Blog question for the week following August 23, 2009

1. Please read Ephesians 6:10-20. Visualize the images presented by the writer: the armor of God, praying in the Spirit constantly, wearing chains. All speak to our calling to provide an assertive Christian witness to the world.

I saw a poll the other day in which 81% of Christians professed to be open-minded. In the same poll, only 56% of non-Christians found Christians to be open-minded. What does this mean? Does any attempt to speak of faith in Jesus Christ, or to live as a Christian, come across as intolerant in a world in which everyone lives in his or her own private universe? Or is there a problem with Christians that they themselves don't recognize? What is the correlation between being a person of conviction and being open-minded? What are the limits to the church's hospitality? Do we have standards?

Blog question for the week following August 16, 2009

Read Ephesians 5:15-20. The writer urges us to "make the most of the time (literally, to redeem or buy back the time)." As you reflect on your past, what time have you used well? What time have you abused, or what amount of your time have others abused?

The writer gives 5 admonitions about buying back the time, i.e. taking responsibility for it:

1. Be conscious of time as God's time, that is, be fully aware of the passing of time.
2. Allow God's Spirit to give you strength and guidance for the good use of time.
3. Gauge your words carefully, knowing that your words construct the social reality that you and others experience in time and space.
4. Let all words and deeds be acts of worship that honor God and love neighbor.
5. Live a life of thanks giving.

Think deeply about what all this might mean for you, and please post your blog.