz, being wrong is one of the things that makes us human. While Kathryn is not discussing being wrong in a religious context, it is very easy to see the relevance of this for our theological beliefs.

Technorati Tags: Kathryn Schultz,Wrong,human,beliefs

Where, Oh Where Has My Brother Gone?

My uncle, Emanuel J. Sorenson, was a missionary in Ethiopia and Jamaica before and after World War II. Once a week there will be story that provides a glimpse of what missionary life was like for his family, as related by his daughter and my cousin, Jane Spear.

Packages from America were rare and wonderful! The latest package had coveralls for my sister Shirley and me. They were similar to overalls except for the attached blouse and wonderful pockets.

I was in the kitchen where Gumtesa was preparing lunch. He and Areti, the houseboy, were admiring my new coveralls. Mother appeared from the house and told me that something important had happened. She said, “Come and see your new brother.”

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus said, “If anyone hurts one of these little ones, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

http://www.wimp.com/adorablechildren/

ARITITA

by Roger Lutz

Rabi…a remote Island in the North of the Fiji Group.

It was in 2009 and she was about 5 when I first saw her! She was---and still is truly a beauty, yet the concern was for the twist in her spine.

Aritita took it all in stride, no complaints, no frowns. I watched in amazement has she demonstrated how she could run faster than the wind. She was and still is in the care of her grandmother, a good caring woman, with kind eyes and safe secure motherly presentation. As I watched the interaction between the two, I could not help but envy the relationship, and wish this environment were a reality for those kids that have all the goodies in the world, yet they do not have a mentor like this kind woman!

My concern peaked, and I sent a silent plea to Jesus to make it possible to obtain a management survey of Aritita’s situation. As my overwhelmed emotions calmed down, I claimed the following promises for help and healing. (Ps 107:20; Ps 103:3; Ps 43:3; Ps 30:2; Jer 30:17)

Now for the action part. Arrangements were made for transport from the remote island to a medical facility to get x-rays and a physical exam. A referral from a visiting doctor arrived mentioning the possibility of medical help. In a few months a visiting medical team would be in the area. Immediately arrangements were made, dates set, sponsors located, and travel plans acted on. The outcome was not pretty! The exam indicated that pulmonary functions would be compromised as Aritita grew! We were told to come back the following year.

Other presentations have been made on behalf of Aritita to various medical facilities and doctors to no avail. Yet I know that there is nothing too hard for our God. (Gen 18:14, Luke 1:37; Jer 32:17) As I pray for her, I keep in mind the Promise of Matt 18:19.

Most of the Medical facilities do not want to take on her case. They fear a less than successful outcome. I have no answers, only compassion for a beautiful little girl. I have learned that we are all beautiful in the site of Jesus, and I know that God has a plan for her. (Ps 147:3)

As I look into the projected future for this beautiful young lady, I’m reminded that Elisha wept as he looked into the Israel’s future. (2 Kings 8:11-12).

That curve in Aritita’s spine will cause lots of pain over the next few years. That never-ending pain will increase with astonishing speed as she matures. The alternative is a surgery that requires months of rehabilitation in which rods and screws are used to line her spine from top to bottom. This is currently a tenuous hope, but a successful surgical outcome would allow her to live pain free. At present, there is not much to sustain her spirit or mine. Yet in my grief, I know there is a God that has it all under control.

PS—I just saw Aritita a few weeks ago. She is still smiling, and I just submitted her medical information to another doc! Pray for her and the medical team that can make a difference.

The Empty House

by Sakae Kubo

This is a book first posted on Grace Connection, the Magazine. There is no printed edition. All 30 chapters will appear on the Wheel in the following weeks.

Chapter 6

Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26

This parable is found in two different Gospels: Matthew and Luke. In Matthew the parable is placed in a context of the impenitence of Israel. The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, but a greater than Jonah is here and yet Israel does not repent. The Queen of the South came all the way from Ethiopia to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and yet one greater than Solomon is here and Israel does not listen to his wisdom. In this context, the parable is a warning to Israel that unless it accepts the message of Jesus, its condition will become far worse than it is at present. Either human beings place their efforts on the side of Christ or seven other spirits more evil than the original one will occupy us. In Luke the parable is placed after the assertion that he who is not with Christ is against him. It emphasizes the impossibility of neutrality.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

AN AMAZING FAMILY ON A MEDICAL MISSION IN VIETNAM 2011

TOOO.... MUCH OF A GOOD THING!

by Roger Lutz, Jr.

The day started at "O dark thirty". We needed to be dressed fed and out the door with Bac Kan a memory in the rear view mirror. Winter in North Vietnam is cooler and here on the western side of Hanoi it is cloudy and gray. The good part is that it is not nearly as cold as Korea. The heater in the bus overcame the goose bumps and the ride over a very narrow windy road to ThanH Mia began to unfold in a myriad of exotic visual presentations that included woman farmers with two foot-long belted knives on their backs, men driving a single horse cart while standing up on the bed nonchalantly doing an impossible balancing act.

I noticed baby water buffaloes playing with the kids while the parents of both the water buffalo and the kids were hard at work in the rice paddies. Along side the tranquil farm life were the symptoms of hustle and bustle as the pickup-type two-wheeled motor scooters wheeled past us like oversized mosquitoes. In amazement I watched as two guys with a 20 ft ladder and a can of paint went whizzing by on a Honda 50 just barely missing us and an oncoming two-wheeled suburban type scooter bus with a mom wearing a helmet, high heels and all the fashionable stuff in-between. Three kids were seated behind her.

As the farm houses zoomed by the bus window I noticed architecture that is attractive and functional. The houses are built on posts for foundational support. The space below the floor housed all manner of farming equipment and household necessities. Chickens, pigs, dogs, kids, and even baby water buffaloes viewed this area as their own private play pen.

Almost too soon we arrived at the school at Thanh Mia. As the bus groaned up the final hill, 500 kids waved wildly and greeted us with smiles of excitement. We had been told by government leadership to expect around 200 kids on the dental side and perhaps 200 to 300 adults for primary medical care. As the day unfolded we found that this stated projection was hugely understated.

Our team immediately mobilized. Generators were placed, power run, dental chairs set, equipment serviced and put into operation. Exam tables and chairs were up and waiting for patients. The admin stuff was arranged and prepared for action. In less than thirty minute after our arrival, the school was transformed into a primary medical care and dental facility.

People of every variety—young ,old, men, women, boys, girls, kindergarteners, teens, young adults, the middle aged, mature adults and the very elderly, each with his or her own special problems had arrived with hope and expectations.

We had been awarded our very own political escorts. They were stern-faced straight-laced strict Communist Party members. Each of them kept a close watch on our activities. I wondered if perhaps they were searching for any adverse effects from our treatments. Any such negative outcome from treatments dispensed would be evidence that what we did was a free world plot against the people. Interestingly, by the end of the day, these stern-faced political cops had slipped up and smiled more than a couple of times.

As our free world plot unfolded, patients arrived than had been anticipated by the political leadership. Apparently, those who had been helped spread the good news and people from the extended area dropped the details of daily life to peruse a lost hope. Our political escorts had not anticipated this turn of events! Obviously, too much of a good thing generates hope that overshadows any restrictions imposed by politicos. In the end, our escorts turned people away to establish some sort of political authority.

That day, our team did more than 600 dental procedures—filling, composites, extractions, oral health and education. The primary care group treated, and recommended hundreds perhaps thousands of life-saving, health promoting, body easing recommendations that will, if followed, make a better life for people that had never seen white-skinned individuals. The local people would rub my skin to see if the white would rub off. It didn't.

During the last trip our team treated 1100 kids that involved 3000 procedures—extractions, fillings, that sort of stuff. We each have a part of the action. Paul does triage as the kids come in, I do the setups—power, generators, equipment operation, as well as the patient counts, and whatever else as needed. Joe checks on the facility and makes sure we are supported and gets whatever we need. Thaum, is the coordinator and spokesman, and the guy who looks after the problems. Catherine and Bicky Lee are the dentists. A major responsibility we all accept is to keep our “dentist” treasures safe and make sure that all is lined up for them in an orderly fashion.

We had scheduled five days in this area. Political concerns limited us to two days. Today we move to an area closer to Hanoi—to an area that has hosted us in the past and desperately wants us back to dispense more hope.

Enough for now....it is "O dark thirty" and time to face another day. I realize that some may view this work as hardship. But for me, I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not in an exhilarating dream.

I PRAY BECAUSE

I pray because

IN THE VALLEY

of despair

I need to reflect honestly

on the way I live my life

Because

IN THE SHADOW

of death

I need to express my hopes and dreams

my fears and misgivings

Because

IN THE GREEN PASTURES

of God’s territory

I can spend a moment

beside still waters

I pray because

It restores my soul

It’s an affirmation of my belief that

God can be trusted

I pray today

especially today

for a grace connection

ah

The Emperor and the Popcorn

This address will take you to an introduction to the life and times of my uncle, Emanuel J. Sorenson, a missionary in Ethiopia and Jamaica. Once a week, for the next 20 weeks, there will be story that provides a glimpse of what missionary life was like for his family, as related by my cousin, Jane Spear.

“HA HU HI HA HAY HER HO, ME MU MI MA MAY MER MO,” came the droning from the schoolroom. There are 251 letters in the Amharic alphabet, which really represent syllables formed by a consonant followed by different endings. The best way to learn was to join in the chant.

When Mother and Daddy had first arrived in Abyssinia, their language study occupied every spare minute. They both learned to speak in Amharic, the principal native language of Ethiopia.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

The Children in the Marketplace

by Sakae Kubo

This is a book first posted on Grace Connection, the Magazine. There is no printed edition. All 30 chapters will appear on the Wheel in the following weeks.

Chapter 5

Matthew 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35

The Parable of the Children in the Marketplace

The occasion of this parable was the coming of messengers to Jesus from John the Baptist while he was a prisoner. John wanted confirmation that he was the Messiah. Jesus dispels his doubts, reconfirms his faith, and then goes on to extol John the Baptist as one who prepared the way of the Messiah.

Because the Jewish leaders did not acknowledge the prophetic message of either John or Jesus, he compares them to children in the marketplace calling to one another. "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn." These children wanted everyone to dance to their tunes, but John the Baptist and Jesus refused. The Pharisees played the flute but John didn't dance. They wailed but Jesus didn't mourn. Therefore, both were criticized. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

AN AMAZING FAMILY ON A MEDICAL MISSION IN VIETNAM: 2010

Introduction by Larry Downing, Story by Roger Lutz, Jr.

My cousin, Roger Lutz, Jr., has seen the effects of war like few others. And he is alive! He was drafted when he was 19 years old. His first post was to Fort Polk, LA for the induction Ceremony. At the newly appointed rank of E-1, he made the decision to become a conscientious objector and was sent directly to Fort Sam Houston for basic training and advanced individual training as a front line combat medic. At the end of his training he was promoted to Private E-2.

Roger was originally assigned to be with the Big Red 1 in Vietnam, however when he arrived in Vietnam in early December of 1967 he was reassigned to the First Air Calvary. As a teenager Roger became a member of that infamous Calvary battalion called the Second of the Seventh. This was Custer's outfit at his Last Stand. For Roger, a new recruit, the action became very specific and very personal. At Phan Thiet, South Vietnam, Company D of the 2/7 was decimated in heavy action. Roger was a replacement medic in the unit. He replaced a medic that was KIA (Killed in Action). “Several that came to replace me were KIA”--and, says Roger, he continued in his medic role under the sponsorship of the good Lord. He saw action throughout his time in Vietnam: in Phan Thiet, Hydrang Valley Hue-tet 68, Khe Sanh, Ashaw valley and the Iron Triangle.

Roger returned to the United States in the Spring of 1969 at the emotional age, he says, of 60 plus, "…having seen more death and dying than I would wish on anyone. I was 21 years old and a Specialist E-5."

In 1991 Roger returned to active duty and served in Desert Storm as a member of the US Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation group. "It was," he affirms, "good to again be under the Lord's sponsorship." Roger retired from the Air Force in 2000 as a Chief E-9.

Four years ago my wife and I went to Vietnam with the Project Vietnam Medical Mission sponsored by the Orange County California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. My wife, a pediatrician, returned each year for the next three years. In conversations with my Cousin Roger, I described the work that Project Vietnam does among the remote villages. The reports caught Roger's interest. He had participated in numerous mission trips in both the South Seas and South America but had not considered returning to Vietnam.

As his interest in returning to Vietnam deepened, I put him in contact with the Project Vietnam director. The result of their conversations was that Roger joint the mission to Vietnam in March of 2010 and again in March of 2011. What follows is the story of his first trip. Next week, the story of his second.

A SOLDIER'S RETURN

by

Roger Lutz, Jr.

We were hard at it. Our team was doing medical and dental support in Phu Da North Vietnam. The place is about an hour and a half from Hanoi by bus. The Primary Med team was busy seeing the lame, blind, those with leftover deformations, the results of polio. These patients were part of the older generation of men and women that had a lifetime of pain and hardship written on their faces. The dental team was pushing hard to get as many kids as possible examined along with fillings and extractions as needed.

One man stood out in the crowd of those seeking medical help. He was a white-haired 60 plus distinguished looking Vietnamese man standing in back of the crowd, yet near enough so that he could converse across the crowd barrier. Thuam, my counterpart and lead coordinator with the local Vietnamese, carried on an animated, emotional, and intense conversation with him in Vietnamese. They talked far faster than I, with my limited Vietnamese language-skills, could follow. For some unknown reason my attention was focused intently on Thaum, and at this moment in time, this evolving situation had my total interest. For me this is a bit unusual. My focus is usually on the kids, checking them for dental problems, skin rashes, wondering eyes, or some sort of physical deformation or hardship. But this was different!

The white-haired man blurted out some words I did understand. He was a North Vietnamese army veteran, and he wanted some medicine to help with his aches and pains. He said that during the war he had been in one of the elite fighting battalions stationed in South Vietnam, and due to the physical stress of the war, he had carry over pain and other problems.

Thuam waved him forward and lifted up the man's shirt to check for scarring and arsenal wounds. Seeing none, Thuam informed me that the guy's spine had been abused in some fashion, and that during the cooler, wet winter days in Northern Vietnam his back and joints caused him severe discomfort.

Thaum had fought with the ARVIN forces in the Vietnam conflict. Perhaps our shared experience explains why we get on so well together. Although we did not serve together in the same unit, there is a bond that runs deeper than life among those that have served in those shoot-em-up situations that have had as a resolution either death or a deep change within the very depth of the soul. When we first met, I felt the bond, and now the bond is so enduring, and my admiration for him so heartfelt, that I consider his family and mine one family.

In 1975 when America withdrew from Vietnam, Thaum was left holding the bag, so to speak. As an enemy refuge he escaped from the south coast of Vietnam as a boat person. He experienced all the horrific things that others have reported who went that route. Thaum minimizes the experience and chooses to put all those memories into to a “6x6x6 pit” and tried to forget them.

Thaum made it to the USA; was sponsored by a family on the east coast where he was re-united with his brothers. He worked hard, went to school and ended up an aerospace engineer. He assisted each of His bothers, Joe and Paul, to become aerospace engineers as well! Thaum married Catherine, who is a dentist. Catherine along with her sister, Bicky Lee, have a dental practice in Southern California. The result: an amazing mission family of engineers that does tech support for the dental team that includes me.

I found out later that Thaum told the white-haired warrior that he was a veteran as well, except that he fought on the other side. The reaction of the man was immediate—he drew back as if hit with a hard ball. His eyes widened and then narrowed. There was a hint of animosity—evolving toward hate. Thaum pointed out the American team members that were volunteering and offering their service to the people, veterans of the same terrible war, now helping people that at one time were considered enemies with love and compassion.

Thaum pointed out Ed, a doc who has been coming back to Vietnam for years. He called the man's attention on me, a combat medic who took part in some of the heaviest engagements of the war. He then pointed out other veterans. At that moment, I wondered if I had met this aging warrior on the battlefield, and I’m sure he was wondering the same thing.

Thaum made a fast re-supply run to the pharmacy and demanded a large package of 500 mg of something that was strong enough to give the man pain relief. In a flash it was in the hands of the NVA veteran. The NVA warrior, once an enemy, now a friend, turned in wonderment and with thanksgiving walked away! I will never know all the thoughts that traveled with this man, yet I like to think that, like myself, he is tired of this hate and death thing. He may, like I, be open and ready for life and love.

The Autistic Eye - This is Amazing!!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2MBBxU

Auntie Alex

This address will take you to an introduction to the life and times of my uncle, Emanuel J. Sorenson, a missionary in Ethiopia and Jamaica. Once a week, for the next 20 weeks, there will be story that provides a glimpse of what missionary life was like for his family, as related by my cousin, Jane Spear.

The social life in Addis Abeba reached a new zenith with the arrival of Auntie Alex. It was 1925 and many refugees were coming from Europe and Asia to find a new life in this strange exotic land. Alexandra Dabbert, with her engineer husband, had come by way of Germany with Alexandra’s parents, the former General and Mrs. Drovdosky. Alexandra’s father had been General in Czar Nicolas’ army, and was in Switzerland on maneuvers when the Bolsheviks executed the Czar and his family. Without hesitation, her mother collected whatever jewels they could carry and walked across the border with Alexandra and Peter. The parents would never see Russia again. Peter later would perish in the German army he had been forced to join.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.

Shuttle preparation and launch. Mind boggling preparation!

The New Patch, The New Wineskins, and the Old and New Wine

by Sakae Kubo

This is a book first posted on Grace Connection, the Magazine. There is no printed edition. All 30 chapters will appear on the Wheel in the following weeks.

Chapter 4

Luke 5:36 (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21); Luke 5:37-39 (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22)

The immediate occasion for these parables is the question by "they", probably the "The Pharisees and their scribes" of Luke 5:30. They had asked, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Our disciples like those of John the Baptist, frequently fast and pray. Your disciples eat and drink." They had observed that the behavior and conduct of Jesus was different, and that was true not only with respect to the specific issue of frequent fasting and prayer.

Read more at Adventist Perspective.