developing lifestyle worshipers

So excited to see Greenwood buzzing with all the new and returning Lander students this week!  As you guys get back in the groove, I wanted to let you know about a few things for college students:

1. RELI 101 – I still have some openings at TR 1:15-2:45 for my Religions course I teach.  Would love to see you in there!
2. BCM – Scott Smith and the gang are having some free BBQ tonight at the center at 5:30.  Their services kick off Thursday at 9pm, and the following 2 Thursdays, I get the privilege of speaking – can’t wait to see you there!
3. College Lunch – This Sunday, we are having a free homecooked meal for college students after our 11:15 service (around 12:30).  Come on out, we would love to have you!
4. NS College Group – Starting next Wednesday night, I am leading a college Bible study at North Side I would love you to be a part of.  We are meeting in the Family Life Center at 8pm on September 8th.  Bring a Bible, bring a friend, and we are going to get after it – can’t wait to spend this semester doing some serious discipleship with college students.

Any questions on how you can get involved or serve in any of these areas, please comment and I will get back to you!

[The following is taken from an introduction I am working on for a resource for my religion course at Lander.  I would love to hear your feedback.]

If God exists, everything changes. He, she, it, they, or whatever you think this divine being might be called, if God does exist, everything will change.  Everything must change.  If a divine being rules over the universe, then we might be wise to determine how that being wants us to live in that universe.

When I say that everything changes, I mean that literally everything must be called into account to that reality.  How we view the world’s origin, the purpose of life, the final destination, the use of finances, the role of relationships, and everything in between will be changed if God exists.

Many are unsure of the reality of God’s existence, but mankind’s existence is irrefutable.  In every culture and in every time, mankind has attempted to ascertain the existence of God and the accompanying implications.

If God exists, everything changes.

Since mankind exists, everything gets complicated.  God would be much easier to understand if mankind would stop getting in the way.  Disagreements concerning God create many problems.

1.  First, mankind struggles with self-centered living.  We are accustomed to think that no one in no way has the right to ever tell us how to live.  Divine or mortal, we do not like someone telling us where we are wrong and where we are right.

The account of Adam and Eve’s rebellion contained in the Jewish scriptures (Genesis 3) gives great insight into this problem.  Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempts the first couple with the possibility of being like God.  He knew that the greatest desire of mankind even in the early days was not to follow God but to become God.  Versus obeying someone else’s wishes, they wanted to set the standards for living.

2.  Second, mankind differs in their perception of God.  The precious ability to think and speak our minds is a gift where it is granted, but that same freedom also allows others to disagree with our beliefs.  If one person claims that God exists and another claims he does not, can they both be correct?  If one person claims that God will be merciful on all people on Judgment Day regardless of merit or religious convictions and another person claims that God will justly condemn those unrepentant people, can both of these people be correct?

This conflict doesn’t answer the question what God is like or even if God exists, it just reveals the fact that if we rely on each other’s opinions concerning the divine, we are only left with mere opinions.  Opinions devoid of any apparent authority will continue to enable religious conflicts that have plagued history.

A. W. Tozer was a brilliant theologian and successful pastor of the mid-1900s.  In his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, he presented a thesis statement that signifies the importance of answering the God question.  He wrote, “What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.”  On first read, that statement may seem a bit dramatic, but is he on to something here?

If someone thinks God is a lighting-bolt throwing angry titan in the sky, that person will carefully calculate how he or she lives his or her life.

If someone thinks God could care less about the chaotic condition of this planet, that person will probably not seek God for help amidst growing concerns.

If someone thinks that God does not exist, the only accountability that person can have is himself or herself.

“What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.”

3.  Third, the postmodern philosophy attempts to squelch certain religious beliefs.  Postmodernism, also referred to as relativism, is the notion that there is no absolute truth.  What’s true for one does not mean it has necessarily to be true for another.  Developed by the desire to see unity among mankind’s search for truth, it has attempted to silence exclusivist religions from maintaining certain doctrinal stances.

If a certain religion contains beliefs that are exclusive, postmodernism claims it does not have the right.  Postmodernism claims absolutely that there can be no absolute truth.  In this day and time, if a religion claims itself uniquely correct, it is dismissed as a system of intolerant beliefs.

So then, how does one answer the God Question?  [More to come...]

I’m teaching RELI 101: Sacred Texts & Ideas at Lander University again next semester.  The time for the class is Tues-Thurs from 1:15-2:45.  I’ve had some questions about the course, so I thought I would provide some answers this morning.

1. What does “Sacred Texts & Ideas” mean anyway? I didn’t come up with the title, in fact, before me, no one had ever taught the class at Lander.  It’s basically an introduction into religion, faith, and the scriptures of differing faiths.  Its an intro to fundamental religious thought.
2. Is it easy? That depends upon how you define easy.  I am fair, and the class is spelled out.  I used to hate classes where I didn’t know what to expect from professors, so that is why I spell everything out in the beginning.  My two previous classes would say it was interesting and you know what’s expected of you.  Most people got really good grades.
3. What do you cover? In addition to faith, the concept of God, arguments for the existence of God, the nature of Scripture, we also look at five major world religions and their scriptures: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
4. What does it count as? It can be a general elective, but if you get a course substitution form and work with your advisor, it can count as a humanities elective.
5. I don’t know if I can take it this semester, will you teach it next year? Possibly.  I didn’t teach it this semester due to Lander having to cut most adjunct faculty due to budget reasons.  So if they ask me to teach it again, I will teach again.  If they ask me to teach something else, I’ll probably do that as well.  As long as its not math.  Wouldn’t be too good.
6. Is there a project? The big assignment of the semester comes towards the end of the class, and its very simple.  You must answer the question “Why do you believe what you believe?”  You don’t receive grades due to what you believe, your grade will come out of can you articulate why you believe that way.  Answers such as “that’s what my mom taught me,” or “I grew up that way” do not suffice.  You have to really do some soul-searching and some study for this deal.  Students love this project.  It is challenging, but you come out way stronger in the end.

Hope that answers your questions.  If you have any more, feel free to comment and I will answer them for you.  Hope to see you there!