Monday School Discussion

Chapter 5

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Some things to contemplate:

Campolo's definition of an evangelical. Do you agree with it? Why or Why not?

Read the various passages of Scripture Campolo lists in this chapter. Do you agree with his interpretation of them? Are there other scriptures you think shed light on this topic?

What do you think of the possible responses listed in the chapter?

I urge you to be prayerful in your study of this book. Pray for wisdom and discernment. Pray that your faith and walk with Christ will be strengthened as you think through these difficult issues.

Links for Chapter 4

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If you want to explore further some of the persons/organizations mentioned in this chapter, check out these links. To open the links in a new window, right click and choose "Open Link in New Window"

If you find other online info, please share it in a comment. Thank you!

Southern Baptist Convention
http://www.sbc.net/

Anne Graham Lotz
http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/

Marabel Morgan
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101770314,00.html
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/8w4/8w4038.html

Phyllis Schlafly
http://www.eagleforum.org/

Christians for Biblical Equity
http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/index.shtml

Charles Finney
http://www.gospeltruth.net/cgfworks.htm
http://bible.christiansunite.com/Charles_Finney/index.shtml
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/finney.htm (An article critical of Finney)

Chapter 4

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What did you think about the account regarding Anne Graham Lotz on page 35? If you had been in the congregation, what would you have done?
Do you agree with Tony's thoughts on page 39 about the affect that denying women the right to preach has? (First paragraph under the heading "The Deeper Damage.")
"...it does say that wives should be submissive to their husbands, but doesn't this chapter of the Bible also say that husbands are supposed to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it? Every Christian who studies the Bible should know what that means." (Page 41) What do you think? What does it mean to love as "Christ loved the church?"
On page 43, Tony states, "I know of situations wherein men have been led to believe that it is right to beat their wives if their wives do not do as they are directed to do." What is your reaction to that?
Page 45 -- A true Christian never asks who's going to be first in any hierarchy but rather asks who's going to be last. How does that statement sit with you?
What do you think of Tony's illustrations of balance?

Speaking My Mind -- Chapter 1

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Tony speaks about “mainline churches.” Are you familiar with this term? The Encyclopedia of Religion and Society offers this definition:

“Mainline" churches thus may include the following bodies, listed according to denominational "family" and specific self-naming: Baptist (American, National, Southern), Catholic (Roman), Christian Churches-Disciples, Episcopal, Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran, Missouri Synod), Methodist (African Episcopal, Christian, United), Orthodox (Greek, Russian, some other "Eastern"), Presbyterian, Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ.

If you are feeling really scholarly, you can read an article from Christianity Today entitled “Turning the Mainline Around.”

2. What critique of preaching in mainline churches does Tony offer? Think about the churches you have attended in your lifetime and the various preachers you have heard. What critiques would you offer? How important is the quality of preaching to you?

When I was in seminary, the new President of the seminary, Maxie Dunnam, (an excellent United Methodist preacher) stated churches wanted their pastors to be good preachers. When he said that, it struck me because I had been bemoaning the fact that a student could graduate from seminary and have taken only one course (three semester hours) in preaching! So, someone could graduate from college with a BS in Mathematics, enroll in seminary and graduate three years later having preached a total of two complete sermons in his or her lifetime. I firmly believe that God equips those whom he calls and I am NOT saying that only formally trained preachers are worth listening to, however, I think such a crucial skill deserves a bigger slice of the curriculum pie. My preaching professor encouraged me to express my thoughts to both President Dunnam and the Provost. Dr. Dunnam (who had previously been the pastor of the 6,000 member Christ UMC in Memphis) wrote me and thanked me. He stated that he was going to address this issue and work to give preaching more prevalence. The Provost wrote to state that every division in the seminary wants more time for their area of study and that if every area got all the time they wanted, students would be in seminary for much, much longer than 3 years. I discovered the difference between a preacher and an academic that day.

3. “It has long been said that eleven o’clock [or 8:00, or 9:30] on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in American life.” What do you think about that? Do you think we should try to change that? Do you think we CAN change that?

4. “There is evidence that the division over how to respond to homosexuals in the church is likely to bring about church schisms (splits) on a scale that will redefine the structure of American Christianity for a century to come.” Do you agree with this statement?

5. Tony references the success of Willow Creek and Saddleback (Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life, is the pastor) churches, stating “the success of these churches is dependant upon having a membership that is empowered and enthused about winning friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members to Christ through personal evangelism.” How does that “sit” with you? Do you long for your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members to know the love of Christ? What does the word “evangelism” mean to you? What gut reaction do you have to it? Do you think of yourself as an evangelist? In the next paragraph Tony states “There is, within evangelicalism, a theologically prescribed expectation that every member be a missionary. (emphasis mine.) Are you a missionary?

Homework

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You can post thoughts here regarding the assignment about "silly talk." If you find a good online reference, please share it here with the rest of the class.

I thumbed through a book last weekend that looks very good. If any of you have read it, I would love to hear your thoughts. It is called "Speaking My Mind" by Tony Campolo.

Speaking My Mind (2004, Word Publishing)
Experience has taught Campolo the hard lesson that by challenging the conservative agenda, he risks condemnation by brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with him. It’s a chance he’s willing to take in order to speak the truth in love, insisting that God is a God of compassion, who accepts and loves us as we are—in all our diversity. "I would not risk incurring arguments and losing friends," says Campolo, "if I were not convinced that what I say here could be important to some struggling Christians."

If you go to Dr. Campolo's website, you can hear some of his sermons. He is an excellent preacher.

Feel free to comment on the book or sermons.

An Inductive Bible Study Example

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Here is one example of a very detailed and thorough study of Ephesians.

Please note this disclaimer: I have not read this entire study. (The thing is HUGE. I checked to see how many printed pages it would be...36!!!) Obviously, the study was not designed for the Web. One of the fundamental principles of web design is to avoid large pages which force people to do a lot of scrolling. Al Gore created hyperlinks to avoid that. (Is that joke too old to use now?) I will get off the web design high horse and return you to your regularly scheduled disclaimer... I have NO IDEA if I agree with the author's conclusions or his theological framework. So, you ask, why would I point you to a study I know so little about? Good question! Two reasons. First, the reason I want you to give this a look is mostly to see how much a person can glean from this kind of Bible study. Secondly, I believe you are all sharp enough to look it over and make your own conclusions.

There is a danger. I do not want you to look at that study and say, "Oh my GOODNESS! I could NEVER do that!! I don't have time. or I am no where near that good as a Bible student!" Don't be intimidated. It is just an example of the scope of this kind of study.

I will continue my exploration for more examples of inductive studies for your review.

For those of you joining us in cyberspace and not on Monday evenings, I will get some of the introductory material to you in the next several days.

Here is the url for the Ephesians study:

http://home.att.net/~dennisschmidt/qv-induct/eph.htm

He Has Us Where He Wants Us

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Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes, when someone has us "right where they want us," it is not a good thing. I think of a plotting person with an evil glint in her eye, rubbing her hands together. I hear a devilish snicker. I remember being in 1st grade. Were you ever the butt of someone's practical joke? It is a humiliating, horrible feeling.

This verse from Ephesians 2 says that God has us right where God wants us. And it is a GOOD thing! God is not going to humiliate us, but wants to "shower grace and kindness" on us. A God who is "immense in mercy" has "embraced us." Being right where God wants us is a great place to be.

The alternative is to be "mired in that old stagnant life of sin" where you fill "your lungs with polluted unbelief" and "exhale disobedience." Is that where you want to live?

Think about the "grace and kindness" God has showered on your life. How has God brought you out of the "stagnant life" to "right where he wants you?" How has God "embraced you?"

I invite you to share your thoughts to those questions. Post your e-testimony (that's corny...help me think of something better) and tell us how God has you "right where he wants you."

Online Bibles

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In case you don't know about these, here are a few good resources for online study. You can read the text in various translations. Very useful!

http://www.bible.crosswalk.com

http://www.biblegateway.com

http://www.blueletterbible.org

There are others as well. If you have a favorite you use, or discover another one, post a link so we can all check it out. One of the most useful things about these online bibles is being able to read several different translations so quickly.

Monday School Notes and Discussions

2004-09-21T21:18:00.000-05:00

Time for some confession. Several times in my life I have attempted to develop the habit of journaling. Sometimes it was because I had to do it for a class. A couple of times it was because I wanted to try to have some lasting record of my scattered thoughts. The results were always the same. I would start off with great enthusiasm and think, 'This is great. If I just take 10 minutes every day and write something, in no time at all it will be second nature...like eating.' Well, eating is much more rewarding. A few times I actually kept a journal for several months. Usually, it was more like several weeks. So, this is like a disclaimer. I don't have a good track record with this sort of thing. Maybe, though, since this has an element of interactivity to it, it will be a more successful venture. It won't be like I am just writing for myself. You will be reading (and responding, AHEM!) so I will have more incentive to keep this going.

Here are some links for the websites on Ephesus. If you find anymore or wish to comment on any of them, please feel free.

http://bibleplaces.com/ephesus.htm

http://www.padfield.com/2000/ephesus.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05490a.htm

Don't forget that next Monday (9/27), we will be discussing the first chapter of Ephesians. Make an outline of the chapter. (Hint: most scholars find three major sections within the chapter.)

Shalom!