What’s Going on at the Church
“Weighing Truth and Life”
There is a tendency in our modern society and even in the church to have some skepticism about miracles. In some ways, that is a healthy point of view. We know that there are some whose churches put a lot of effort into faking miracles. When they are discovered the rationale is usually that it helps people to have faith in Christ. Another reason for skepticism is our modern world views value predictability, order and control more than mystery and wonder. The modern world view thinks of the world in terms of the natural laws that govern it. That point of view makes it difficult to entertain the possibility that God might intervene. The following are some helpful ideas on this topic from Will Willimon.
“What if there is more going on in us and in the world than we have been led to believe by the modern worldview? What if the “modern worldview is a fiction, just another in the long line of futile human attempts to play God? What if the gospels are right- that something’s afoot that can never be fully contained or described by our human modes of coping with the unknown? In the miracles, it is as if Jesus pulls back the veil that separates the real from the unreal and shows us what’s really going on behind the curtain of our limited notions of what’s what. In Miracles, God reserves God’s right to work in ways that disrupt our settled opinions of just what God can and cannot do.
Fortunately, whether or not you find the miracles of Jesus to be a catalyst to faith in Jesus, none of the gospels seem interested in making them a substitute for the main thing: Jesus himself. Jesus is more than a member of the healthcare delivery team. Jesus has come for even more than the alleviation of human suffering due to illness. The one miracle, the central sign, and wonder that puts all else about Jesus into proper perspective is his resurrection. It is very important for us to believe, or at least have enough intellectual guts to be on our way to believing that God did something very different, something uniquely revealing, in raising Jesus.
Now we get it, his disciples said after his resurrection. Now we see that your healing arts were a sign of a much larger project even than your miraculous work among some hurting people. Now we see that you are determined to have nothing less than the defeat of sin, and death and the whole hurting world delivered back into the hands of God. In that ultimate sign and wonder is the turning point of history, the beginning of humanity’s great turn toward God.“
Blessing and Peace, Ed
Looking to donate to our thrift sales?
If you have any furniture to donate, please take a photo of what you have and send the photos to office@1stpresrahway.org. At this time, we’re not accepting clothes or shoes.
Members usually work on Wednesday’s for our sales from 10:30 am -1:30 pm. If that’s not a convenient time for you to drop off donations, other arrangements can be made. Please email the church office and your request will be forwarded to the “sales crew” so they can respond to your inquiry.
As always, thank you to all who donate. Our sales have been a great success this year because of you!
Important Message from the USRC Board of Directors:
Please read these guidelines about Squier Hall and the formation of the USRC Board of Directors, who will be overseeing the groups meeting in Squier.
As part of the guidelines, please use this form if you have any concerns so that they can be addressed.
Interested in Getting Involved?
We have a lot of different ways for you to get involved – short-term projects, one-time opportunities, working with our livestream technology on Sundays, plus much more. Click on the button below to see what we have on our ‘volunteer wish list’. As more opportunities become available, we will be sure to update our listings.