Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy

“Charles Darwin’s theory of organic evolution—the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God—set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States.

“What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy is an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate.

“Professor Edward J. Larson leads you through the “evolution” of evolution, with an eye toward enhancing your understanding of the development of the theory itself and the roots of the controversies that surround it.”

So begins the course description of another CD course we have placed in the church library.  In acquiring this course I was hoping to shed more light on the discussions–at times loud shouting matches–between evolution and some people of faith in order to increase mutual understanding, respect and community. Not happening…at least not with this particular course.  These 24 half hour lectures on 12 CDs  deal almost exclusively with the controversies scientists have with other scientists about the existence of evolution and how it works.  Larson does a good job on tracing the ‘evolution of  evolution’ as the dominate scientific theory  on how life got here, but he does not adequately or sympathetically address questions from the faith community.  Where he does address the faith perspective it is from a sociological perspective and not asking about other dimensions of reality–truth and meaning for example.

He does raise some of the current scientific ‘growing edges’ of the theory of evolution such as:

• Is it possible for evolution to explain the altruistic human qualities of love and generosity?
• Is it true that humans exist merely to ensure the survival of their genes as a few famous scientist maintain?

Professor Larson addresses “social Darwinism,” throwing light on connections between the application of the theory of evolution to social order and other non-biological sciences.  He does not shy away from this misapplication of the theory.

I was disappointed in the course (meaning I only listened to it twice) because it is a history of  scientists disagreeing with scientists on how evolution would work–an important concern.  But not mine.  Most disappointing was his discussion of the “Scopes Monkey Trial.”  Larson won the Pulitzer Prize in history for his book Summer of the Gods which is about that famous trial.  A much greater treatment of the actual event and what it means in America’s culture is given by Professor Lawrence Principe in his course, “Science and Religion“. That course is ten times better in dealing with the general topic of the relationship of science and religion generally and with the Scopes Trial in particular.

But that review will have to wait.

Check out “Theory of Evolution: a History of Controversy” from the Tabernacle Church library and think for yourself.  After all the great Questioner, Jesus, often asked–“What do you think?”

St. Francis of Tab’s Library

Inspiration for the Commute

Living in the 1200s, St. Francis is still challenging people of faith to live it out sacrificially in our daily lives.

One of his poems is in the United Methodist Hymnal–#62-“All Creatures of Our God and King”. As is the famous prayer attributed to him that begins: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;  where there is hatred, let me sow love….

When I go from home to the church building I pass at least one St. Francis statue in a garden setting.

When leaders from the largest and best known religions meet, where was the conference?  Assisi, in honor of St. Francis.

When theologically conservative or theologically liberal thinkers want to defend a statement, each will go to St. Francis.  Interested in ministry with the poor?  Go, like our youth mission team did this summer, to the St. Francis Soup Kitchen.  Treehuggers love him.  The world who might have nothing to do with “organized religion” will have St. Francis as the icon of how Christianity ‘ought to be.’

But who is he?  What did he think?  How was he different? Why was he different?

These and many other questions are addressed and stories told in the new CD lecture series found in Tabernacle’s Library. These six disks with twelve 30-minute lectures by Professor William Cook and Professor Ron Herzman present the information in a way that changes and expands my thinking while making me want to help more people know about his life. Especially we Protestants.

I am convinced that this lecture series will make the commute a time you look forward to…and that is no small miracle  answering the Prayer of St. Francis:  “Where there is despair [let me sow] hope.”

Cruising with St. Paul

Enjoy Bible studies? Like St Paul? Or even have a love/hate relationship with him?

Like cruises?

Like Italian food fixed and served by Italians?

Then you would love a study cruise covering some of the same places that St. Paul traveled on his second and third missionary journeys.

Leaving Washington on November 5th and returning the 17th, travel through Milan to the port of Savona, Italy to board your ship, Costa Pacifica.

Then a day at sea.  Next a day at ancient Olympia, Greece.

On to Athens, see the ancient Acropolis, Parthenon, Mars Hill where Paul preached to the philosophers of his day, and to the Agora–the ancient market place. On to Corinth, Greece, and the ancient market, the temples and the archaeological museum.  To be where Paul’s 1st and 2nd Letters to the Corinthians were first read will change and deepen your connection to what Paul is saying  like no other experience can.

Then on to Turkey, the modern city of Izmir, to travel to Ephesus where Paul ministered for three years. And to Miletus (Acts 20:13-38) where he bid a final farewell to the elders of Ephesus.

Back on the ship for another day at sea before pulling into the modern city of Haifa, Israel.  Travel inland to where most of Jesus’ ministry took place around the Sea of Galilee, to the Mount of the Beatitudes, on to the traditional location for the feeding of the 5000, to Capernaum and a stop by the River Jordan.

Back on the ship to head to Cairo.  Paul never made it to Cairo, but you will.  There you will see the world-famous Egypt Museum which houses the King Tut treasures. You will also go to the Great Pyramids of Giza and see the sphinx.

Back to the ship to head to Rome to see both the pagan and Christian sites, where Paul was a captive and eventually executed and buried.

Thirteen days (including a day coming and a day going).  But all your days thereafter are touched by the greater grasp you will have on the Good News and the life and times of Paul, the Gospel messenger to we Gentiles.

Basic cost for the 13 day trip (including airfare) is around $2650.  To learn more pick up a brochure at Tabernacle Church or go online at: http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/find_trip/detail.aspx?id=1357.  Get a $150 discount per person if you register before August 5th.

The Reverend John Speight, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Fairfax Station and a close friend for nearly 20 years, will escort  this biblical adventure in 2010.  Cynthia and I hope to escort the group in November of 2011.

Pilgrimages are wonderful ways to spiritually grow, to have a great time, and this one involves great food and minimum of packing and unpacking–one of the great advantages of cruising.

Oh Canada!

Today was our last day of ministry in Toronto!  We were busy giving out tea at the subway stop, hosting a cookout for homeless men, and hosting a community dinner.  Throughout the day, we heard many renditions of  “Oh Canada”.    This afternoon, a group of youth enjoyed an afternoon of walking around our neighborhood.  We found a Farmers’ market and park.  Suddenly everyone was refinding their childhoods!

Tonight after a meaningful worship service with foot washing, we walked to a local park for festival food , jazz music, and fireworks .  We will soon call it a night at midnight and rise to depart at 6 a.m.

Next stop the Canadian side of Niagara Falls!  Happy Canada Day!!!! 

Sr.High Canadian Adventure continues………………

Yesterday, one of our groups began a new job assignment with a Franciscan monk, Brother John, in a cafe for the homeless.  We had an awesome time preparing and serving lunch- which was delicious!    Brother John is delightful  and we totally enjoyed our time there.  Maddy enjoyed the busyness of the cafe by taking care of two tables in the cafe.   Today was our last day with Brother John because tomorrow is CANADA DAY!

The other groups continued to work in the factory and at the school.   Deborah reports that today at the factory the best part was getting to know the people at the factory and enjoyed their enthusiasm!  Kenso was a favorite of Jess, Rosa, Alex and Kyle!  Ms. Lesa has kept her factory workers happy by McDonalds visits!    The factory group has seen their share of notebook paper.

Last night, we all packed sack lunches and experienced a four hour tour of downtown Toronto, focusing on the homeless.  We walked through the “Times Square” of Canada, the “Wall Street” of Canada, a very nice shopping district and the homeless district.  We arrived home very late and very tired.

Tonight we will be traveling to China town for a scavenger hunt.   The new bus  has been wonderful and surprisingly easy to drive even in the heart of the city.

Tomorrow is Canada Day!  We will be enjoying the fireworks and celebrations around town.

Sr. High Youth in Canada!

After a stopover in Pittsburgh that included a wonderful Pittsburgh tradition – Pimanti Brothers, the Sr. High Youth arrived in Niagara Falls in time to enjoy a night trip to the Falls.  It was awesome to stand within feet of the mighty roaring water- to be awed by such a site of nature.  Sunday morning, we worshiped at First United Methodist of Niagara with our hosts Lloyd and Rose Marie.

After worship, we travelled over the Rainbow Bridge into Canada- getting a wonderful view again of the Falls.  Changing money and answering questions at the borders was a new experience for many of our team.  As we travelled into Toronto, the police and closed roads reminded us that ours is a turbulent world.  However, we peacefully entered the city and found our way without incident to the mission site.

We live in the Salvation Army church along with youth from Oregon and Minnesota.  One of our groups is working with mentally challenged people in a notepaper factory, another with mentally challenged people in an adult school setting.  Tomorrow, we will break into three groups with the third working in a cafe setting that caters to the homeless.  Meals are $1 and we are very excited about this new opportunity.

Tonight  before our worship time, we relaxed on a Lake Ontario Beach.  The water was clear and cold.  Skipping rocks and looking for “sea glass”  quickly became  favorite pass times.

Our youth have been challenged to reach out beyond their comfort zones and are rising to the challenge with courage and compassion.  We all have stories at the end of the day!

Review: “Christianity–Great World Religions” Course on CD

Galilee from Mount of the Beatitudes Church

“I know what I believe about God and Christ!”

But do you know how the faith got to you?  Do you know what had to be wrestled with and clarified in order for you, and the wider church, to understand the faith “given once and forever”?

The Teaching Company’s course, “Great World Religions: Christianity,” helps give foundations and context to the listener’s faith.  It also respectfully raises questions that can enrich your faith.

About the teacher: Professor Luke Timothy Johnson was a Benedictine monk, holds a slew of academic degrees, teaches at a United Methodist Seminary, has written over 20 books, has multiple courses for The Teaching Company, has won awards for his teaching abilities and probably most importantly cares deeply about individuals’ and the church’s experience of God’s grace and truth.

About the format:  there are 12 lectures, each 30 minutes long, on 6 CDs.  The course comes with a guidebook that outlines the lectures, ends each lecture with a few questions, a useful bibliography and glossary (a mini-dictionary that defines terms used in the discussions), and a  time line.  I listen to this and other courses in my commute time.  The book and CD case will be in Tabernacle’s Church Library by the end of June (2010).

Lecture topics are:

1. Christianity among World Religions
2. Birth and Expansion of Christianity
3. Second Century and Self-Definition
4. The “Christian Story”
5. What Christian Believe
6. The Church and Sacraments
7. Moral Teaching
8. The Radical Edge
9. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant
10. Christianity  and Politics
11. Christianity and Culture, and
12. Tensions and Possibilities.

Any one of the lecture topics is worth a course.  So each is an overview, but done with enough depth that you can get both the sweep of the topic and the concrete difference that dimension makes in the Christian faith.  This is not a course on why one should believe in Christ, nor is it a Bible study.  It is a study on how believers got where we are, why we are so diverse, who we are as the largest religion in the history of the world.

Will you agree with everything Professor Johnson says?  I doubt it.  Will you care about all the topics he touches on? I doubt it.  Will you benefit from “taking” the course? No doubt–you definitely will.

Believers and non-believers probably won’t change what they think about God and Christ because of this course, but listening will certain increase understanding of why the Christian truths and church have stood the tests of time and diversity of cultures, languages, institutions, political systems and philosophies.

Take a listen and grow wiser for it.

Islam: Review of “The Great Courses” by The Teaching Company

Dome of the Rock Shrine detail

Islam: the word and the religion inspires fear and causes confusion in many Christians.  Islam–what is it?  Is the Taliban and Al Qaeda all you know of Islam?

What if the Crusades and American soldiers in your town was all a young Middle Eastern child knew about Christianity?  Muslims are our neighbors in the US.  Muslims are our neighbors in the world. Islam is the second largest religion in the world.  But who are they?  What do they believe to be true and of ultimate value?

Christians need to know.  We need to know more than news headlines and what angry people tell us.

Therefore we are adding a CD edition of The Teaching Company’s course, “Great World Religions: Islam” to the Tabernacle Church library.  It is a 12 lecture course with each lecture taking 30 minutes.  The instructor is Professor John Esposito, a distinguished instructor  at Georgetown University.  He himself is a Christian, but is respectful of his topic and  has written over 25 books and is editor-in-chief of The Oxford History of Islam.  In other words, he’s no slacker.

Lecture topics include: The Five Pillars of Islam, the life of Muhammad–the founder of the faith, the Quran (Muslim scriptures), community in Islam, different spiritualities within Islam, women in Islam, and Islam in the West, among others.

The length of the lectures makes it easy to listen to, and to repeat if desired.  And though Eposito is an academic, he is a good teacher. This is a college level course, but don’t  let that scare you.  There is no test, and you can re-listen to the teachings as you feel the need.

The course is good, not great.  At times Eposito makes pleas for tolerance and understanding and respect that are not grounded on anything more than the current prejudice that tolerance is the supreme value.  He does not wrestle with the truth claims of Islam, nor does he deal adequately with the theology that separates Christians, Muslims and Jews.  That will have to wait for another course.

Because the need to understand Islam is so crucial in our day I recommend this set of CD for Christians.

“Redeeming the (commute) Time for the Days are Evil”

Traffic at the Lion's Gate, the Old City walls of Jerusalem

Paul wrote to the commuters in the Church at Ephesus:

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (KJV Ephesians 5:15-17).

We all know the time on the way to and from work can be soul-draining.  So, how to redeem it?  How to turn it to good?  Turn your vehicle or your iPod into a classroom.  The Teaching Company out of Chantilly, Virginia, records the best professors from around the US on a wide variety of topics.  We have included several lecture series in the Tabernacle Church Library.  I just reviewed Great World Religions: Islam for my last blog.  We are also adding Great World Religions: Christianity as presented by the former monk and currently professor at Candler School of Theology, Timothy Luke Johnson.  I am also listening to a tremendous course on science and religion in the west.

In addition to borrowing from the church library, you can borrow lecture series from the public library, find used and new copies on eBay, or go to The Teaching Company’s website, http://www.teach12.com. WARNING!  If you order something from The Teaching Company they will send you a catalog every 10 days.  For me that is a great temptation.  For others it is a distraction.  You have been warned.

How do we redeem the evil time of commuting?  By turning it into a time of growing in wisdom, reason and knowledge, through study on the road.  Keeps you young!

What’s Happening in Cana?

Worship in the Catholic Church in Cana

The town is bustling; a mixture of Christians and Muslims living in harmony and doing life and business together.

What would you sell if you trafficked with pilgrims day after day?

WINE of course.

Jesus first and second miracles were done in Cana.  We all know what the first one was.  What was the second?

Jesus’ second miracle was healing the son of “a certain royal official.”  The kicker is this:  while Jesus and dad are in Cana, the son is in Capernaum.  How far is it from Capernaum to Cana?  About 32 kilometers or 20 miles. Miles are not a barrier to faith and  prayers for healing.

For interesting reading on healing at a distance read Healing  Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine by Larry Dossey, M.D.  I heard his speak a couple times at Chautauqua.  Dossey is the former Chief of Staff of Humana Medical City Dallas and current co-chairman of the Panel on Mind/Body Interventions, Office of Alternative Medicine, national Institutes of Health.  He is no Christian (raised fundamentalist and has rejected Christianity) but is trying to help the medical world wake up to the healing power of the human spirit and what the scriptures call the Holy Spirit.

The point is, Jesus gets things done and miles are not a barrier.  Keep praying!