God’s gifts of science and technology

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’ve always been delighted by the cool gadgets displayed in Star Trek since it began in 1966. Today, some of those gadgets are part of our everyday lives—things like cell phones, voice recognition software, translators, medical sensors, wireless door openers, video conferencing, holograms, 3-D printers, and hydro-spray injectors. Many of us “trekkers” wish someone would invent a transporter to beam us from one location to another. That would do away with the need for long airplane and automobile rides!

The Guinness Book of Answers notes that the vast majority of scientific inventions originated in Europe, the UK and the USA. Many of these have been listed on the Eupedia website. Though some people view technology as “a tool of the devil,” the truth is that many of the advances in technology resulted from the work of scientists holding a Christian worldview—men like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Pasteur. These men dedicated their lives to studying what they considered to be God’s handiwork and the fruit of their labors have assisted all humanity, including the work of the church in advancing its mission (think of such technologies as the printing press, rapid travel and mass media).

"Sir_Isaac_Newton_(1643-1727) — Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
public domain
via Wikimedia Commons

Despite the widely-held myth that Christianity and science are hopelessly at odds, the facts say otherwise. In his 1925 lectures, English mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead pointed out that Christianity is “the mother of science because of the insistence on the rationality of God.” The basis of modern physics was established by such Christians as Newton, Gauss, Faraday, Maxwell, and Lord Kelvin, to name a few. God who created everything that science studies, gave humanity the ability to understand what he created.

Instead of a conflict between Christianity and science, what actually exists is a conflict between opposing worldviews. A prime example is the conflict between a biblical worldview and one known as “Greek philosophical dualism.” This form of dualism, which reaches as far back as Plato and Aristotle, posits two spheres of reality—a transcendent sphere that is impersonal, unreachable and unknowable; and a human sphere that is finite and temporary (and thus has no future). By New Testament times, this worldview posited the separation of mind from body, and the spiritual (which is good) from the material (which is evil). The human sphere of material things was seen as a “prison house” of the soul with human persons regarded ultimately as unreal. Temporary individual souls would be released at death to be absorbed back into the impersonal transcendent sphere. Within this dualistic worldview there is no place for a personal God, and if there were a God who “lives” in the transcendent realm, he certainly would have nothing directly to do with the human/material realm, much less becoming incarnate in that realm in order to provide salvation for humanity.

In the time of the New Testament and beyond, biblical Christianity directly challenged Greek philosophical dualism by pointing to the God revealed in Jesus Christ who is Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of the entire cosmos. Nevertheless, dualism flourishes in our day, positing a gap between God and creation assumed to be unbridgeable even by God himself. It asserts that God cannot be known, or could not come to us in person to reveal himself in human form—not even in the person of Jesus.

Unfortunately, and especially since Darwin, some scientists, embracing the ungrounded philosophical assumptions of this dualism, have declared that only empirical truths of material things can be truly known. That is quite ironic, because in making that declaration they rely on philosophical assumptions that have no empirical proof. Whether individual scientists believe it or not, the scientific method itself depends on God. Science and technology are based on a real, ordered, and amazingly stable, rational (knowable) cosmos. Science and technology wouldn’t even be possible without these predictable realities. Said another way, scientific discovery and the technologies that result are possible only because scientists have faith that there are rational, reliable laws in operation that are constant and discoverable, and that the human mind is capable of actually knowing things that are external to that mind.

Scientists do not make the laws of nature—rather they are able to discover those laws because there is a real, rational, interactive dynamic at work in the universe. The Christian worldview can identify who made those laws of nature, and as Christians, we know there is more than just natural law. Our theology of nature gives us good reasons to study and learn about God’s creation by honest experimentation. That theology explains why scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs discover new ways to do new things, resulting in the amazing technologies that intrigue and benefit us. The complex and dynamic laws of nature that scientists discover and depend upon for their methodical exploration are part of God’s trinitarian, creative and sustaining plan: from the Father, spoken through the Son (the living Word), in the power and breath of the Holy Spirit.

I’m reminded here of what the apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Rome: “[God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20 ESV). God is immaterial (spiritual, not physical), invisible, powerful and transcendent over his creation. Nevertheless, his fingerprints, so to speak, are all over that creation. We see this in the complex genetic code in DNA and the way the atomic structure behaves. It is from the created world that all technology is born. As Paul states, there simply is no justifiable reason to outright deny the existence of a creator God. To the contrary, there is every reason to consider the claims of Jesus preserved in Holy Scripture and declared by the Church that God is Creator, Reconciler and Redeemer.

Used with permission, Leadership Magazine — Used with permission, Leadership Journal (cartoons)

While it certainly is true that science and technology have been used for horrific evil, it is also true that they have been used for great good. The behaviors and motives of the users are the deciding factor. On the side of what is good, our own denomination uses computer technology to multiply our effectiveness in spreading the good news of Jesus to the world. Our GCI.org website gets thousands of pageviews daily from hundreds of visitors. Every week, we receive emails from independent churches and students of Scripture who say they’ve been greatly helped by what they find on our website. (For a good use of computer technology, see “How technology enhances prayer” under the Church Development heading at left, above).

Some warn against the continued expansion of certain technologies. Atheist-leaning physicist and cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, warned that robots powered by artificial intelligence could overtake humans in the next 100 years, going so far as to say, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Steve Wozniak who co-founded Apple, made a similar comment: “Computers are going to take over from humans, no question. If we build these devices to take care of everything for us, eventually they’ll think faster than us and they’ll get rid of the slow humans to run companies more efficiently.” Personally, I think we’re a long way away from inventing a robot that becomes self-aware enough to cast its human operators aside and take over the world!

I was gratified to see in a current sci-fi series an advanced robot that prays to God. That reminds me of the declaration in Psalm 148 that even inanimate objects like mountains and hills raise their voices in praise to God. Speaking of praising God, I recommend The Joyful Christian, a compilation of quotations from C.S. Lewis showing his deep appreciation for praising God for all things. I join him in that praise by thanking God for his gifts of science and technology—gifts that point to the wonderfully creative and inventive spirit that God has given humankind. May we always use these gifts for God’s glory.

Praising God with you,

Joseph Tkach

Mission trip to Zambia

This update is from Kalengule Kaoma, a native of Zambia who serves as a GCI mission developer in Africa.

On July 14, Dr. Inyambo Nyumbu, GCI-Zambia National Director and I met at the Lusaka airport to receive a team of six missionaries from the U.S. The team was on a short-term mission trip to Zambia coordinated by Grace Missions—a GCI-Generations Ministries mission organization. Team members, shown in the picture below, left were (L to R): Joel Clevenger, Dustin and Rachel Lampe,Tyler Long, Melyssa White and Mike Lockard. The team came to Zambia to assist GCI members with several projects that are described in comments from the team members below.

Before coming to Zambia, we had no idea what to expect. What we knew is that we were going to give out eyeglasses and start the foundation of GCI’s Central Church. But God does amazing things not necessarily part of the original plan.
One of the moments that stuck out to me was when we were giving out eyeglasses. We are not eye doctors and didn’t know what we were doing. But God shone a light through us and gave us knowledge of figuring out the right prescription for each of the eyeglasses. The thrill came when we helped the first person. Seeing the expression of satisfaction and happiness on her face because she was able to see clearly filled my heart with joy. God had just done an amazing thing.

Giving out glasses made an impact on people who saw an act of God’s love. After that experience, Zambian pastor Kennedy enlightened us that our presence in the community will help him and his team evangelize: “These people have seen us together with you. They have seen that God has helped you with your journey. They have seen God help them through you. I am positive that they will receive us when we go to evangelize in their villages.”
Working side-by-side with Zambian members made a huge difference in our outlook. I’m happy I came to Zambia! I can’t thank God enough for giving me the opportunity to see what he is doing across the world.

We were greeted by the most hospitable loving arms. Our “home” was set up so comfortably that even the water shortages did not give us reason to complain. We worked on the construction of Central Church. It began with a beautiful ceremony of dedicating the building project to be under God’s protection, provision, and blessing. This was symbolized by laying the cornerstone of the church. I still hear the song “Tulemitotela” (“Thank you Lord”) ringing out in reverence to what the Lord provided.
Our trip back to the U.S. came far too soon. I built many relationships, and became fonder of my African home away from home. God is working strong in the heart of Zambia, and I can’t wait to see what more he has in store for them.

I learned that we are all breathing the same air, all walking on the same earth. We live with similar problems and issues, the same human nature. The church in Zambia worships joyfully, prays with intention and seeks God. We have the same Holy Spirit, the same Jesus Christ living in us. We are in the same family of God, covered in grace and mercy and love. While at a gathering of folks from several different villages, Kalengule said, “We are from many different cultures… share your culture…but remember, we are all living in God’s culture of love and grace.”
The world has become smaller for me but God’s Kingdom has grown exponentially.

Pastors’ retreat

Pastors and pastoral team members from GCI churches in New England, along with GCI President Joseph Tkach and Regional Pastor Randy Bloom, participated recently in a pastors’ retreat at the Guesthouse Retreat and Conference Center in Chester, Connecticut. Beautiful, peaceful surroundings with exceptional weather augmented the event, described as “a gathering of loving family members having a good time being together and enjoying each other’s company.” Participants said they had never been to a pastoral retreat before, and were grateful for the setting and informal agenda (no agenda!). Here are pictures from the retreat:

Union & ministry with Christ, part 1

Here is part 1 of an 8-part essay by Dr. Gary Deddo titled “The Christian life and our participation in Christ’s continuing ministry.” It’s a revised and expanded version of chapter seven (written by Gary) in the book An Introduction to Torrance Theology: Discovering the Incarnate Savior, edited by Gerritt Scott Dawson. To read other parts of the essay, click on a number: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. For all 8 parts combined in one article, click here.

Without Purse or Script by Liz Lemon Swindle, used with permission — *Without Purse or Script* by Liz Lemon Swindle (used with permission)

Introduction

There has been in recent years in North America a rising emphasis on the nature and obligations of the Christian life, especially within the evangelical branches of the church, whether within mainline denominations, historically evangelical denominations or independent churches. This emphasis in itself is not problematic and could be an indicator of a growing awareness that being Christian requires a living coherence of piety and practice, faith and obedience, private devotion and public witness, personal holiness and social righteousness. In these days when there seems to be a significant moral decline, a call within the Christian church to obedience and faithfulness is understandable. This focus on the Christian life is registered in the vast sales of books like Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life. A hunger for more integrity and depth in the Christian life can also be seen in the ongoing interest in spiritual formation and the accompanying proliferation of books, seminars, and retreats on this theme.

Some in the church see the great social needs of our society and world, especially apparent and magnified by natural disasters and wars. The issue of global justice has grabbed the attention of many in the church who are wrought up over terrorism, war, human trafficking, starvation and the devastating AIDS epidemic especially witnessed in Africa. There is an acute awareness that the Christian Church ought to be more involved in bearing faithful witness to the justice and compassion of God in these situations.

On another front, some long for a transformed and emerging church in which we would find “A New Kind of Christian.” In such churches, Christian witness would attempt to address our postmodern society more by deeds than by words, more by community than individuals. Among the youth we saw a brief and not unrelated revival of concern for faithful Christian living embodied in the motto that was printed on thousands of armbands worn by teenagers and admired by adults: WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?).

In light of the seeming ineffectiveness and apparent irrelevance of the Christian faith in our secularized culture, other voices are calling for the establishment of a missional church. Such a church would be captivated by a vision that saw its very reason for being the engagement of the world though service, evangelism, and outreach. All of what the church is and does would gain its impetus and justification by virtue of its contributing to the missio Dei, the mission of God, to take the gospel to our postmodern culture.

I mention these interests, trends, and themes of our contemporary church not to disparage them. There is a genuine hunger for Christian faithfulness in all of these. There is much to affirm, admire and commend in these movements that no doubt reflect something of the heart of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have no intention to commend to you yet another emphasis, program, theme or movement as a superior alternative to those just mentioned.

The question of a proper foundation

Taking as my cue the theological vision of the Torrance brothers (Thomas F. Torrance and James B. Torrance), I want to raise a question about the foundations on which these various approaches to the Christian life are built—about the theological foundations that undergird them. Further, I would like to offer a theological foundation for any or every one of these movements. First, so that they might remain faithful to the gospel and its Lord, Jesus Christ. Second, so they do not lead to burnout and disillusionment in the Christian life and ministry.

The theological insight of the Torrances bears witness that if these genuine impulses of the Spirit regarding the Christian life are not properly grounded, if they do not begin with a proper theological starting point, they will be open to subversion, even co-option by alien spirits and sooner or later take their adherents into spiritual exhaustion. As the former student of Thomas F. Torrance, Ray Anderson, has repeatedly stated throughout his 35 years of seminary teaching, “Burnout in the Christian life and ministry is essentially a theological problem.” Unfortunately, but to the glory of God, I can attest to this truth, hidden from me until well into my 20 years of university campus ministry. It turns out that theology, when grasped at its center, is the most practical aspect of the Christian life. It must undergird and direct all other Christian practice: whether prayer or the practice of spiritual disciplines, social justice, racial reconciliation, worship, evangelism, compassion for the poor, church renewal, or the missio Dei, God’s mission. It was not until I had a profound grasp of the Torrances’ theology that I could clearly see this. The Christian life requires a properly grasped theological foundation that directs us to the living source of our Christian work, witness and worship.

The legacy of the Torrance theological vision guards against faulty and false foundations for the Christian life and the worship and witness of the church by grounding the whole of the Christian life in its true source. The life of the church has but one foundation. There is only one thing that makes the Church Christian. That foundation is Jesus Christ. It is not first the faithfulness of Christians or the richness of their experience or the dedication of their service or even the acumen of their theological pronouncements. Theological reflection that honors this foundation takes as its sole starting point the question: Who is Jesus Christ? After addressing that inquiry, and only after, can we take up the secondary theological question: Who are we in relationship to Jesus Christ?

Following that theological trajectory, set out for us by Jesus himself (see Mark 8:27), the Torrance brothers provide the essential answer to who we are in Jesus Christ. They hold forth the reality and actuality of a) our union with the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ and b) our participation or ongoing communion with him in his continuing mediation and ministry for us and on our behalf. James Torrance often referred to these as the twin doctrines of our union with Christ and our participation in the gift of the life of Christ. What the teaching from the Torrance brothers identifies this as the core reality of the Christian life. Union with Christ and communion or participation in Christ are the two foundational realities of the Christian life and should never be separated from each other.

For some, the words that follow in this series of articles may be a welcome review. For others, I trust this word concerning our union with Christ and the Christian life as participation may, God willing, renew your faith, as it did mine years ago.

The reality to which the doctrine of union with Christ points

A case easily can be made from the New Testament that essential to the very meaning of being a follower of Christ was that one is united to Christ. If you asked someone in the early church whether they were followers of Jesus, they might answer, “Yes, I am united to Christ.” Centuries later, this was also true of the magisterial Reformers. Being a Christian meant for each: I am united to Christ.

Now think of how we most often identify ourselves as Christians. Is one of the first things you think of, “Yes, I’m united to Christ”? Or would you begin, “Yes, I made a decision for Christ.” “I follow the teachings of Jesus.” “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” “I attend church regularly.” “I was baptized and confirmed.” “I’m committed to Jesus Christ.” “I am born again.” There’s nothing wrong with these answers in themselves. They contain part of the truth. Notice, however, that they all refer to something we do or have done. The emphasis is on our response and action. But does this get to the root of who we really are as Christians?

By leaving union with Christ unacknowledged, all these other definitions and declarations leave us on a precarious perch. As James Torrance used to say, we can easily be thrown back on ourselves when we concentrate on our response apart from grasping the truth, reality and actuality of our union with Christ. Jesus Christ, when viewed from within an emphasis on our making a response, can appear to be at a great distance from us. The work Christ does can be regarded as largely in the past and relatively external. The grace of God can begin to seem merely as if it provided us with a new potential. We can end up thinking: “By grace God made the Christian life possible by forgiving our sins and giving us a new status of being in right relationship with him. Now all we have to do is appropriate, apply or actualize that new potential life that God has graciously given us.” So we turn with enthusiasm (or perhaps in desperation) to one of those emphases, visions, tasks or goals I noted earlier. We attempt by our efforts to make the Christian life practical, relevant, and vital. That is how I went about my Christian life for many years—as if God in Christ had given me a potentially new life. It was up to me to make it real and actual.

What I have often observed in the Christian church is that whether conservative or liberal, traditional or contemporary, emergent or megachurch, Christians basically live as if saved by grace but sanctified by works. We depend on our own efforts, choices, accomplishments or zeal. Grace is where we start the Christian life, but often we somehow end up “thrown back upon our own resources” and feeling under a great burden. Then we become first unimpressed, then perhaps depressed, and finally even coldly cynical about the whole Christian life itself. A great part of the problem is that we often have not grasped and we often have not been taught, either in our churches or in our seminaries, about the full extent of the grace of God extended to us in Jesus Christ. We have failed to hear what union with Christ means and of our participation in the continuing mediatorial ministry of Christ.

How technology enhances prayer

While it is true that digital technology (including texting and various social media) can be a distraction and time-waster, it can also be a tool that helps us pray. To learn how, click here.

James Reyer

Your prayers are requested for retired GCI pastor James Reyer who suffered a heart attack and stroke. He is now hospitalized in Billings, Montana.

Please pray for wisdom, grace and favor for Mr. Reyer and his family concerning the best path to take as they proceed through a very difficult time.

Cards may be sent to:

James and Sondra Reyer
c/o Denny Sexton
7540 Buckskin, Drive
Shephard, MT 59079

Computer scam warning

Recently, one of our pastors received a pop-up warning on his computer that said something about Windows being broken and that he needed to contact a Microsoft support person immediately, giving him a phone number to do just that. Unfortunately, it was a scam. He allowed them to access his computer where they did major damage to Windows and then demanded money to “fix” his computer. Fortunately, he got suspicious at this point and decided to call us before he went further. It took a few hours, but we were able to repair most of the damage and get him running again. It could have been much worse.

So, we’d like you to be aware that Microsoft never initiates contact with computer users to fix a computer. They won’t pop up a warning window on the computer. They won’t call you on the phone. They won’t email you. So if someone does these things claiming to be Microsoft, you can assume it’s a scam.

If you suspect you might already be infected with something, make sure your antivirus is up-to-date and scan your computer. To go further, download the free program Malwarebytes AntiMalware from www.malwarebytes.org/downloads/ and scan your computer with that. You can assume everything it finds is good to remove. And if you as a pastor or treasurer need help beyond that, feel free to call our IT help desk at (626) 650-2340 or (800) 350-4466.

Christian Leadership class offered

ACCM recently announced that beginning in November, it will offer its 10-week-long Christian Leadership course in a format that includes a three-day intensive held in Dallas, Texas, on December 10-12. The class, titled Christian Leadership: Foundational Perspectives, Principles & Practices for Lifelong Growth as a Leader, will be taught by Charles Fleming and Greg Williams, who provide this comment:

As your instructors and fellow lifelong-learners, we will help participants in the class reflect on key foundational elements that contribute to growing as leaders across a lifetime. As Christ followers in a world of radical, adaptive change, what are the perspectives we need to have? In what ways do our imaginations need to be re-framed for effective engagement with an increasingly secular world? What principles and practices can help us cultivate the conditions for people to encounter Christ in transformative ways? And, vitally important, what formational practices do we need to make a part of our personal lives if we are to avoid burnout and, instead, live a kingdom-flourishing life?

For more information about the class, including instructions about registering, download the document at www.gci.org/files/ACCM_Leadership_Class.pdf.