[Final version of Spiritual Christianity: Theology, Simplified]
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r85tCpqvFYNHYQAsp-F7XTtH1C-Yhzpj1NfBTrXRHOI/edit?usp=sharing
Update: Accepted as a Poster Session. Slides now available.
Abstract submitted for PassionTalks 2018 on Saturday, August 11th at Convergence House of Prayer in Fremont, CA.
Spiritual Christianity arose from a series of blog posts I wrote to prepare my seven-year-old daughter for baptism. I wanted her to start out with a faith that was:
Anjali’s Catechism: The Book is coming in Summer 2019. Preview now.
Are you ready to:
The Gospel: God Loves Us Like Jesus
You are an amazing person. You have a lot in common with other people, but there is nobody quite like you.
God is amazing. We are like God, but God is not like us.
Psalm 151A psalm of Ernie, while waiting for funding
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Exalt His holy name.
For the LORD is good at being God, and deserves the highest praise.
The evil one laid many snares for me
Wicked and immature men plotted against me
But the Lord delivered me from them all.
Death, where is thy victory?
Shame, where is thy sting?
Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him.
Even if my body should be burned, and all my possessions sold to the poor, yet I shall be rich in Him.
His rod of justice and staff of correction, they comfort me in my light and momentary afflictions, for they are achieving an eternal weight of glory.
Rejoice, you who call on the name of the Lord. Remember all His mercies towards us. His kindness never fails. His love never ends.
Bless the Lord, all Ye children of Zion. Praise Him with harmonica and ukulele, with GarageBand and six-string guitar.
All those who surrender to Him will never be put to shame.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Alleluia. Amen.
Part 5 of 6 in the series Childlike Theology:
As children, we express faith in our parents by obeying them to stay safe. As adolescents, we risk danger in order to express faith in ourselves.
I have come to believe that the hallmark of a mature faith is wise risk. Which implies we should be designing our lives — and churches — to maximize learning rather than avoid failure.
boIn Which Diligently Searching God’s Word Leads Us to Truth
Few disciplines are as essential — or as dangerous! — as studying the words and works of God. Used in the wrong spirit, theology can become a heavy burden or a useless distraction (cf. Matthew 23:4). But when taught by the Holy Spirit, God’s word becomes the very source of life itself (cf. Luke 4:4). The challenge to us, as to Timothy, is whether we will apply God’s word rightly…
Memory Verse: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
