Would a united Christian church bring us out of this mess?

It’s been suggested before. I don’t see for this time in history.

I was reading Erling Olsen’s meditation on Psalm 124 this morning which begins, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side . . .” Olsen had a Sunday afternoon radio broadcast in the mid-1930s on the Psalms, which was so popular it was later published and has been through many printings. In 1937 he wrote:

“The entire world is now being swamped by a tidal wave of materialism and the hearts of many are filled with apprehension concerning the future.  The whole earth appears to be in a state of turmoil as some of the nations of the earth seem bent on war, while the unrest in other nations resembles a war scare.  It seems as if all the world is seated upon a keg of dynamite, with everybody playing around the keg with a lighted torch.”

He moves from the Depression era and war threats coming from Europe in 1937  back to ancient Israel and when it did not through its own power make it to the promised land, and that’s what Psalm 124 celebrates.

Than back to 1937.  It seemed, he said, that we had turned the corner, that we were on the road to prosperity (that wasn’t the case—the economy was heading for a recession with the Depression), but he lamented that men hadn’t ceased to be materialists and doubted they had learned any lessons.  One prominent Christian, very wealthy (he didn’t give his name) suggested that only a “united Christian world could stem the rising tide of materialism, of selfishness, of broken traditions and crumbling moral standards and point the way out.”  He lamented the failure of the church visible, with its sects, still clinging to its denominationalism “in a drifting, disillusioned, discouraged world which sees in the church confusion rather than hope.”

That certainly describes the church today, so I’m thinking the proposal of that rich and influential Christian didn’t work. Olsen goes on to say, . .

“I wholeheartedly endorse the comments which that gentleman made and I agree with him that the world is on the brink of disaster as its very foundations are being shaken.  I agree with him that the only thing for the church today is to bear a united testimony, so that she may be a bulwark against the raging storm.  But let me be clear.  There can be no united Christian church except it be founded on a solid rock.. . . I am wholeheartedly for Christian unity if that unity is based on the deity of Christ, on the impregnable rock of Holy Write, on the cardinal truth of the Christian faith revealed at the cross of Jesus Christ which towers ‘o’er the wrecks of time.’ I am for unity of the Christian church in bearing an effectual testimony to a world of moral failure when it invites the individual members of society to come to the ‘fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins,’ . . . What power the Christian church would have in this world if it would give faithful testimony concerning these verities of our faith.”

The church is no more united now than 80+ years ago. And during our present national and world crisis, it seems to have closed its doors and settled for the title, “non-essential.” Although individual congregations went to court to keep their doors open, most just quietly folded and turned to their technology staff, if they had one. A few used their parking lots and speaker systems.  Various religious voices brightly proclaim the church is moving into the community via technology like Zoom, Facebook, Tik Tok and on-line services, but I hardly think that replaces the hundreds of ministries that have closed which evangelize, feed, clothe, build, educate and visit the millions who need the church.

Olsen suggested that in the 1930s the failure of the church was the responsibility of those that have not been faithful to the Gospel of Christ, who have undermined faith in the scriptures and stripped Jesus of his Glory bringing him down to a life devoted to a principle.  That Jesus can transform lives and is not a mere social message is a message lost in today’s (1937) world, he said. That might be part of it, but I know some Bible-believing, gospel preaching churches that were just too comfortable and lukewarm to Stand up for Jesus. They looked to the government, to science, to social media and the confusing advice of the experts to see them through.   Prayer, worship, fasting, service—well, they can wait on a vaccine, or a new president, or a less virulent mutation while we hunker down in our homes.

End of the year contributions, 2016

 Why do I have 5 envelopes for some organizations and none for others?

National Trust for Historic Preservation
Coming Home Network International, Zanesville, OH
Lutheran Bible Translators
Pregnancy Decision Health Center, Columbus
Lower Lights Christian Health Center, Columbus
St. Gabriel Radio, Columbus
168 Film Project (California)
Lakeside
COCINA (Haiti school)
EWTN (Alabama)
Pinecrest Community (in memory of my parents) Mt. Morris, IL
Salvation Army

Donations in Kind
Cat Welfare (memorabilia, jewelry), Columbus, rescue
Discovery Shop (wedding dress) Columbus, cancer

Memberships
Ohio History Connection
Columbus Museum of Art

Please pray for our military chaplains

 "It is a hardship upon the Regiment I think, to be denied a Chaplain." George Washington

“A still small voice frequently asked me, where is your God?” he wrote recently in his journal. “I feel so alone in this world. I am so isolated and alienated from people, the world, and myself. I feel like a Prisoner of a War who has been forgotten on the battlefield.” (Washington Post article, May 29)

If you Google Military ministry you'll find a number of organizations helping those traumatized by war or serving chaplains and military families. And of course, always research carefully before you donate, but prayers for those with trauma and PTSD are always safe and stamped in red "approved by God."

Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, Chaplains

Archdiocese for Military, Roman Catholic

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Armed Forces ministry

Orthodox Church in America Military Chaplains

U.S. Marine Corps, Religious ministry 

Presbyterians caring for Chaplains 

Prayers for soldiers, families, enemies, USCCB

Donations for personal hygiene

We took about $50 of groceries to the Thanksgiving service at UALC on Thursday (nicest church service of the year with the best hymns).  But I kept aside a bag of personal care items I’ve been buying—shampoo, sanitary napkins, deodorant, bar soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, liquid hand soap. These are for Tammy Jewell’s ministry, “God’s Hygiene Help Center,” which offers basic hygiene care to people who have lost their dignity because they simply can’t afford everyday items.  Some are for children, some for out of work men and women looking for jobs, some for the elderly and homeless.

Jewell is a former victim of human trafficking who came to know Jesus. Now she reaches out to addicts and trafficking victims.  When she shares Jesus, she also offers some small material aid.

From UALC.org Cornerstone, Nov. 22-26, 2015

Christianity by the numbers

Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians:  There were 981,000 of these souls in 1900; there are 643,661,000 of them today; and there are projected to be over one billion Charismatics and Pentecostals in 2050. In raw numbers, then, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest growing phenomenon in world religious history.  And there are many more numbers in this First Things article.

The church is a hospital for sinners, and also cares for the sick

We know why the church takes care of the sick--Jesus commanded it and also miraculously healed them himself setting the example and commanded his immediate disciples (of whom we are heirs) to do the same. Over the centuries the Christian church, particularly the Roman Catholic church, has been the largest social service agency. But why does the government do it when it picks and chooses (over the centuries) the sinners and the winners? Governments have killed far more people than religious leaders could even consider, plus they use religious sects (of any faith) to do the dirty work. In the U.S. we have the push for government health insurance when 85% of the citizens already were satisfied with what they had and a large portion of those who didn't have insurance were eligible for a minimal care level already provided. That's an inordinate amount of power to hand to any entity. At the same time, 55 million have been put to death with the government's blessing and regulated abortion industry.

Foreclosure of a mega church in Georgia

Blogger.com where I have my blogs has a feature called "next blog" so I was browsing today and found Church in the Now of Conyers, GA, and the last entry was about its foreclosure, Easter 2012. It was a huge, magnificent facility and not ugly like most mega churches. So I read through the pastor's timeline of how he started it in 1985 with 54 members, up to the sale for over $18 million, and about the other 90 churches in Georgia going through foreclosure.

Wondering where they went and expecting a rebuilding with renewed energy, I Googled. In 2010, he had announced he was gay, he says, to stem the tide of gay teen suicides. Really? How many teens listen to adults about their sexuality? Plus the highest suicide rate in the U.S. isn't gay teens--it's men over 85. And he'd been married twice and had 4 children. If claiming to be honest about sexuality, at least be honest about other things.

Over the centuries, millions of men and women have given up acting on sexual feelings and putting aside personal relationships from marriage to affairs to procreation in order to achieve a higher calling (whether or not you agree isn't the point). Millions more are caretakers for spouses and have set aside sexual desires for a higher form of expressing love.  Every day there are married people who choose to be faithful to their vows rather than act on their sexual desires.  He needed to be honest, but probably should have started with his first wife and the original congregation of 1985 and stop blaming society for his hiding his true feelings all these years. From celebrities to politicians to pastors: if you can't accept your homosexuality, don't be surprised when society isn't sympathetic with your cover up when you finally come out.

Dear Liberal Christian,

Your heart may be in the right place, but your hand is in my purse.  All studies show that marriage of the parents of children is the #1 way to reduce poverty in the U.S.A. With married parents, a child has only about 8% chance of being raised in poverty. A better house, or a better education doesn't do it. Lunch programs from USDA distributed by church volunteers doesn't make a dent. Social justice workshops and summits for sure don't either, except maybe to tamp down a little liberal guilt if the Bible falls open to Matthew 25.

 

Christian non-profits

“CARM is a 501(c)3, non-profit, Christian ministry dedicated to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the promotion and defense of the Christian Gospel, doctrine, and theology.”

If the government gives, it can take away.  This is a bad idea from several angles.  Eventually, Christian non-profits will have to do something contrary to their beliefs if they want this tax status—maybe recognize same sex marriage, or provide insurance for abortion, or accept non-Christians on their board.  It’s also wrong, I believe, to ask non-Christians to support our religion—because that’s what we’re asking for in not paying  taxes on the income that pays the staff or the office supplies or the real estate costs.  Also, now that we know the government is using the IRS to punish and control, why should be put our people in harm’s way.  Why should board members and staff have their private accounts audited because the organization is under scrutiny.  Let’s get the churches and para-church organizations out from under the government’s thumb so we can be free to speak truth to evil, and the good news to the masses.

We’re a special tribe, but we can be conned by liberals, says anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann

Evangelical Christian tribes people. Did you know you're being studied by an anthropologist? Yes, we are reachable by Democrats if they just learn our strange language and ways. http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/do-as-i-do-not-as-i-say/

How condescending is this? "But the good news for secular liberals is that evangelicals are smarter and more varied than many liberals realize. I met doctors, scientists and professors at the churches where I studied. They cared about social justice. They cared about the poor."  So says Tanya M. Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford

Imagine that! We're educated. We're professionals. And we actually care for the poor and weak instead of asking the government to do it!! And if secular liberals just say the right words evangelicals will fall for their line and stop obeying Jesus and fall in line with Rome.

She did her anthropological study of Christians at Vineyard churches, so possibly those Christians need to be on the watch for wolves dressed as sheep.  “Their members tend  to be white and middle class, although not exclusively. Their congregations are more likely to meet in gyms, not in actual church buildings, and like their surroundings they are informal. They are more likely to have a rock band than a choir, and they use contemporary Christian music rather than traditional hymns (although they may incorporate a hymn into the service). They call themselves “Bible based,” by which they mean that the Bible is taken to be literally or near literally true, and they embrace an experiential spirituality.” http://www.stanford.edu/dept/anthropology/cgi-bin/web/?q=system/files/absorption.pdf

Praise the Lord for new believers in Christ

According to a member of the Columbus Chinese Christian Church who is in my exercise class at our church, Upper Arlington Lutheran, they had 26 baptisms on Easter! They serve 1st and 2nd generation Columbus area Chinese Americans and Chinese students at OSU and have services in 3 languages, English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Communist Mao killed about 70 million of his own people—no one really knows for sure how many—but the result of Communists forcing the people of China to standardize their language (everyone now speaks his dialect, Mandarin), the Gospel has been able to be shared much easier. He meant it for evil, but God has used that evil man to bring the Gospel to the Chinese.

This blogger says Cantonese is a dying language.

Year end contributions to Christian organizations

Although we regularly tithe at our church home, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, at the end of the year we enjoy looking over and supporting other Christian appeals. Luther suggested for Bible study 1) Oratio (prayer), 2. Meditatio (meditate) and 3. Tentatio (struggle) which isn't a bad plan when chosing good causes--because the ones that aren't good are tossed when we receive them, and the others set aside for further consideration.

1. Pinecrest Community is always on our list and this year I included a note to Leanne Manheim, the Development Director, because I've met her a few times on the visits with my sister. The Illinois budget is in terrible shape--the state isn't paying its Medicaid bills for months and months.

2. Pregnancy Decision Health Centers help women with problem pregnancies make good decisions for their babies. Abortion is the holocaust of our era--some 50 million deaths since the early 70s. The other day I heard a revolting statistic--64% of the women who "chose" abortion felt pressured by boyfriend, husband, parents or peers. If you are 17 and don't have access to your own funds even for doctor and hospital, or transportation to a pregnancy help center, what would you do if parents demand that you have an abortion in order to remain under their roof--and the boyfriend's parents agree.

3. Lower Lights Christian Health Center on Columbus' west side provides health care in a low income area of our city, over $350,000 in unreimbursed medical care to uninsured and underinsured patients, which is about 75% of its patient population. It was started by a young Christian female doctor, Dana Vallangeon, in 2002.

4. World Mission Prayer League supports 120 full time workers to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was founded by Lutherans in 1937. I am one of its "prayer warriors," and I love their publications.

5. Into the Field is the newest ministry on our list directed and founded by Jennifer Cameron, the daughter of friends and member of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. It serves other ministries and the Body of Christ seeking to serve other Christians.

6. Lutheran Bible Translators brings the gospel to people who have no written language and put it in their "heart language."

7. Lakeside the Chautauqua on Lake Erie is where we have our summer home, and now spend the better part of the summer. Gate fees and association dues just don't cover the expenses to keep this community of art, literature, music and religion running, so there are always fund raisers.

8. 168 Film Project , has a huge mission--to illuminate the Word of God through short film. The founder, John Ware, is now a Californian, but is also a son of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, and his mom still attends there. There are 168 hours in a week and that's how long the writers, actors, editors, directors, etc. have to put together a short (11 minutes) film on a Bible verse. Last year an entry for documentary featured UALC, directed by Steve Puffenberger.



And finally, there may be a few conservative candidates and organizations on our list of gifts, but that will be our little secret.

The fields are white for harvest

Almost there. My hair is silver in the front, sort of blondish on top, and a darker gray in the back. I'll save about $500/year with no color. I've selected 6 groups to receive a donation. ". . .fields are white for harvest. . ." John 4:35.

1) Into the field; 2) Lower Lights Christian Health Center; 3) Pinecrest Community (probably new beds); 4) Pregnancy Decision Health Centers, Columbus; and 5-6) World Mission Prayer League [Lutheran] and Lutheran Bible Translators.

Faith based initiatives are in for a jolt

Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Obama's "common ground" initiative doesn't broaden the base, it narrows it. The new regs will be so sticky, so complex and expensive, to say nothing of forcing Christians to deny the Great Commandment of Christ (which many were doing anyway without help from Obama), that most small ministries won't be able to participate, and only the most liberal, largest most non-evangelical quasi-Christian and Warrenized churches will dabble in government grants. That means more grant money for the ACORNies, pantheistic warmists, and Muslim groups, which of course in the name of diversity, won't be held to the same standard as evangelical Christians.

However, it was a bad idea for churches to become so dependent on government money, and in effect, become an arm of the federal government in housing programs and food distribution plans (my church does both, maybe more). Folks, it's time to get back to saving the world for Jesus instead of the USDA, HHS and HUD.

Faith Hope Love Ministry of Anne and David Wan

Because of the cold, my husband decided it was best to cancel the exercise class today, so we were trying to find phone numbers. There are a few Chinese women who attend, so I was looking at Anne and David's Christmas letter to see if I could find a phone listing, and instead discovered their ministry called Faith Hope Love, which started as a small gathering of Christians in their home and is now a ministry. Check it out here.



Anne and her daughter Priscilla travelled to Europe the summer of 2008 with an evangelism team and visited seven countries--Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, German, Luxembourg and Holland. They saw many miracles of physical and spiritual healing. Anne was a translator and Priscilla was a worship leader. Here's the video which I found on their web site.



I also found this in their photo file of a family trip to Taiwan, and I think is our O-H-I-O Buckeye cheer.