I am offended. EMU has a lot of diversity. While yes, we are a Christian institution, we have many people of other faiths in attendance. Our Center for Justice and Peacebuilding is especially diverse. I'm sure some of you want to smack me right now for not being open minded, but don't. I'm not offended that we have diversity. I'm offended that we're okay with taming our Jesus as to not offend people who aren't Christians.
One very obvious way that I see this is in our twice a week chapels. On Wednesday, the goal is to have more scripturally based teaching, where as on Fridays, it is more relaxed and based on social issues. I was talking to a campus pastor about this, and how it really bothered me. He made it seem like there wasn't much that we could do. We are supposed to cater to all types of people that attend our school. We need to represent all views.
I'm sorry, but no. No we do not. As a Christian school, we need to be preaching the Gospel -- the Good News of Christ. Paul is one of my favorite authors. He is upfront, blatant and honest. In Galatians 1, he talks about No Other Gospel. He says,
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)
Are we too eager to loose sight of the teachings Christ has given us? I think that the last verse especially hits home for EMU. We are so eager to please men, even if it means that we loose our objective -- to spread the word of God. We can't be okay being friends with those of different faiths without showing them the one and only Truth.
Today is Easter. It is arguably the biggest Christian holiday. Jesus fought death and won. The grave has nothing on my Jesus. He remained on earth for a while after His resurrection, seeing people, showing His wounds, thus making them believe. The last recorded thing in the gospel according to Matthew is the Great Commission. Most Christians would agree that this is one of the most important thing Jesus tells us. He says,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
This is His last piece of advise He gives us. It is clearly defined what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to go. Make disciples of all nations, not just those who seem open to it at first. We can't just throw out the Truth in a sentence and let people pry if they want to know more. We have to be surrounding them with the gospel.
Anyway, I have a bunch of vocal pedagogy I need to get done. so. yup.
One very obvious way that I see this is in our twice a week chapels. On Wednesday, the goal is to have more scripturally based teaching, where as on Fridays, it is more relaxed and based on social issues. I was talking to a campus pastor about this, and how it really bothered me. He made it seem like there wasn't much that we could do. We are supposed to cater to all types of people that attend our school. We need to represent all views.
I'm sorry, but no. No we do not. As a Christian school, we need to be preaching the Gospel -- the Good News of Christ. Paul is one of my favorite authors. He is upfront, blatant and honest. In Galatians 1, he talks about No Other Gospel. He says,
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)
Are we too eager to loose sight of the teachings Christ has given us? I think that the last verse especially hits home for EMU. We are so eager to please men, even if it means that we loose our objective -- to spread the word of God. We can't be okay being friends with those of different faiths without showing them the one and only Truth.
Today is Easter. It is arguably the biggest Christian holiday. Jesus fought death and won. The grave has nothing on my Jesus. He remained on earth for a while after His resurrection, seeing people, showing His wounds, thus making them believe. The last recorded thing in the gospel according to Matthew is the Great Commission. Most Christians would agree that this is one of the most important thing Jesus tells us. He says,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
This is His last piece of advise He gives us. It is clearly defined what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to go. Make disciples of all nations, not just those who seem open to it at first. We can't just throw out the Truth in a sentence and let people pry if they want to know more. We have to be surrounding them with the gospel.
Anyway, I have a bunch of vocal pedagogy I need to get done. so. yup.
