A little lower than the angels

2 Lent, March 20, 2011 St. Paul's Bellingham John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  17  "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. I want to speak to you about hell today, but please don't get up and leave just yet. Hear me out. In case you don't know, a man named Rob Bell, who cares a lot about Jesus and wants people to know the love of Jesus, published a book recently. It is called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Has Ever Lived. In this book, Bell – who pastors a large evangelical church in the Midwest – makes the following statement, as quoted in an article in USA Today: "A staggering number of people have been taught that a few select Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous...

Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Council of the Diocese of Olympia, at which a young priest asked us about our knowledge of young adults and their relationship to the church. When I got home I checked Facebook to see this blogpost forwarded to me by a friend from Arkansas. I just sent it on to my Bishop and another clergy colleague and forwarded it to my own Facebook account. It's worth reading just for the way it directly addresses in a calm and direct way the anxieties of adults who wonder where the young people are. It is by a person who served as a campus chaplain. I call attention to these quotes: 1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it. Amen to that! Here's more: 5. Stop looking for the "objective truth" in Scripture. 6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scriptu...