Posts Tagged ‘ Community ’

Versed: Romans 15:5

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus

Romans 15:5, ESV

Our worship and thankfulness to our God who saves us is expressed in our unity that Jesus prayed for, and He personally will help us and encourage us.

Denominational Cities reblog

I wrote this 12 years ago, and it still applies. I can happily say that I currently live in a place where many churches live this out. I am part of a Youth Leader cohort that meets about once a month. They are very dear to me, as are the chances to meet up with them!

Daniel

There are a lot of disagreements between the various denomination in the Church, and even between various congregations within those denominations. Some congregations are non-denominational, yet they can still be as unfriendly toward other churches. During the Reformation, countries were divided by regions. Each region could choose to be Catholic, Lutheran, or whatever else was […]

Denominational Cities

Fidelity Month

Hot take?

I won’t lie: I have been tired of Pride Month for a couple of months already. As one source put it (I forget who said it originally), Pride Month is the new Christmas: it starts earlier and earlier, and all the businesses are in on it.

Unlike Christmas, though, the majority who celebrate it tend to demonize those who don’t.

Yes, some Christmas celebrants do that, and we have seen the Conservative backlash against the “War on Christmas”. But they are focusing on the wrong war, especially with the irony of the Conservative focus on freedom of speech (and personal choice).

Conversely, there are some Pride people who follow a more “live and let live” approach.

With Pride Month (which started in earnest with the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light fiasco), the focus has always been “let us celebrate ourselves” as opposed to celebrating the birth of Christ. Yes, Christmas has largely become about getting what we want, but these two seasons started from polar opposite positions.

This is why I was happy to hear about a new option:

Fidelity Month

Prof. Robert George of Princeton University suggested that, rather than combating darkness, we focus on lighting candles.

As the name suggests, we focus on remaining faithful (Latin: fidelis) to the core values of commitment to God, spouses (one man and one woman), family (traditional nuclear family), community, and nation.

It’s not a radical idea. It used to be the basis for most people, especially in the West. Yet, even conservative people and groups are willing to compromise on some of these, often simply to refute and reject “the other side” or in a twist of libertarianism.

This is in fact biblical.

Look at Ephesians 5-6, 1 Peter 2-3, and many other passages that could be pulled up.

I say we start doing likewise, actually go out of our way to promote biblical values.

Like we should be doing.

VerseD: John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

John 1:12, ESV

Though we have pushed God away, when we believe in Jesus, our compassionate God loves us, redeems us, and welcomes us into the family of God, in Jesus’ name.

VerseD: 1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12, ESV

The Christian faith is not merely a personal thing. It is a community and declaration to the world of Christ’s sovereignty and goodness, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to be in community and share that faith.

VerseD: Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4, ESV

God has called us into community with Him and with His Chosen people. May we come together and thank God for this brotherhood: the Church filled with the Holy Spirit.

VerseD: Ecclesiastes 4:9

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

Ecclesiastes 4:9, ESV

We need each other, and more importantly we need God. The community we have in faith in God unites us and gives us strength and hope.

VerseD: Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20, ESV

Jesus invites us into community with Himself and with the Church. We are not meant to live nor worship alone.