So, today I read Zion's Herald magazine - somehow I got an issue in the mail - I think because I used to suscribe to The Other Side, which is no longer.
Anyway, I liked the magazine overall - some really provactive intriguing articles. I especially recommend this article (you can only read part online without subscribing) by John Robert McFarland, in which he suggests it is time for the UMC to call it quits and for its members to go their separate ways. I'm not saying I agree with McFarland - I don't, though in moments of discouragement I do - but he writes a good article, and the magazine also includes several well-written responses to his article.
Also well done in this issue:
An article about what Jane Goodall is up to these days and
A story on how the witness of Archbishop Oscar Romero lives on
1 comment:
Beth,
I don’t know John Robert McFarland from Adam’s housecat. I haven’t read one single work of his. I looked on the web today. I went to the article, and, as you said, I can only read part of it. I did ask for a free copy and I hope they send me the current issue, but I am not counting on it.
I haven’t read all his argument, but I don’t think I need to see the rest.
As you well know, In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Christ told St. John to write a letter to each of the seven churches in Asia Minor. I know this can be debated, (you went to divinity school, I’m just an engineer, so you know better than I) but it is a long held belief within the Christian faith that these seven churches have a two fold representation. (1) They represent the various ages of the universal Christian Church from the time of Christ until his return. (2) They represent the seven types of church bodies that you can have in any one age. I personally believe that both are equally true. As you know, Christ gives a review with praise and encouragement and admonition for each of the seven. The last and worst church is the church of Laodicea. However, even in his admonition of this church, Christ tells them what they need to fix and change. He doesn’t say, “y’all might as well sell your building and go join the church down the road in Sardis or Ephesus because you are a crappie church”.
Thus, I am going with the example set by Christ. There are many things in the UMC that need fixing. I agree wholeheartedly. However, telling the UMC to close up shop it definitely an unChristian thing to say or write. The mission of our United Methodist Church is the same today as it was for the apostles. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost in all the world Yes, we can do that a heck of a lot more efficiently than we do now, but we can’t do it at all if we close down the church. As I said, I don’t know Mr. McFarland, but that is a message that I would expect to hear from the Enemy, not an ambassador of Christ.
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