When I was a kid I believed that God liked me especially well. It often snowed on my birthday (early in November) I had an uncle named Elmer who would play secret agent with me whenever I would ask. Need more evidence? My mom & dad loved to have company over for Sunday dinner – especially people who would laugh a lot and tell great stories (college students from local schools, missionaries home on furlough, and their own friends from seminary days). And what about this: I never had a shortage of Crayola crayons or No.2 pencils or college lined notebook paper. And in our house, when life gave us lemons, we scooped ice cream and got out the Hershey’s syrup.
My view of God has changed – as has my view of myself. I find it more difficult to believe that God loves me as much as He does. His extraordinary and extravagant love overwhelms my imagination, even on my best days. I also now know that His love for me is no more and no less than His love for any other person He created.
"For God loved the world so much, he gave is one and only Son..."
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Through the TRANSLATION of HIS WORD
In Dr. Lamin Senneh'’s book, Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel beyond the West, the author makes a pretty clear case for the foundational importance of Bible translation.
Senneh, a native of Gambia and professor at Yale Divinity School, answers the question of why Christianity has flooded Africa and Asia. He suggests that mother tongues—native languages as a means of translating the Gospel—were the catalyst for such change. The importance of mother tongue translation is found in the fact that the "New Testament Gospels are a translated version of the message of Jesus, and that means Christianity is a translated religion without a revealed language." Senneh builds on this premise, showing translation as a benchmark of the Christian Church.
He further involves the reader in discussion on the importance of mother tongue translation of the Bible, citing interesting facts such as the Bible adopted into its canon the indigenous names for God. Interesting argument. I'd never thought of it myself, that's for sure.
Rather than having a faith dictated to them, anyone (but especially the minority language speaker whose language, along with the rest of his culture, has been used to "prove" his low status) with translated scripture has a sense of pride—a sentiment born from the notion that God cares about them so much, he can speak to them in their own language.
Senneh, a native of Gambia and professor at Yale Divinity School, answers the question of why Christianity has flooded Africa and Asia. He suggests that mother tongues—native languages as a means of translating the Gospel—were the catalyst for such change. The importance of mother tongue translation is found in the fact that the "New Testament Gospels are a translated version of the message of Jesus, and that means Christianity is a translated religion without a revealed language." Senneh builds on this premise, showing translation as a benchmark of the Christian Church.
He further involves the reader in discussion on the importance of mother tongue translation of the Bible, citing interesting facts such as the Bible adopted into its canon the indigenous names for God. Interesting argument. I'd never thought of it myself, that's for sure.
Rather than having a faith dictated to them, anyone (but especially the minority language speaker whose language, along with the rest of his culture, has been used to "prove" his low status) with translated scripture has a sense of pride—a sentiment born from the notion that God cares about them so much, he can speak to them in their own language.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
The GLORY of GOD
Remember Bob Dylan’s declaration that you’ve “Gotta Serve Somebody?” Long before that, Jesus said “No one can serve two masters. Either he will love the one and hate the other or be devote to one and despise the other.”
We serve what we love, and that service IS worship. Genuine service points others to the one being served and away from the one serving. (I’ve been watching old British mysteries and learning a lot about servants.)
If you know me well, you know that I really like to THINK about stuff like this. I’m committed, though, to do more than think. I want my living and working to BE WORSHIP – to point others to God and His glory.
We serve what we love, and that service IS worship. Genuine service points others to the one being served and away from the one serving. (I’ve been watching old British mysteries and learning a lot about servants.)
If you know me well, you know that I really like to THINK about stuff like this. I’m committed, though, to do more than think. I want my living and working to BE WORSHIP – to point others to God and His glory.
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