Life In Greencastle

"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me." - John 1:43 Yesterday, we began our new Bible Study Simply Christian  - a ten-week exploration of the basics of our Christian faith.  We had a great turn out and even better conversation.  Part of our discussion focused on what changes have occurred in our culture over the last seventy years - changes that may make it harder to be a Christian today.   But, sometimes it strikes me that talking about things like the course of history or changes in our culture are just ways for us to make something very simple very complicated.  In the opening of John's Gospel, Jesus begins his ministry directly.  He doesn't mince words.  He doesn't try to give a long explanation about the benefits of following him.  And he doesn't try to explain culturally or theologically who he is.   No.  He just says it:  "Follow me."  That's it.  To the point.

"Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.  And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, 'This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.'   So he told them this parable:  'Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?" - Luke 15:1-4 We had a wonderful conversation in our Bible study yesterday, and one of the things I took away from that conversation was Jesus' own radical care for people outside the church and - consequently - our own call to do likewise.   It has me thinking this morning of one of Jesus' more famous parables:  the parable of the lost sheep.  Set as the first of three power statements on Jesus' radical love for the outcast (the lost sheep/the lost coin/the lost son), Jesus wants to make one thing absolutely clear:   there is a tremendous difference be

Ever feel like being a Christian today means you are constantly misunderstood?  To some people, when they hear your a Presbyterian, they think you don't believe in the Bible?  Other people hear that you're a Christian and think you're a crazy conservative who is closed-minded and small-hearted? Join us on Sunday mornings throughout this winter as we watch 10 videos on what it means to be Christian.  In videos featuring Anglican Bishop N. T. Wright, we'll have the opportunity to think about the common truths and graces that bind all of humanity together, the particular story of the Bible as well as who Jesus is, and the importance of the Church today as well as what we hope for in the future.  The class begins Sunday, January 13th @ 9:30 am. Here's a video of N. T. Wright talking about his book on which the videos are based.  May it be a great reminder to you of the things which we believe, which are are hope and our joy. In Christ, Wes