The Good Confession

            The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have gotten a couple of things right—really right.  One is Lord’s Supper and the other is the Good Confession.  The Good Confession says:  we confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and we proclaim Lord and Savior of the world.  We have used this Good Confession or some variant of it for 200 years.  Why am I so bold as to say it’s one of the things we got right?  I’m glad you asked:

            The Good Confession is Biblical.  Some Christian groups load up their followers with long and complicated statements of faith which people must either adhere to or find some other place to worship.  Other groups expect a highly emotional testimony of conversion in order to justify membership.  The titles of the Good Confession are all biblical:  Christ (Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21), Son of the Living God (1 John 4;15), Lord (Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:5-11), and Savior (Acts 4:5-12).  The Good Confession asks no more and no less than that which the New Testament expects believers to confession. 

            The Good Confession is personal and communal.  I said that we had used the good confession or some variant of it.  That’s because sometimes we say, “We” and sometimes we say, “I.”  These words belong to the whole church yet, to claim Jesus as Lord and Savior is to claim Jesus as one’s own Lord and one’s own savior. 

            The Good Confession is simple.  An ancient rabbi was once asked to explain the whole of a sacred text “while standing on one foot.”  His entire answer deserves attention but, why the request that he give it while standing on one foot?  Because religious people have a habit of going on and on for a long time.  The Good Confession can be spoken in a single breath and yet it still says so much. 

Speeches in Acts. Thoughts on 40 Days from Dreams to Decisions

As we work through the book of Acts, we should pay attention to the speeches.  We should pay attention to the speeches because there are a lot of them.  And we should pay attention to the speeches because they matter.  My professor David Balch who is now at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary had a lot to say about the speeches in Acts.  He also had a lot to say about boundary crossing.  Balch sees Luke 1:3 as a key to understanding the Gospel of Luke and its sequel, the book of Acts, "I propose that Luke 1:3 be translated: 'I too, having mentally followed all things from the beginning with respect to cause and effect, decided to write you in a full and orderly manner, most excellent Theophilus,' meaning that unlike his predecessors (perhaps, unlike Mark) who wrote briefly, Luke would include rhetorical speeches that indicate the causes and consequences of the events of salvation history."  He wrote this in an essay for the International Society of Biblical Literature.  I don't know where you'd find the published copy, I've got a paper manuscript in my files. 

I'll cut to the chase, if we accept Acts as a meeting ground for our understanding of the church, then we need to take seriously Acts claim about the messages that get delivered.  It is the spoken message that initiates the action in Acts.  Let me say that again, it is the spoken message that initiates actions in Acts.  I think we may have gotten side-tracked by three issues: (1) our near-dogmatic belief that actions of service speak for themselves and that our good works inherently point to the good news; (2) arguments about style and channels we use to convey the message and inattention to the message itself, (3) our tendency to replace Christ himself with the church.  Perhaps it is time that we focus in a new way about what it is we are actually trying to say before we try to think about how we say it.  

Scripture Reading Plan

Scripture and Prayer
Discernment is decision making informed by scripture and guided by prayer.  As you enter into these forty days, consider the following prayer-form:

1.  Pray for understanding:  Lord, as I read your word, help me to understand. 
2.  Read the scripture
3.  Pray through Path

• P--Pray a prayer of Praise--Lord, I praise you for all that you have done.
• A--Pray a prayer of Apology--Lord, I apologize to you for . . .
• T--Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving--Lord, I thank you for . . .
• H--Ask God for Help--Lord, help me . . . my family . . . my church . . . . 

• Sept 15--Acts 1:1–5
  Sept 16--Acts 1:6–11, Acts 2:1–4
  Sept 17--Acts 2:14–21
  Sept 18--Acts 2:22–36
  Sept 19--Acts 2:37–41
  Sept 20--Acts 4:32–37
  Sept 21--Acts 6
  Sept 22--Acts 7:1–7
  Sept 23--Acts 7:8–15
  Sept 24--Acts 7:16–25
  Sept 25--Acts 7:26–32
  Sept 26--Acts 7:33–41
  Sept 27--Acts 7:42–53
  Sept 28--Acts 7:54–60
  Sept 29--Acts 8:1–3, 8:26–30
  Sept 30--Acts 8:31–40
  Oct 1--Acts 9:1–7
  Oct 2--Acts 9:8–19
  Oct 3--Acts 9:36–43
  Oct 4--Acts 10:1–10
  Oct 5--Acts 10:11–17
  Oct 6--Acts 10:18–26
  Oct 7--Acts 10:27–33
  Oct 8--Acts 10:34–43
  Oct 9--Acts 10:44–11:6
  Oct 10--Acts 11:7–18
  Oct 11--Acts 11:19–23
  Oct 12--Acts 11:24–30
  Oct 13--Acts 13:4–12
  Oct 14--Acts 15:1–13
  Oct 15--Acts 15:14–21
  Oct 16--Acts 17:16–24
  Oct 17--Acts 17:25–34
  Oct 18--Acts 21:27–36
  Oct 19--Acts 21:37–22:5
  Oct 20--Acts 22:6–16
  Oct 21--Acts 22:17–22
  Oct 22--Acts 28:1–10
  Oct 23--Acts 28:11–22
  Oct 24--Acts 28:23–30
  
  
  
  

FaithLife Explanation Videos

Here are two brief videos to help people engage FaithLife web and iPhone tools as we move toward our Dreams to Decisions discussion and discernment.  They are meant mainly for FCC Arlington people but, if you find them helpful, great.  Most importantly, spend time in scripture and find people to discuss it with. 

My explanation of the FaithLife Web Browser Portal
My explanation of the FaithLife iPhone App

FaithLife iPhone App Demo

Here are two brief videos to help people engage FaithLife web and iPhone tools as we move toward our Dreams to Decisions discussion and discernment.  They are meant mainly for FCC Arlington people but, if you find them helpful, great.  Most importantly, spend time in scripture and find people to discuss it with. 

My explanation of the FaithLife iPhone App
My explanation of the FaithLife Web-browser Community

Culture of Church and the Death of Church

Myiesha Cherry's "10 Thoughts on Tyler Perry and Bishop Jakes, Evangelicals, Money." discusses sensational response to the $1 million donation Tyler Perry publicly made to TD Jakes's ministry, his praying in the Spirit, and praying over TD Jakes who becomes slain in the Spirit.  This whole milieu is easily misunderstood and subsequently judged by people like me who are only tangentially familiar with the charismatic, evangelical and black church traditions represented here.   Consequently, I could only listen in on Dr. Cherry's thoughts as one eavesdropping on a conversation.  But her final comment caught my attention. She wrote:

I predict the "culture of church" will be the death of the church. Until the church gets more focused on the teachings of Jesus and less focused on a manipulative concept of success, emotionalism, and dogmatism; it will always look like foolishness to outsiders and feel "only" like church to insiders.

 How easily could this comment be lifted from its immediate context and be applied to a number of different situations?  Denominational structures are deteriorating but make the necessary changes seems mired in the "culture of church."  Congregations argue over worship style and loose sight of worship subject.  

  

Dreams to Decisions Discussion

As we approach the Dreams the Decisions Retreat October 25-27, I am asking each member--whether attending the retreat or not--to join in 40 Days of Prayer and Discernment.  Scripture and Prayer and Discussion are key elements of discernment.  I have thought about and explored a number of different ways that we could As we As we approach the Dreams the Decisions Retreat October 25-27, I am asking each member--whether attending the retreat or not--to join in 40 Days of Prayer and Discernment.  Scripture and Prayer and Discussion are key elements of discernment.  I have thought about and explored a number of different ways that we could facilitate discussion online.  I believe our best option is to use the FaithLife Community.  I know it's always risky asking people to set up yet another account with another online source.  But, FaithLife is run by Logos Bible Software--a company I've done business with and trusted for close to fifteen years.
Below are the instructions for connecting with First Christian Church.

1.  Go to https://faithlife.com/first-christian-church-arlington-texas

2.  Click the Link, "Ask to Join"

3.  It will take you to a page and ask you to set up a faithlife account.  Once you have given them basic information about yourself, it will invite you to join a group.  You want the First Christian Church, Arlington, Texas group that is identified with the sunrise photo.

4. Once you've set up your account and been approved to join the First Christian Church Group (it's a practical matter not a test of fellowship), you will see a link in your sidebar that's labeled FCCA.  Through this link, you'll see our reading plan (scriptures where I'd ask you to read with me during the 40 days from Dreams to Decisions)--post by September 15, 2013.  As you are reading there will be discussion questions and other posts where you can engage in discussion.
NOTE:  There is also a faithlife app for iPhone/iPad, Android and Kindle Fire.

 --Andy Mangum