Series - Losing Our Moral Compass (Abandoned Baby Girl Dies)

Last week was not a good week for me. It did not compare to the tragedy reported on TV and in newspapers about an infant girl left on a doorstep in Northeast Washington in freezing temperatures whose short life was over even before it started. The reports varied on the infant’s age, some saying newborn, others saying a week, and a few saying a month old.

It takes a lot to make me cry. And this was the straw that broke the infamous camel’s back. My family life was always a challenge, and there were and are still times when I feel I wasn’t wanted. Yet, I can’t say they ever abandoned me or tried to give me away.

Maybe the mother thought someone would open the door quickly and find the child. If so, she thought wrong. Maybe someone else interfered and hoped to find a better home. It strikes me as odd that the baby was left at someone’s home instead of a hospital or police station.  This may be one time we can’t walk in someone else’s shoes.

My heart aches for the panic felt by the man who found her and whose father tried to revive her. They are still heroes in my book for trying.

The only comfort I take from this is that the child is with God. May He bless her and keep her in His loving embrace.

How Many Paths Are There To God?

This being the 2011 Christmas season our pastors are preaching on Advent topics. On December 4^th, Rev. Ted Wright posed the question: “Is Jesus the Only Way to Heaven?”

The short answer is ‘Yes’, for Christians that is. If so, then why did Rev. Ted preach this sermon? Over the summer, our pastors asked us for sermon topics and this question was raised by several submitters because several parishioners feel there were other paths to Heaven. This idea of anything goes is reinforced by TV. I like the TV show Royal Pains especially the character Divya Katdare played by Reshma Shetty. When USA Network ran its “Characters Unite” commercials in December 2009, Reshma said among other things that she believes “in all paths to God.” As a Christian, I was not happy to hear this because I know there is only one path to God: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.

In America we have many freedoms and many religious beliefs. But, for some reason, in recent decades, the two are hitting heads. I respect Reshma’s right to say what she believes but I was concerned that less staunch Christians would take this as confirmation that the margin to enter Heaven is wider than they are taught. It is not. John 14:6 says it simply and clearly:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…” (NIV)

“Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way to Him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all.” (CH Spurgeon, 2/4 PM).

In the current political climate, Christians are not supposed to speak up and out for and in defense of our beliefs. As an American, I have the same right to say there is God as those who say there isn’t one. So, why is my freedom of speech being curtailed?

In the current political and social climate, Christians have become lax in evangelism. To be clear, evangelism is not shoving our beliefs down someone else’s throat. We are to live out our beliefs by example and avail ourselves of opportunities to tell others how great Jesus has been to us.

Mohammad and Buddha never claimed to be God (Buddha didn’t even believe in God) and did not die for our sins. Hebrews 9:22 states “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Mohammad and Buddha were not resurrected – be aware Jesus was seen by many people AFTER his death. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14, NRSV)     

In sum, the world’s religions do not worship the same God and all paths do not lead to Heaven, just the one.

Father, forgive those who do not understand. Amen

Creationism and Evolution

Today was our first Fall 2011 Bible study class using the FaitherWeaver curriculum.  The plan is for both parents and children study the same topic so they can discuss it later at home. While I don’t have children, I am always interested in how to start small in spreading God’s word.

Our class started with Genesis and how to explain the difference between the Bible’s description of creation and the scientific theory of evolution espoused in all public schools. BTW-I am old enough to remember when God was not a forbidden public school subject and feel we declined as a nation when the Evil one got judges to say it’s not allowed any more.

Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church (GPC) is an amazing church. We have scientists and theologians and a wide diversity in members from Africa to Korea and in-between. So, we had a variety of views.

The overarching conclusion was that the two are not mutually exclusive. God is the who and science is the how. God created the world but we don’t yet know exactly how (i.e., science’s contribution).

My life’s learning brought these items to their attention:

• Time is not linear. The expanse of time that awes scientist is based on time being a straight line so they incorrectly conclude the Bible is wrong.
• A day wasn’t ‘24 hours” until the Earth was fully created and rotating on its axis.
• Humans decided what category ancient skeletal remains fit into. It was not God who said “man starts with Homo Sapiens”.
• Francis Collins, one of the decoders of the Human Genome, says that DNA evidences proves that all humans come from a single ancestor.

When all is said and done, science proves the Bible’s point of man’s origin starting with a single source. Not the opposite. I love it when turn about is fair play! Amen.

PS: Click here to see the description of the course: http://www.gpchurch.org/Adults/AdultEducation/2011AdultEducationFallCourses/tabid/47692/Default.aspx

See also the Internet Monk for a great explanation on how literal or not to take the Christian Bible: http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/my-view-of-scripture

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord (Psalm 77:11)

Writer Susan Foster challenges readers to "Write down ten things for which you are grateful." Give it a try.

She closes in prayer: "God of yesterday, today and tomorrow, let me relive past moments of miracles so that I might praise you today. Amen."

These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith, Vol 40 (2), June 23.

Hourly Struggles

Have you ever felt that evil was winning? That no matter what you did, you ended up on the wrong end of the stick? You probably already know that you aren’t alone. For decades, no matter how good I tried to be, no matter how persevering, I just seemed to lose in the end.

My spiritual journey has many gaps as well as the normal ups and downs. This may seem like an oxymoron, but I was raised Catholic by non-believers. I hung in there until Confirmation. Then, in my early 40s, I found Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church and have grown spiritually over the last ten years. What I learned is that my childhood wish that things would keep improving until I died was really a “childish” wish.

The reason why became clearer as I read CH Spurgeon’s devotion for the morning of March 2^nd: “We are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of evil.” The Christian Bible never promises a trouble free life. In fact, it says just the opposite: “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” (John 16:33) The evil of the world will plague mankind until the Second Coming of Jesus. This plague comes from within as well as from without. Being left alone is also a long-held desire for me. Spurgeon’s evening devotion for February 20^th warned me that evil comes even in solitude.

What I also learned is that I should not try to avoid temptation. The first reason is that unless I have achieved a mature holy spirit, I will be an easy pawn for Satan. The second is that there are things to be learned from trials that can be shared with others. This works for me because I don’t feel I wasted my suffering. The third reason is that earthly imperfections need to be weaned out of me if I want to go to Heaven.

What is the practical solution to this? I must continue to study scripture and mature spiritually so I can put the whole armor of God on “for the arch-deceiver will seize [my] first unguarded hour to make [me] his prey.” (February 20^th)