CREDO: God Created the World

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,”

I believe that God created the Heavens and the Earth. I don’t believe that it all came to be by chance without design. It might be easy to label me as either a Creationist or an Intelligent Designer, but hear me out for my reasons. You can decide for yourself after you hear where I am coming from.

I have worked at a game company for nearly 8 years. In that time, the company I work for has developed and enhanced virtual worlds. In these worlds, they have laid out the ground; planted trees and animals; placed people and even developed a sky dome. They have even laid out the “physics” that the world operates under. In that time, I have seen designers, programmers and others painstakingly create a world that people can move and talk and interact with. Every aspect of that world was built with an intelligence guiding it and shaping it. There are aspects of that world that get written out and new ones applied still leaving the old code/graphic there but made dormant or hidden.

Given this, I cant deny to God that which we are learning to do in some small way.
I believe that God created the universe with intelligent design, no more than we are learning to do.

Now, I don’t believe that the world is less than 10,000 years old. I frankly don’t know how old it is, but I think God is a designer of consummate skill. Recently, I read a book by Francis S. Collins called The Language of God. He worked on the human genome project. We carry within us the language of all of creation. This to me isn’t a failing of God’s, but incredible foresight. The history of our planet doesn’t discount God existing, but confirms that he can design and build in the software that makes us who we are our eventual form. Every aspect of creation hearkens to an order that shows us more than randomness at its core.

New Year: New Commitment

Hi

2011 is the year I am committing to writing more here and posting more here. I need to find a way to express the voice in me that is talking and it will be here I hope to do it.

I am going to start the year with looking at some of the homilies of St.John Chrysostom. After that I am going to explore and comment on other works and develop my faith.

Also over the year, I will do a series of posts called CREDO. These will outline where I am on my faith and what I believe. My posts will touch on history, have politics, critique society because I think that is what an active faith does.

My goal is to do 200 posts in 2011. I invite your comments and feedback. Only by questioning our faith daily can we hope to grow in it and grow with each other.

I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry

I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child,
with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off
to find where demons dwell."

"When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time
and you join your hearts as one,
I'll be there to make your verses rhyme
from dusk 'till rising sun.

In the middle ages of your life,
not too old, no longer young,
I'll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I've begun.
When the evening gently closes in,
and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been
with just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.

Walter Rauschenbusch - Quotes and Thoughts On

Rauschenbusch is one of the luminaries of the Social Gospel Movement. He lived from 1861 till 1918 and was a Baptist Minister. Some of the quotes he has that have really struck me are:

"Christianity is by its nature revolutionary."

"Because the Kingdom of God has been dropped as the primary and comprehensive aim of Christianity, and personal salvation has been substituted for it, therefore men seek to save their own souls and are selfishly indifferent to the evangelization of the world. "

"Christ died to substitute love for selfishness as the basis of human society."

"The Kingdom of God is not a matter of getting individuals to heaven, but of transforming the life on earth into the harmony of heaven."

These quote embody some of the concepts that I have been dwelling on over the last few months. He is well worth a read if you can find some of his stuff online. I know Google books has a couple books scanned in.

God Is Still Speaking...

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Living Not Dying

We are often more pre-occupied with the Death of Jesus than His Life. Jesus didn't come to die, He came to show us how to Live. It is because of His Life that he was executed. His life's actions and message is why he was murdered. Simply put, the message of Easter isn't about the death of Jesus, but the Life of Jesus. He Lives means that more than he conquered death it means His Life matters more than his death. His Life was victorious over death and goes on.

We have come more to hallow Jesus suffering and death than his Life, which I don't believe is what God wanted. The Apostles realized it was Jesus life that mattered and that is what transformed the ancient world. It was a life lived that meant death had lost its sting, the grave its victory because a life lived as Jesus did transcended death and the grave. This is why they went out of the Upper Room and preached and changed the world. This is why they didn't run from death when it came and it is why they were murdered. They embraced the Life of Jesus and lived it wholly. For this they earned the same punishment as Jesus and the same reward.

2 Timothy 3: 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Jesus' death had to happen, but it wasn't the purpose of his life. Similarly, it wasn't the death that changed the world but the Resurrection. The salvation of the world is with the Living Christ, not the dead Jesus. It is that Living Christ which transformed Saul into Paul. It is that Living Christ who speaks to us still and calls us to follow.


Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Romans 8: 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Easter

Yeshua HaMashiach!
Iesus Christos!
Immanuel!

Joy rose this day and Love won! We have entered into the Kingdom of Our God! May we live in the Light of Our Savior all the days of our life!

A thought for Good Friday 2010

Recently, I read that Christianity is the only major world religion whose Founder was tortured and executed by the established authority of his day.

The question arises how do we leave from recalling and remembering His suffering and agony for us and then go forth to do it others?

A new twist on Matthew 22:15- 22

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said.
16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to WASHINGTON, or not?’
18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the MONEY used for the tax.’ And they brought him a DOLLAR.
20 Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’
21 They answered, ‘WASHINGTON’S.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to WASHINGTON the things that are the WASHINGTON’S, and to God the things that are God’s.’
22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

So obviously my changes stand out in all CAPS. Here is a thought for Christians who complain that taxes are wrong. Hear the words of Jesus.

Lenten Withdrawl

It seems so hard in our modern world to get into the Lenten space. So much is going on in the day to day, it is hard to find time for reflection. We talk about giving up, but sometimes I wonder if the solution isnt giving in. Giving into listening to God. Giving into finding quiet time. Giving into finding peace.

I have to make time to give into God, or how else am I going to get out of Lent into Easter.

Scripture and Thought for Friday, January 16th

13²³⁴⁵Luke 13: 1-5 "At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’"

What Jesus says here is that God doesnt single people out to punish them. I chose this verse in part to refute Pat Robertson and comments like his further. Death comes for each of us. It is the cost of life, but no person is singled out by God to die one way or another.

Dear Pat Robertson...

If you cant say something comforting or helpful, dont say anything at all. Holding up a folktale and saying it is justification for a tragedy visited on millions is just not in the spirit of the Gospel.

You have with your greater position a responsibility to show the light of Christ. You need to show forth the Gospel message of love and care. Yes, Christ spoke truth even if it hurt, but this isnt the same as what you have done. Remember the words of Paul, all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Also remember the words of our Redeemer, he that is without sin may cast the first stone. Following your reasoning and these words, we deserve all the pain that happens in our lives and that just isnt the case. Look at Job, he was just and right before God and he had horrible things happen. We live in a world where hurt and pain are the norm, we as followers of Christ have a duty to build a better world through the love given to us by our Redeemer. As the hymn says, They will know we are Christians by our love...not our judgement.

Let God do the judging as He wills. It is his purview, ours is to be the Light of Agape for a World in Darkness.

SojournerVA