The Episcopal church (and the Anglican one) read through a lectionary in three year cycles. They've recently revised it, partly in order to highlight stories of women in the Bible. So today, for the first time in the lectionary, we read the story of Tabitha/Dorcas who Peter raises from the dead. She was a woman who took care of the widows in the church, sewing clothes for them, so when she got sick and died, there was a lot of grief. When Peter hears about it, he goes into the room where they've laid her out, and takes her hand, and she lives again. (Acts 9:36-43).
I'm looking forward to hearing about other women in the weeks to come.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Details at Ten
News Teaser, channel 11 (CBS) "Who is carrying a gun at your church? What local churches are doing to keep you safe."
Police department is doing training so "places of worship can protect their worshipers." A police officer just said: "'Whosoever will, let them come.'* And sometimes whosoever gets us in trouble."
Apparently, church security is now packing heat- one of my friends told me a few weeks ago that the big church she attends with her family has armed security guards at Sunday service.
Something is seriously wrong here. I've heard about the terrible tragedies when a gun man decides to shoot up a church. Yes, it's awful. But is the proper response shooting back? Or is there another option, more in line with the scripture the church is supposed to be based on? I don't think that there are only two options: Shoot or let yourself be shot. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for non-violent resistance- not passive acceptance. So how would that look in a church? It might mean churches need to get smaller and more local. Or it might mean something else entirely. Violent armed response is the way of the world, not the way of the church.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1, NIV
*Not sure what the officer means to quote here. The closest verse seems to be when Jesus invited his followers to take up the cross and follow him. (Mark 8:34)
Police department is doing training so "places of worship can protect their worshipers." A police officer just said: "'Whosoever will, let them come.'* And sometimes whosoever gets us in trouble."
Apparently, church security is now packing heat- one of my friends told me a few weeks ago that the big church she attends with her family has armed security guards at Sunday service.
Something is seriously wrong here. I've heard about the terrible tragedies when a gun man decides to shoot up a church. Yes, it's awful. But is the proper response shooting back? Or is there another option, more in line with the scripture the church is supposed to be based on? I don't think that there are only two options: Shoot or let yourself be shot. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for non-violent resistance- not passive acceptance. So how would that look in a church? It might mean churches need to get smaller and more local. Or it might mean something else entirely. Violent armed response is the way of the world, not the way of the church.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1, NIV
*Not sure what the officer means to quote here. The closest verse seems to be when Jesus invited his followers to take up the cross and follow him. (Mark 8:34)
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