Category: Hear From the President

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have had a busy week. I began it in Indianapolis, joining our church there for their 50th anniversary celebration. The Indy church is one of our oldest congregations, established in 1962. A few of the people who attended that first meeting were present – including yours truly. My parents were attending in Chicago at the time, and we all drove down for the inaugural service. I was a just a young teenager at the time and would never have believed I would be coming back half a century later as guest speaker.

Indy’s first pastor, Carn Catherwood sent an inspiring video message. Pastor David Perry also gave a short but effective presentation highlighting the past, present and future of the church. Under the leadership of David and Jonnie Perry, the Indianapolis congregation is active in outreach, enthusiastically supporting projects in Haiti, Mozambique and many other places.

After Indianapolis, I drove across to Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was able to spend some time with Rick Shallenberger and the local ministry. Greg and Susan Williams were also visiting. One of Greg’s responsibilities is to coordinate our Pastoral Intern Program, so we were able to spend some time in an impromptu and informal conference, discussing several aspects of the future of GCI.

I flew back to California on Wednesday, in time for a conference with Gary Deddo, Russell Duke, John Halford, Nathan Smith and Michael Morrison. We work together in various media-related projects, often via email. Email has transformed the way we collaborate on projects. It is no longer necessary for people on the same team to be in close proximity. However, I have learned that for this collaboration to work well, occasional “face time” is important to maintain positive relationships. We spent two constructive days, including time to laugh, reminisce and enjoy meals together. This was also an opportunity to introduce Gary to our Glendora staff.

One of the reasons we met together was to discuss the contribution Gary would make now that he is full time in our employ. Gary’s long experience as an editor with InterVarsity Press will help us take advantage of the innovations and advances that are transforming media. He came with a long list of ideas, which can open up some exciting possibilities. We discussed “all kinds of ideas for all kinds of projects using all kinds of media.”

Although many of us are older, we must never forget our responsibility to the younger generations who one day will take over the leadership. In that regard, Ted Johnston sent me an interesting blog post from Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Thom notes that whereas the majority of the younger generations in the U.S. are not actively interested in Christianity at this time, those who are interested are really turned on. They want to be active in their faith. Thom also notes that parents and churches had a vital role in nurturing and building the faith of young people. I think you will find this post to be particularly thought-provoking. You can read it at http://www.thomrainer.com/2012/08/the-parental-factor.php.

The varied activities of this last week reinforced in my mind the fact that GCI is not only multi-national and multi-cultural. We are also a multi-generational church. We have people who have been members for over five decades, and also younger folk just starting out on their Christian walks. Anthony Mullins, who leads our Generations Ministries summer camp program, has sent positive reports from the directors of this year’s U.S. camps (we have featured several of these reports in recent issues of Weekly Update). These reports indicate that we have many hundreds of young people who are eager to play their part in our ministry with Jesus. We must invest time and resources preparing them for their future, even as we remember our past, as we did last week in Indianapolis.

These are indeed challenging and exciting times to be involved in ministry with Jesus. It’s a joy for me to to share this journey with all of you.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One day last week, I was standing in a grocery store line behind two young girls. They were trying to buy a six-pack of beer. “That is bold of them,” I thought, as they looked so obviously under age. The cashier asked them for their ID, and to my astonishment, they were both 22.

Suddenly, I felt rather old. That feeling was reinforced when I overheard two other young people talking about a song titled Titanium by David Guetta. I had never heard of David Guetta or the song. It was the same for the next five songs they discussed.

Slowly, but perceptibly, it seems like the world is starting to pass me by. I never really thought of myself as the center of the universe—my parents made that clear to me long ago. But I always thought I was reasonably aware of the trends and events going on around me. However, more and more, I find myself getting out of touch with the world of the younger generations.

Back in 1970, Alvin Toffler wrote a best-selling book titled Future Shock. He defined future shock as a psychological state of individuals and entire societies, brought on by too much change in too short a period. He predicted that an incredible shift would occur in the next 40 years and that it would affect nearly every aspect of life. He also predicted that some would find this quite disorienting. Time has shown how right he was.

Perhaps we think time-honored institutions like the church would be immune to this and would be islands of calm in the storm. Not so. Recently, Ted Johnston sent a blog post from Jonathan Martin who pastors a Pentecostal church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The post discusses the huge shift taking place in the demographics of Christianity. Here is an excerpt:

Those of us in the younger set…are competing largely for the hearts and minds of the 20 and 30-somethings with their iPads and macchiattos. We are already dinosaurs, and we did not know it. The average Christian in the world right now is an African or Latin American female in her early 20s. She doesn’t read our blogs, and she doesn’t read Christianity Today. She doesn’t know or care who I am, and she never will. The names Piper, Driscoll, Chan, Bell, Stanley, Warren mean nothing to her. Like most Pentecostal women coming into the kingdom around the world, words like complementarian and egalitarian are not in her vocabulary, nor Calvinism and Arminianism.

That this is the case should not surprise us when we consider how the Holy Spirit has been transforming our denomination both theologically and demographically. It may well be that he is strategically preparing GCI for the shift that this pastor is describing.

Recently one of my colleagues commented that GCI Weekly Update seems to feature a lot of news from Asia and Africa. The fact is; we, like many Christian denominations, are growing much faster in Asia and Africa than elsewhere. I don’t mean that we are not seeing growth in other places, but it is not as noticeable.

Though I try to keep you up to date through Weekly Update features and my conference presentations, it is not possible to cover all that is happening. Additionally, some progress is quite gradual and thus almost imperceptible. For example, it was over a long period of time and with much research that we came to the seemingly momentous decision to ordain women as elders. At first, there were only a few such ordinations. However, slowly, the number has grown.

In the USA we have 24 female elders (see last week’s Up Close and Personal for an example). In Canada we have five female elders and there are several in Colombia (see the P.S. below), Congo, France, the Philippines and South Africa. Any reservations that some may have had about ordaining women have surely been dispelled as these women have quietly and faithfully taken up positions of service alongside their brothers in our fellowship.

I am sure that as the future continues to arrive, often ahead of schedule, it will present us with new challenges (even shocks). You and I may sometimes feel out of date and out of touch. But thankfully, Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

That does not mean that Jesus never changes. According to his wisdom he responds afresh to every new situation in order to accomplish his unchanging redeeming purpose. The book of Acts shows how God guided the tradition-bound early Christians through some challenging situations. God is never out of his depth with change. With the unconditional love of the Father, the continuing leadership of Jesus as we join with him in his ministry, and the never-failing guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can look forward in confidence to the future, however unexpected and shocking it may be.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. One of our female elders is Sonia Orozco. She is the pastor of GCI’s Barranquilla, Colombia congregation. She recently began broadcasting a weekly radio program on a Barranquilla station. On the program she routinely invites listeners to attend her church.

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the problems with religious jargon is that it is often meaningless and sounds strange to people who are not “believers.” Another problem is that, after a while, some expressions become clichés and thus lose meaning to those who are believers.

For example, it is common to hear church-going people say things like “Jesus is in my life,” or “Jesus is my life.” But do they stop to ask themselves what, exactly, do those expressions mean? There is a subtle, but vital distinction between Jesus being “in” my life and Jesus “being” my life. Authentic Christianity is about becoming who Jesus created us to be. It is not a matter of prioritizing our life to make Jesus number one on our to-do list. The vital distinction is that he does not just come into our life; rather, he becomes our life. He has given us a new life in him.

I know we have all heard that. But how deeply do we understand it? As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). As he explained to the Philippians, “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). These are familiar scriptures, but, like clichés, they can become so familiar that they lose their impact. So let’s dig in a little and see if we can go deeper.

 

The typical understanding of the Christian religion is that it is a system of things to do and to believe in order to receive eternal life. However, that is not authentic Christianity. Authentic Christianity is not simply another religion.

Although most Christians agree that they are saved by grace, some think that they must maintain their salvation by their good works. It is as if Jesus “jump-starts” them, but then it is up to them to “stay saved.” But this misunderstanding completely misses the point about the nature of salvation and about our sanctification as well. Both are about our ongoing life “in Christ.” Both are about who Jesus is and the work he has done, is doing and will do to save and sanctify us completely. We are then invited to trust in and thus join in what he is doing.

Consider sanctification. Rather than being about our works, it is about our ongoing fellowship and communion with God, in Christ. It is about the ongoing reality that we belong to Christ. It involves making an integral part of our thinking the reality that “he belongs to me and I belong to him.” We have a bond that is far stronger than one based on “staying ahead of the game” through our good works.

As we awaken to this reality, we gain confidence that comes from the realization that we really do belong to Christ, body and soul. I get a glimpse of this when I reenter the United States after a trip abroad. There are two lines. One is for visitors, who have often had to go through a lengthy process to get their visas. The immigration officials are courteous, but they scrutinize every document and often conduct long interviews. It sometimes takes hours of anxious waiting and if everything is not 100% in order, the hapless visitors may find they are denied entry. If they are allowed in, they have to be careful to obey all the rules.

Sadly, that is the way many Christians feel about their relationship with God. As an American citizen, I do not have to go through all that. The line for citizens moves much faster. The immigration officer quickly scans my passport and welcomes me home. I have no anxiety. I belong.

That is the kind of relationship God offers us. However, because we seem to naturally gravitate towards legalism, the question arises, how then do we obey God? But can you see that, even by asking the question that way, the quality of the relationship is not being fully recognized? If my life truly is at one with Christ, I want to be involved in the things he is doing. And, equally important, as I learn about the things that he has no interest in, I don’t want to be involved in those things. Obedience, then, is a matter of staying in communion with Christ, living out the reality that, by the Spirit, we are joined together.

When we “do religion,” we always struggle to find the balance between rest and service. However, when we are authentic Christians, we do Christ’s work while we rest and trust in him.

God’s love flows from him, through us, to others. Another way of saying this is that Christianity involves both our being (who we are) and our doing. This is because we are a new creation in Christ. Paul explained it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV 1984).

The relationship we have with Jesus is nothing less than glorious. As we grow in understanding, expressions like “we were created through Christ,” or “God’s destiny for us is in Christ” no longer remain pious sounding religious clichés. They take on a powerful meaning as they describe a dynamic relationship in which we with Jesus are bonded together for eternity.

This is a level of authenticity that all Christians yearn for. But because it sounds too good to be true, many pull back and accept a lesser form of relationship that is based, at least in part, on their good behavior. They live as if they have only a conditional visa to the Kingdom of God. However, as Paul notes, “All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:14-15, Common English Bible).

In other words, we belong! And there is no need to settle for anything less.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the best definitions of theology is the one ascribed to Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), who called it “faith seeking understanding.” The converse of this – “understanding seeking faith” is known as apologetics. Pursued properly, both disciplines can lead us to dig deeper and deeper, coming to appreciate more and more the simple, yet profound statement that “God is love.”

But as the cartoon below (used with permission) illustrates so well, just digging deeper does not guarantee that our conclusions will be good. We need to dig in the right direction. As we are reminded in 2 Timothy 3:7, it is possible to be “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Theology has been described as being weak or strong based upon its arrangement and understanding of various doctrines and/or a specific understanding of the attributes of God. When I first heard this, I thought of it in terms of correct and incorrect doctrine. However, the more I think about it, I realize it is more than that. Doctrine is only one ingredient of authentic Christianity. It is important, to be sure – it is essential that the church teach right doctrines. However, doctrine is not all that we must include in our worship of our Creator, Savior and Sanctifier. Doctrine does not save us. No matter how much we know, Paul reminds us that it doesn’t do us any good if we don’t have love (1 Corinthians 13:2).

I first realized a distinction when, with Dr. Mike Feazell, I attended a large evangelistic conference several years ago. In one session it was noted that there was a tremendous evangelical opportunity to be had in the wake of the attacks we now refer to as 9/11. The presenter suggested that we celebrate the firefighters, police officers and other heroes who saved the lives of others, sometimes losing their own in the process – a powerful analogy of what Jesus has done for humanity.

During a later talk, a serious contradiction became apparent, although most seemed oblivious to it. Another presenter, in order to motivate us to evangelism, emphasized that unless someone had made a conscious decision for Christ, God would send them to hell forever. Mike, putting the two presentations together, elbowed me and said, “So, how do you celebrate a hero who gave his life to save others but who had been sent to hell forever because he had not accepted Jesus as his Savior? What is there to celebrate about a hero who is now burning in hell?”

“That’s the problem with a weak theology,” I replied.

Our theology defines how we understand God’s nature, character, heart, mind and purpose. It fills out for us how God views us and others and what kind of relationship he wants with us.

Strong theology has a clear and coherent grasp of who God is and what God wants for us: God is exactly like Jesus all the way down. He is the fullness of deity, bearing the stamp of the character of God. He is the visible image of the Father and the Spirit. In Jesus, what you see is what you get.

Weak theology, however, presents God in bits and pieces, often leaving us with a view of a God who is of two minds, or who has two different wills, or even two different sides to his character. Sometimes Jesus is presented as one “side” of God who wants to save us by grace and the Father as the other “side” who wants to condemn us under the Law. This God has two wills, two purposes, two attitudes towards his creation and so has two kinds of relationship with us. This God is for some of us, but against others.

Weak theology leaves us with two minds toward others. We’re supposed to love others, even our enemies, and present the Gospel to them and encourage them to surrender their lives to Christ who died for them. But if we believe God only loves some and will only call some to himself but is against others and just as happy to send them to hell, it’s hard, if not impossible, to have the same attitude and hope for all. We are left with the sense that we’re not being totally truthful when we present the Gospel as if it’s for everyone.

While it is true that some may somehow reject the Gospel of grace no matter what we or even God does for them, perhaps for all eternity, God’s revelation to us of his single mind, will and purpose for all is made clear by Paul:

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20).

Weak theology undermines this vital truth leaving us with the impression that Jesus only shows us one side of God, not the fullness of God and that God is interested only in reconciling some things, not everything. Weak theology can lead to an “us vs. them” elitist mentality where, after the evangelistic meeting is over, we minister to those on the “inside” far differently from those on the “outside.”

While weak theology leads us down this dark and conflicted path of exclusivism, strong theology affirms that God loves everyone profoundly and places love above all other gifts from God:

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).

While weak theology leads us to erect barriers between people, strong theology understands that God, who is no respecter of persons, “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Led by this truth, we are encouraged to join with Paul in tearing down barriers that divide people from God and one another:

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

While weak theology includes or excludes people from coming under God’s reconciling work based upon their performance, strong theology recognizes that Jesus’ atonement has pre-qualified everyone for salvation. Note Paul’s words to the Christians in Colossae:

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:12-14, NAS).

To sum it up, whereas weak theology begins with bad news, hoping to convince (or frighten) people into hoping there is good news, strong theology starts and ends with the Good News for all:

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).

Strong theology is profoundly and consistently evangelical, while weak theology is a pretender. As we dig deep into theology, it is important that we dig in the proper direction.

With love in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. We have a new tool on the GCI Weekly Update blog for printing the entire current issue as a single document. Click on any of the links in the top of the links column (above left) and the “Printable Version” link will appear. Click on that link, and the entire current issue will appear on screen as a single document. You can then print that document using your browser’s print function (this seems to work best in Firefox and Internet Explorer, and less well in Chrome).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul admonished his readers to “honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work.” The reason, he explained, was because “they work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance” (1 Thessalonians 5:12 NLT).

It is an all too human tendency for members of an organization to develop a distorted view of those in charge. They either ridicule and despise them, or they put them on a pedestal. In religious organizations it is more often the latter, and this can develop an unhealthy approach to leadership.

Churches often fall into the trap of regarding their leaders as spiritual giants. Jesus warned against this, cautioning his disciples: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26).

As many of you will remember, our denomination has not been immune to this. As GCI’s current President/Pastor General, I have intentionally tried to take the focus off me as the “Grand Poobah.” I think that this has been successful, as it seems that just about everyone treats me as a friend instead of some kind of spiritual superhero. I have encouraged all in leadership positions to have this approach. We see ourselves as your friends and fellow servants, called to share together in Jesus’ ministry to the world.

Jesus himself set the precedent for this. At the Last Supper, he told his disciples, “I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father” (John 15:15 MSG).

God has blessed us with many loving and dedicated men and women in ministry. So that we can know each other better, next week we begin a new regular feature here in GCI Weekly Update. It will introduce one of our pastors or pastoral teams in a short Up Close and Personal article. I have asked Rick Shallenberger to coordinate this feature. He pastors one of our churches in Cincinnati, Ohio, has travelled widely, and is an experienced writer and editor. Rick will be featuring our entire worldwide ministry, so don’t be surprised if you hear from him, whether you are in Arkansas, Aberdeen, Argentina or Angola.

This week, I’d like to get the ball rolling by introducing our Mission Directors (MDs) and their wives. These men, often with the active participation of their wives, fill a vital role for our denomination by working closely with me around the world to oversee our pastoral ministry and otherwise facilitate our mission of living and sharing the gospel. The MDs work in teams, with some also serving as National Ministry Leaders in their home nation/region. I am blessed to have colleagues with such a rich diversity of ministerial experience. Here is a group picture of some of them, with individual pictures below, grouped by team.

• MD team serving Africa: Gary and Wendy Moore, Tim and Marissa Maguire, and Kalengule and Nsama Kaoma (James Henderson, pictured below, is also on this team):

• MD team serving Asia, the Philippines, Australia and Oceania: Rod and Ruth Matthews, Eugene and Lulu Guzon, and John and Heather McLean:

• MD team serving the Caribbean and Latin America: Charles and Carmen Fleming, and Hector and Paolina Barrero:

• MD team serving Europe: James and Shirley Henderson, and Santiago and Elke Lange:

• MD team serving the United States and Mexico: Dan and Barbara Rogers, Lorenzo and Rita Arroyo, and Greg and Susan Williams:

Because the needs of the regions served by these teams vary, the MDs have no “one size fits all” job description. However, all of them form important links that connect our churches to our denomination and to the broader Christian world. Their priorities include supervising pastoral leaders, succession planning, ensuring biblically sound teaching, facilitating the spiritual formation and equipping of pastors, and providing guidance and coordination in evangelism. They organize regional conferences and they respond to requests from churches who ask to join our fellowship. They also make themselves familiar with the resources for education and evangelism provided by other denominations, linking these when appropriate with our own resources.

Although these MDs occupy significant leadership positions, they see themselves as servants. They realize that God has called them to help, encourage, support and facilitate the work of their fellow ministers, so that our denomination can successfully accomplish what God gives us to do.

I am privileged to work alongside these dedicated men and their wives, and to know them as close friends. I also have come to know so many of you as friends as I travel. So it is a joy to introduce friends to friends. I hope you’ll enjoy the new Up Close and Personal feature where we’ll share information about more of our GCI friends and fellows servants around the world.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In John 5:17, Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” Joining Jesus in his ministry has been our focus in conferences for the last few years. As I attend the conferences and visit our local congregations, I see us involved in outreach more and more (see examples in several of this week’s features – click on the links at left). This outreach is great to see and gives me comfort as I try to make sense of the senseless violence so prevalent in the daily news.

A case in point is what happened a few days ago in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The horrific murders that occurred there hit close to home for me. My sister and her husband used to live in the Denver area. My wife grew up there and that is where we had our wedding ceremony. A tragic event like that causes us to ask, How was God at work in a place where sin and death was taking such a terrible toll?

Another situation also hitting close to home for me is what is happening in Chicago. I grew up there, and many of my cousins and dear friends live there. I was shocked to learn that Chicago has become the murder capital of America. Over the last year, the homicide rate has risen by 38%. In just the last six months, there have been 272 homicides (during the same period, New York City with three times the population of Chicago had 189 homicides and Los Angeles had 147).

It’s natural to feel a sense of hollowness when confronted by such terrible tragedies. It’s also natural to cry out for “someone to do something!” The U.S. is a free country and most of us who live here treasure the freedoms we have. I expect some politicians will use this opportunity to lobby for stricter gun controls. However, guns are not the root of the problem. Nor are drugs or other “things” that pollute our society. As Jesus explained, “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution” (Mark 7:21-23 MSG).

No matter how free or regimented a society may be, there is a slavery that holds many of its people in its grip. Human sin can twist and bend anything out of shape, be it a nation, a city or a person. There are times when we can all identify with Paul, when he lamented, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25 NLT).

No matter how grim things seem, God’s character and his purpose to redeem us do not change. God remains what he is: a giving, loving and gracious God. Since life-giving love is the essence of his being, his character drives his will and purpose to redeem a fallen humanity from its bondage. Sin and death are not going to be the final word in this cosmic story. Because of who our triune God is and because of what he is doing, evil has no future!

We don’t always see how God is at work as clearly as we would like, but that doesn’t mean that it is not happening. Let’s never forget that the Holy Spirit is at work everywhere. When I see people’s lives change as they embrace God’s love, I am reminded that he truly is present and active.

When we believe, we are made alive in Christ, sharing in God’s own triune love and life. In Christ, we are who God created us to be – people living toward God and other people in God’s love. Though the consequences of sin occurring daily in our world may seem unbearable, God’s grace is greater than sin.

Our triune God demonstrated this most clearly and powerfully in Jesus’ resurrection from death and in his ascension into God’s presence. On that foundation, we can hope and pray for God’s kingdom to reach its fullness on earth as it is in heaven. God fulfills his promises – he will make all things new. His merciful righteousness, displayed and effective in our Lord Jesus Christ, will put everything right. In the end, every tear will be wiped away. He himself is our living hope—now and forever.

So, even as I mourn the senseless loss of lives in Colorado and elsewhere, I am comforted too. I pray for the recovery of the shooting victims who survived, for the comfort of those who grieve, and that through all of this, God will draw people closer to himself.

With love in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I get older, I become more concerned about health issues. I am, thankfully, in good health, but I know that the years are starting to take their toll. So I am confused, and often amused, by the sometimes conflicting advice offered by the professionals. For example, they once warned us that coffee was bad for our health. However, further research showed that, if used in moderation, it actually aided our health in many ways, including preventing cancer. The same kind of conflicting advice has been offered concerning chocolate and alcohol.

It’s all rather frustrating isn’t it? While some dietitians point out that the Japanese eat small quantities of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans, others point out that the French eat large quantities but suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. While some dietitians point out that the Japanese drink small quantities of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans, others point out that the Italians drink large quantities of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. Though the Germans drink copious amounts of beer and eat large amounts of fat (including sausages), we are told that they experience fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

What then are we to believe? Presumably, that we can eat and drink whatever we like, and that it is speaking English that gives us heart attacks!

Of course, I am being facetious (although some of my friends who have tried to learn English might agree!). But seriously, I was surprised to read that every 68 seconds, another American citizen is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. And unless more effective treatment is found, in the next 35 years it will increase to a new case every 33 seconds as the percentage of older people in the population rises. In the U.S., Alzheimer’s disease already is the sixth leading cause of death. And it is a cruel disease. Not being able to recognize or interact with loved ones is not how we want to spend the last years of life.

Personally, I take comfort in knowing that there is more to a human creature than meets the eye, or enters the medical records. As Karl Barth once said, we are “an embodied soul and an en-souled body.” While we have physical limits in time and space, we also know that God has breathed something into humanity that transcends those physical limitations.

Old age may creep up on us, but it does not take God by surprise as we are reminded in Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 (The Message Bible):

In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.

Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.

The shades are pulled down on the world.

You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.

The hum of the household fades away.

You are wakened now by bird-song.

Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.

Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.

Your hair turns apple-blossom white,

Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.

Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,

While your friends make plans for your funeral.

I don’t want to be morbid, but it is important to face our mortality. Death is a transition, in which there is continuity and discontinuity. Death begins the transition from mortal to immortal, in which we become new creatures through a regeneration and re-arrangement of body and soul. This is the destiny of all humans, even though we can’t grasp it fully now. The apostle Paul speaks of our being given “spirit bodies” (1 Corinthians 15:42-45). We see something of this in Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances and at his ascension. But the time is coming when we will see and experience it firsthand.

As we age, or see a loved one fade away, it is easy to become preoccupied with the challenges of physical existence. Our body’s mortal mechanism may not work right, or even break down completely, as with Alzheimer’s. We may come to the point where we forget who we are. But we must not confuse who we are with how we appear in our mortal bodies and what we can or cannot communicate through them. God never forgets who we are! In his ascension, Jesus has glorified and taken up our humanity with him. And by the Holy Spirit, we will one day fully receive from him our glorified humanity. And then it will be seen who we really are – God’s own children sharing in his own Son’s glorious sonship (Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2).

Many of us face the challenges of growing older. As we do, let’s be reminded of the encouraging words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (The Message Bible):

Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. Please help me welcome Gary Deddo to full-time GCI employment as Special Assistant to the President. Gary has been working part-time for us over the last several months. You can read about Gary and his wife Cathy in the GCI Weekly Update post at https://update.gci.org/2012/01/gary-and-cathy-deddo/.

Also, I’m pleased to note that our online videos (including several with Gary) often receive positive feedback. For example, note the Kerry’s Loft post at http://kerrysloft.com/trinitarian-theology/. This blog is written by Kerry Magruder, a curator in the Oklahoma University library system.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There was some exciting news last week. Scientists working at the leading edge of theoretical physics announced that they have discovered a subatomic particle that may be the elusive Higgs boson, often called the “god particle” in the popular press.

Scientists don’t like that name, as it implies that the discovery will answer some deep theological questions. It won’t, but it will help explain some important gaps in our scientific understanding. I find this fascinating, even though it can be hard to understand. The more we learn about the nature of the cosmos the stranger it seems to be. The physicist Freeman Dyson once said that the cosmos is not just stranger than we understand – it is stranger than we can understand.

However, the breakthroughs announced last week do seem to be opening up new levels of understanding. Scientists are naturally exuberant and the media is always hungry for sensational headlines. But if you read past the hype, it is clear that we have discovered something significant, even if we are not quite sure what it means. For example, Professor John Womersley, chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, told reporters at a briefing in London:

They have discovered a particle consistent with the Higgs boson. Scientists say it is a 5 sigma result, which means they are 99.999% sure they have found a new particle, yet they don’t know for sure what this all means.

For most of us, 99.999% is good enough, but until there is 100% certainty a careful scientist will remain cautious. Sadly, that does not stop others from feeding the atheistic agenda by suggesting that these advances in understanding are steadily chipping away at the need to believe in a Creator God. For example, Lawrence Krauss, a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University wrote,

Far from suggesting any higher power, the discovery at CERN takes particle physics one step further toward answering the question: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” [It does this] by demonstrating the plausibility of the idea that everything we see could arise naturally from an initial state of no particles, and maybe no space, and maybe even no fixed laws — without supernatural shenanigans (cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com).

According to Krauss, the Higgs research “explains why we are here.” Sorry, but it does nothing of the kind. It is quite possible that this discovery will even deepen the mystery of the nature of the universe. This discovery, even if confirmed with 100% certainty, will certainly not be the end of physics research. For example, it probably won’t explain something as fundamental as gravity.

Physicist Lisa Randall is one of the clearer and more objective writers in this field today. She wrote,

We are poised on the edge of discovery. The biggest and most exciting experiments in particle physics and cosmology are under way and many of the world’s most talented physicists and astronomers are focused on their implications. What scientists find within the next decade could provide clues that will ultimately change our view of the fundamental makeup of matter or even of space itself—and just might provide a more comprehensive picture of the nature of reality (Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World).

As has so often happened in the history of science, what may at first seem to be a conclusive experiment opens up new fields of experiment and discovery. Paul reminds us how the physical creation can show us something of God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20). Something – but not everything. That was a mistake Job made. He thought he had God all figured out, until God brought him down to earth and exposed his ignorance. “Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things?” he challenged him. “Do you have any idea how large this earth is? Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives? Have you ever traveled to where snow is made, seen the vault where hail is stockpiled?” (Job 38:18-23 Message Bible).

Our understanding has advanced since then, and we might be tempted to sneer at Job’s ignorance. We do know now how large the earth is, and why we experience light and darkness. And the science of meteorology has long banished any mysteries about why it snows and hails. But the more we learn the more we find there is to learn. What the physicists are doing is fantastic, and good luck to them (providing they don’t make a “Higgs boson bomb”). But it is arrogant and foolish to suggest we have reached the end of the road of discovery and now have no need to believe in a Creator God. While this current experiment may help provide the answer as to why things in the universe have mass (weight, size and shape), it won’t answer the questions why things like the Higgs field and the Higgs boson particle exist in the first place and where they came from.

Thankfully, we don’t need a supercollider to understand the most important things we need to know about God – his unconditional love for us, and his determination to give us salvation and life with him for eternity. He showed us that in the most striking way – not with an obscure particle that needs trillion-dollar experiments to unwrap. He did it himself, coming to us in the simplest and most easily comprehensible way – as one of us, in person, face-to-face.

When, in Jesus, God the Son became human, his teachings “super collided” with the way we have chosen to live and those images or ideas of God that we have constructed for ourselves. Although at first rejected through his birth, life, death and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over all opposition, including death and evil itself, opening the way for us to understand who God is, who we are and why we are here.

With love in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This week, Americans celebrate their national holiday, the 4th of July. On that day in 1776, a group of courageous men put their lives on the line by declaring independence from the British Empire. The Founding Fathers of the United States were men of remarkable vision, but even they could not have realized they were laying the foundation for what has become the most powerful, richest and arguably the most influential nation the world has ever seen. The United States is by any standards blessed. Never before have so many people experienced such a high standard of living and enjoyed so much freedom. I do not say that to boast. I am simply stating a fact.

The preamble to the Constitution of the United States says this: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Two and a half centuries later we still need to make progress towards that “more perfect union.” But let’s not join the doomsayers who seem to delight in pointing out anything and everything that is wrong about America, and then prophesy that we are about to be punished by an angry God, “in a few short years.” This is an unhealthy mindset based on a distorted understanding of the gospel. It also has the effect of undermining incentive to do what we can to make things better. What is the point if the nation is doomed?

Aren’t you thankful that our denomination has repudiated that approach? It does not mean we have to go to the other extreme and become Pollyannaish. We need not be blind to our nation’s faults. But as one of America’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln once said, “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.”

There is much to celebrate; much to be thankful for. (For one thing, Americans pay less for gas, and have among the lowest personal taxes of any other developed nation!) Let’s be grateful for the freedoms we have, and mindful of the price paid, in the past and today, to secure them. Although many of the Founding Fathers were not traditional Christians, they were God-fearing men, with a passionate belief in freedom. They did not get it all exactly right, but they set a course that has allowed America to develop as a nation with a deep commitment to liberty and justice. The gospel took root, and has continued to work its way through our culture – like yeast in the dough that does its work over time, sometimes unseen; often unappreciated. It is the yeast of freedom in Christ that led some to rise up against tyranny. Later others rose up against the terrible bondage of slavery. Today others rise up against sex trafficking, drugs, inner city poverty and other evils that still afflict us.

Those who are so addicted to preaching the Gospel of Gloom often quote the apostle Paul to reinforce their arguments. However, I wonder if Paul came back today, he might be pleasantly surprised. Not only at the astonishing technical progress – I have sometimes travelled farther in one day than he did in his lifetime. He would also see a society where widows and orphans have some support, slavery has been abolished, and women have rights and hold some of the most important positions in the government. These things would have been unimaginable when he wrote his epistles. Although such things are not the main thrust of the gospel, they are by-products of the Christian way of life. Perhaps Paul might actually be encouraged by the progress, although, of course, there is still a long way to go.

I am encouraged to see how many of our congregations are actively involved in community outreach programs and activities. They do this not just as a way “to get more people,” but because it is the right thing to do. Other congregations are generously supporting our summer camps and helping plant new churches both in this country and around the world. As the church of Jesus Christ who is Lord of all, we believe in the common good. So we can speak a word of hope to our government and to all society even while proclaiming that we live in a fallen world that needs the transforming grace of God.

Let us focus this 4th of July on our blessings, including the opportunities we have to serve God in a nation that at least tries to be “One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

With love in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. NAE president Leith Anderson said it well: “Our generation is facing a long process of moral conflict, judicial disagreement and political haggling.” We see this with regard to several issues, including national debt, international trade and various social issues. One particularly controversial social issue is same-sex marriage. I am often asked what GCI teaches about this and related topics. I encourage people to read our statement at www.gci.org/aboutus/FAQ#homosexuality and two papers published by others:

1. NAE’s position paper at www.nae.net/resources/news/714-open-letter-on-marriage-and-religious-freedom.
2. Why We’re Gendered Beings…Theological Reflections on Sexual Identity, a paper by Gary Deddo posted at www.trinitystudycenter.com/topical/gender.php.

In some countries and in some states in the U.S., same-sex marriage has been legalized. GCI elders sometimes face this issue and they should know that GCI does not require them to perform any marriage when their conscience would prohibit them. However, in a few countries the laws do not give elders such freedom. Questions about specific situations can be addressed to the appropriate pastoral supervisor.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When Tammy is not with me, I never know who might sit next to me on an airplane. I’ve sat next to lawyers, business owners, mystics, soldiers, pilots and just about every other profession. It has made for some interesting conversations. The cartoons below, used with permission, are a humorous reminder.

On a flight to Dallas last week, my seatmate was James – a nice fellow in his late twenties. James was somewhat full of his intellectual capacity and thought the world was full of stupid people. Christians, he explained, were exceptionally stupid, because they seemed to be oblivious to the discoveries of science. In his estimation, they were like people who believed the earth was flat. James was obviously proud to consider himself an atheist.

I enjoyed the look on his face when I told him that I was one of those so-called ignorant Christians. I mentioned that he might not have heard of surveys showing that 40% of scientists are agnostics and 40% are Christian. I told him that I knew personally several believing scientists who work on the cutting edge of scientific discovery. I reminded him that Francis Collins, who was the director of the Human Genome Project, is a devout Christian. James seemed interested to hear more.

I told him that I am amused by TV characters like Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his “Bible belt” mother in the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory; and by Alice, the assistant to the vicar in the British sitcom Vicar of Dibley. I also admitted to him that some Christians would benefit from more education. But I told him that I’m annoyed that it is now acceptable to portray Christians as simpletons. These TV characters are definitely not typical of most Christians.

I explained to James that many of the concepts we grow up believing are myths. For example, there is the commonly held idea that even educated people in historic times believed that the earth was flat. However, the historical record does not support this idea. As noted by Jeffrey Russell (professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara) in Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians, the flat-earth theory is a fable used to denigrate pre-modern European civilizations.

The historic fact is that as far back as 330 BC, Aristotle pointed out that the shadow of the earth on the moon is always circular. In 240 BC, Eratosthenes calculated the earth’s spherical circumference. The Venerable Bede, who lived over 700 years before Columbus, explained the varying duration of daylight in terms of the roundness of earth, reasoning from the Bible that spoke of the “circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22).

Some of the most notable scientists through history were Christians. In the sixth century, philosopher and theologian John Philoponus anticipated the modern physics of light and atomic structure based on the doctrines of the Trinity and creation. Galileo was reading Philoponus as he calculated the movement of the stars, laying a foundation for our modern understanding of the cosmos.

Unaware of all this, James was intrigued. I hope I left him less sure that Christianity is only for dummies. I’d like to think I helped him shift in his thinking from being an atheist to an agnostic.

Of course, many assume that atheism and agnosticism are synonymous. They are not. There is a significant difference in the two. It is fashionable today to say you are an atheist. Writers like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins have made names for themselves by ridiculing religion in general and Christianity in particular. They have suggested that if Christians cannot convincingly demolish the atheist argument and prove God exists, the only sensible default position for an educated person is atheism. But hold on a minute. Atheists claim that God does not exist, so it is up to them to prove their point. They can’t, of course – philosophically you cannot prove a negative. When cornered, most atheists have to admit to really being agnostic. Agnostics say they do not know whether God exists. This is a reasonable position for people who have insufficient evidence (and/or interest!) to make a decision.

Do you see the arrogance of those atheists who say they have won the argument because those who believe in God have not proved their point? It is true that you cannot “prove” God exists to someone who is not willing to show some faith. Lending an initial mustard seed’s worth of trust is an essential ingredient. As Thomas Aquinas said, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” I realize the atheist will say that to “have faith” is a weak argument. But it is not. We “have faith” in all kinds of things we cannot fully understand or control. So what is “weak” about basing a decision on evidence that is accepted on faith? We may not be able to make a 100% knockdown scientific proof that God exists. However, there is plenty of evidence to say that to believe in a Creator God is not preposterous nonsense.

God, of course, is not interested in our faith being the result of a successful experiment. What he wants is a relationship with us. That is why the ultimate proof of God’s existence must be in and through Jesus – for he himself is the place were God and humanity perfectly meet face to face. He is the place where we can enter into personal relationship with God. We meet and relate to God where he meets and personally relates to us. But entering into that relationship, like all personal relationships, calls for some initial trust or faith. No faith, then no knowledge, no relationship.

Of course, explaining all this to James would have been overkill. But, since he was proud of his analytical ability, I wanted to challenge him to think his position all the way through. Just because Christians have not proven their point to his satisfaction, it does not mean that the atheists have won. Atheists must present their position with the same strength of proof that they expect of believers. Until they do, we could only accept their premise by a sheer act of will. But such an assumption, lacking an object of trust, does not even deserve the label, faith.

Like most “atheists,” James was really an agnostic. Agnosticism is a valid intellectual parking lot. However, a parking lot is not a destination. I hope I helped him on his way.

Your brother in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. Please join me in praising God – we have learned that Grace Communion Seminary has received accreditation! It has been a long and sometimes arduous journey to this important milestone. My sincere thanks to Drs. Russell Duke and Michael Morrison, and all those who have worked so hard and skillfully with them to bring this about. Read the details in the article linked at left.