new church life: september/october 2016
He sees that the overarching theme of the Bible leads to Jesus Christ, and
he is on the right track. The whole of the Word really is helping us to see and
know the Lord in His Divine Human.
Many of Limbaugh’s instincts are good: “Though the Bible comprises
many diverse books with different stories, it is ultimately one story of God’s
redemptive plan for man, whom He created purposely in His image for His
glory, and for a personal relationship with Himself.”
But he also is limited in his understanding by just the letter of the Word.
He still believes, for instance, that the flood of Noah was real and that such
judgment will come again into the world. And he sincerely believes that faith
alone redeems.
Yes, we are blessed to have the internal sense, but that does not make us
special. It just gives us opportunity and responsibility. We are all wayfarers on
that road to Emmaus, having our eyes opened to the meaning of the Scripture,
and doing what we can to help any pilgrims along the way. They are searching
too for any light we can offer.
(BMH)
change and the church
The world has been changing since time began. It just seems to happen at warp
speed now. We have to wonder not only what revolutionary changes will mean
in our lives – and the lives of our grandchildren – but what it will mean to our
culture and our church.
Consider: Just 20 years ago Kodak dominated the world of photography.
Within a few years it was put out of business by digital photography, and digital
cameras have since been rendered virtually obsolete by iPhones. This sort of
New Age Industrial Revolution will quickly overtake other industries in the
next few years – from health care and education to artificial intelligence, 3D
printing and self-driving electric cars.
Change can erupt before we even know it. While some of us still are
figuring out what Uber and Airbnb mean, Uber is suddenly the biggest taxi
company in the world, without owning a single car, and Airbnb is the biggest
hotel company in the world without owning any properties.
Today’s young people are facing a whole new set of challenges: What will
survive in this environment, and how can we do it better? But those of us
happy to be on the sidelines still need to be aware of where trends are taking
us – and what needs to be preserved?
The question is most acute when it comes to the future of the New
Church. You can see a report from the Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss Jr. on page 498 on
the General Church’s strategic plan for the near future. We are also witnessing
498