Comments for The Signal http://sccstl.wordpress.com A place for the SCC community to share Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:54:59 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Thoughts about Healt Insurance by tikus http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/thoughts-about-healt-insurance/#comment-15 tikus Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:54:59 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/?p=24#comment-15 nice post,thanks... nice post,thanks…

]]> Comment on The Gospel According to Oprah by Brian http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/the-gospel-according-to-oprah/#comment-12 Brian Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:49:57 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/the-gospel-according-to-oprah/#comment-12 I sympathize with your desire not to have to give a soundbite. The architecture of the debate is obviously stacked against you when you disagree with Oprah! But I don't think the Bible gives us the leeway to say "People might be saved by Jesus apart from his name." Rather, it is very explicit that there is no other name under heaven by which one can be saved. (Acts 4) and if one still might say, "What if they're saved by the name, but they don't know the name?" Paul replies, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Rom. And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Rom 10:14-15) The problem is not that God is unjust, it's that sin and punishment are not plausible to people today. When sin is not really a plausible idea, we have the sense that we are not really guilty. It then follows that we deserve to have salvation offered to us. But if we really are a bunch of rebels who have ruined God's beautiful world (and are really responsible and guilty for this) and if God really is gracious to chase us down and salvage us and his world, then our sense that we all deserve the offer of salvation is called into question. So I guess my 10 second answer would be, "Those whom God saves don't get saved because they're better, or more respectable, or more clever or better informed than the rest of us. In our present state, the gospel is too offensive for the humblest of us to accept. We're too far gone. The environmentalists and pacificists are right to point to the huge mess that humanity is making of the world. And the only hope for the world is that God refuses to leave us to our designs. He chooses to rein some of us in, and he does it in a way that nobody could predict: through the name of Jesus. I don't know why he does it that way. But that's what he does. I'm glad that he's doing something, because I know that left to my own devices, I wouldn't have any hope." I sympathize with your desire not to have to give a soundbite. The architecture of the debate is obviously stacked against you when you disagree with Oprah! But I don’t think the Bible gives us the leeway to say “People might be saved by Jesus apart from his name.” Rather, it is very explicit that there is no other name under heaven by which one can be saved. (Acts 4) and if one still might say,
“What if they’re saved by the name, but they don’t know the name?” Paul replies,

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Rom. And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Rom 10:14-15)

The problem is not that God is unjust, it’s that sin and punishment are not plausible to people today. When sin is not really a plausible idea, we have the sense that we are not really guilty. It then follows that we deserve to have salvation offered to us. But if we really are a bunch of rebels who have ruined God’s beautiful world (and are really responsible and guilty for this) and if God really is gracious to chase us down and salvage us and his world, then our sense that we all deserve the offer of salvation is called into question.

So I guess my 10 second answer would be, “Those whom God saves don’t get saved because they’re better, or more respectable, or more clever or better informed than the rest of us. In our present state, the gospel is too offensive for the humblest of us to accept. We’re too far gone. The environmentalists and pacificists are right to point to the huge mess that humanity is making of the world. And the only hope for the world is that God refuses to leave us to our designs. He chooses to rein some of us in, and he does it in a way that nobody could predict: through the name of Jesus. I don’t know why he does it that way. But that’s what he does. I’m glad that he’s doing something, because I know that left to my own devices, I wouldn’t have any hope.”

]]> Comment on To enter a blog entry by southcitychurch http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/to-enter-a-blog-entry/#comment-11 southcitychurch Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:08:32 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/to-enter-a-blog-entry/#comment-11 Who is this? Who is this?

]]> Comment on To enter a blog entry by wmcdivsdnt http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/to-enter-a-blog-entry/#comment-10 wmcdivsdnt Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:57:01 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/to-enter-a-blog-entry/#comment-10 Chris, please make me an author on this blog. Chris, please make me an author on this blog.

]]> Comment on A Hole in the Wall by cgillam http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/a-hole-in-the-wall/#comment-7 cgillam Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:55:25 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/a-hole-in-the-wall/#comment-7 One Sunday evening this spring, as I faced the prospect of returning to what I can only describe as something much less than heaven, I found myself walking and skipping along the river of joy. I was surrounded by towering gray buildings and the sound of honking horns, yet my heart was peaceful and joyful. I had left the sanctuary of forgiveness and let go of my pride. In that moment, I was completely free. All the worries of this world ceased to exist and I could just be me. I did not wish to hide behind the veil of insecurity that I cling to daily and God provided me a friend to rejoice with. And rejoice we did. That night will live with me until the next time I feel that free. Hopefully, I won't have to wait until heaven to taste that freedom again. One Sunday evening this spring, as I faced the prospect of returning to what I can only describe as something much less than heaven, I found myself walking and skipping along the river of joy. I was surrounded by towering gray buildings and the sound of honking horns, yet my heart was peaceful and joyful. I had left the sanctuary of forgiveness and let go of my pride. In that moment, I was completely free. All the worries of this world ceased to exist and I could just be me. I did not wish to hide behind the veil of insecurity that I cling to daily and God provided me a friend to rejoice with. And rejoice we did. That night will live with me until the next time I feel that free. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait until heaven to taste that freedom again.

]]> Comment on A Hole in the Wall by cgillam http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/a-hole-in-the-wall/#comment-6 cgillam Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:44:17 +0000 http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/a-hole-in-the-wall/#comment-6 I try to manufacture heaven on earth a number of different ways. Most recently, I purchased a new digital camera. That way, I could take pictures of those things that seem heavenly and cling to the memory through pictures. One of my favorite things to take pictures of is contrast - contrast between motion and still, the contrast between big and small. One of my favorite pictures is a picture of a the little red lighthouse in the shadow of the GW bridge in the Manhattan. I try to manufacture heaven on earth a number of different ways. Most recently, I purchased a new digital camera. That way, I could take pictures of those things that seem heavenly and cling to the memory through pictures. One of my favorite things to take pictures of is contrast – contrast between motion and still, the contrast between big and small. One of my favorite pictures is a picture of a the little red lighthouse in the shadow of the GW bridge in the Manhattan.

]]> Comment on About by Dave Bruegger (Molly's dad) http://sccstl.wordpress.com/about/#comment-4 Dave Bruegger (Molly's dad) Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:30:20 +0000 #comment-4 I look at your web site from time to time to see what is going on at South City church. Your Calender needs to be updated. It still shows September and the first week of October. It seems like you would want the November and December activities posted. I look at your web site from time to time to see what is going on at South City church.
Your Calender needs to be updated. It still shows September and the first week of October.
It seems like you would want the November and December activities posted.

]]> Comment on A place to vent by Jami Marstall http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/a-place-to-vent/#comment-3 Jami Marstall Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:44:35 +0000 https://sccstl.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/a-place-to-vent/#comment-3 We miss you guys!!! Just popping onto the site to see what's been going on. We're still hunting for our home church here. I hope things are going fabulously at SCC! Jami We miss you guys!!! Just popping onto the site to see what’s been going on. We’re still hunting for our home church here. I hope things are going fabulously at SCC!

Jami

]]> Comment on A place to vent by blueberrycat http://sccstl.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/a-place-to-vent/#comment-2 blueberrycat Mon, 02 Oct 2006 03:18:13 +0000 https://sccstl.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/a-place-to-vent/#comment-2 I haven't yet figured out how to post directly to the South City Church blog, but I certainly have thoughts and comments -- to be found at my own blog site. I haven’t yet figured out how to post directly to the South City Church blog, but I certainly have thoughts and comments — to be found at my own blog site.

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