The Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding is pleased to announce that Hans Madueme will begin serving as the Managing Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at TEDS effective July 1, 2010.

Dr. Madueme was born in Sweden and grew up in Nigeria, Austria, and England. He received a Bachelor of Science in anatomy at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and the Doctor of Medicine from Howard University in Washington, D.C. He then completed a three-year residency in Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after which he began studies at Trinity, where he received a Master of Divinity at TEDS and a Master of Arts in Bioethics at Trinity Graduate School in Deerfield, Illinois. Madueme is currently a PhD candidate in theological studies at TEDS, working under Kevin Vanhoozer. He is also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Dr. Madueme’s research interests are primarily in systematic theology, science and theology, and bioethics. His dissertation explores the doctrine of sin and recent attempts to revise it in light of theistic evolution and modern biological sensibilities. He serves as an adjunct professor at Trinity Graduate School, and he has also taught at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. Some of his recent articles have been published in the Journal of Theological Interpretation, Theological Education, American Journal of Bioethics, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and the American Medical Association’s online journal Virtual Mentor. Madueme is presently on the editorial board of Trinity Journal and he is a book review editor for the journal Themelios. He has been a Hansen Fellow for the Henry Center and works as a Research Analyst for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. He preaches regularly and serves once a month pastorally at an assisted care facility.  Dr. Madueme lives with his wife, Shelley, in Libertyville, Illinois.

The Henry Center is thrilled to announce this good news.  Dr. Madueme brings a rich blend of theological expertise, ministerial experience, and administrative excellence to the Center.  Please join the TEDS faculty and staff in praying for Dr. Madueme’s tenure as Managing Director under Director Douglas Sweeney.

Live Blog by Chipper Flaniken

Welcome to the live blog for the Henry Center’s Timothy Series message at the 11AM TEDS chapel service.  This event will begin shortly (approximately 11:10).

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Today’s speaker is Dave Johnson, pastor of the Church of the Open Door, Maple Grove, MN

David Johnson has been the senior pastor at Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove, Minnesota, since 1980. During this time, the church has grown from a congregation of 160 to 3,000 people. A much sought-after speaker, he is a graduate of Bethel College and received his theological training at Bethel Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His Growing in Grace radio broadcast is syndicated internationally. David and his family live in Minnesota.

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Scripture reading: Colossians 1:3-8

Dave Johnson

Introduction

We are going to talk this morning about hope – what we put our hope in – and what it’s like to lose hope.

Many of the people living in Colossi had lost their hope – they were living in the shadow of the Romans. Many had lost their lives or their land.

But still, Paul gives thanks at the opening of this passage! Paul has heard of the Colossian church and their faithfulness and love.

Faith and love are coming from the hope that the Colossians have. But where does the hope come from? The Word of Truth.

The war is over! The victory is won! Victory gives birth to hope.

The Central Question: What is this Word of Truth that stirred such faith and love in Colossi and beyond? This hope was being spawned in places where the circumstances seemed hopeless.

The human spirit is dependent on hope! We can suffer through almost anything – except the loss of hope.

We are all “hopers”. We hope we get jobs, we hope it’s not cancer, we hope our spouses come back.

But what if what you are hoping in doesn’t actually come to fruition? Paul was in a Roman prison – he certainly hoped to get out. But what if he didn’t?

So the people in Colossi are probably hoping the Caesar doesn’t notice their refusal to worship him. But what if he does notice?

So what is this Word of Truth that provides such hope?

See Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 15  – Paul condenses the gospel into just a few verses about Christ’s resurrection! This is where the hope comes from! Roman crosses and Caesars can kill you – but they can’t keep you because Christ has been raised.

So the Colossians apparently had this type of hope! Because their external circumstances would suggest otherwise

But the truth is – we don’t have death in our face everyday. So sometimes, the reality of heaven may not help us out much. It may not feel like a significant source of hope.

So what did Paul see that we have such a hard time seeing?

The faith and hope we are talking about is not born of pretending things are fine if they are not fine. It is not fairy dust that makes our problems go away!

- Paul saw his problems clearly. He even despaired of his life! He saw things and didn’t deny what he felt.

- The key is – he saw MORE! See 2 Cor.4:18

So the question for us is, what do we see?

In our personal battle to find hope in whatever circumstances we might be in, what do we see?

People full of faith – on a practical level – they live their lives with a conviction that there is more going on in life that what we can see with physical eyes. They don’t deny what is real.

Again, Paul didn’t pretend! He just saw more.

But it is so easy to forget this “more”. This is why we need community! We need to remind each other of these things.

- The people in Colossi saw the horrors of Rome and didn’t deny it. The felt the pain, but they saw more! This gave birth to faith and hope.

- Same example with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were threatened with the furnace! They didn’t write off the furnace as if it wasn’t hot! Instead, they looked to God to rescue them from this furnace and refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar.

- Example of Caleb and Joshua – they saw more when the others around them wanted to give up.

- Example of Nehemiah – those living and working around him were losing hope. All they could see was rubble!

Does this happen to you? Does it often happen that you can’t see past the rubble? For example, can you see past the rubble in your marriage?

- When you make mistakes, what do you see? Everyone has made these types of mistakes. But in him we have redemption in the blood of Christ.

- Do you see this?

What is the rubble for you that has convinced you that you can’t rebuild?

- Sometimes our ability to see more is really a choice. We have to look at something else! And often we need someone in our life to help us stop moping! We have to be reminded of Heb. 12:2

- But sometimes when we try to see more, we can’t! And in cases like this we need a gift from God. To help us see what we can’t see. Recall 2 Kings 6! Sometimes God has to open our eyes!

- And remember – God is for us! See Romans 8:31-35!

- Nothing is able to separate us from the love of God! This is the ultimate Good News! This is Word of Truth that inspired love and faithfulness in the Colossians.

Closing Prayer

Thanks for joining us! Dave Johnson will be giving a second message on Thursday, April 22nd at 11AM. See you then!

Live Blog by Chipper Flaniken

Welcome to “Apologetics Beyond the Pew – A Conversation with Ravi Zacharias and Friends”

A live video stream of this event is available here.

The event will begin at 2:30PM CST.

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The Henry Center is sponsoring a special event with global evangelist Ravi Zacharias on Monday, April 12, from 2:30pm-4pm in ATO Chapel on the TEDS campus.  Entitled “Apologetics Beyond the Pew: A Conversation for the Church with Ravi Zacharias and Friends”, the event will cover how Christians can carry out faithful apologetics beyond the walls of the church building.

Zacharias will be joined by Scott Chapman of The Chapel (Grayslake) and John Njoroge of RZIM.  President Craig Williford of TIU will give opening remarks.

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Introductory comments from Dr. Craig Williford, TIU President

- Introductory music by Jay Greener

- Further introductory comments by Scott Chapman, who came to Christ in part through the tapes and writings of Ravi Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias – Introductory Comments

- Honored to be here, accompanied by his wife.

- Mentioned that Rick Pease is here, the new president of RZIM. This will allow Ravi to focus more on his speaking engagements.

- Mentions that the new partnership between RZIM and TIU is very strategic and timely. Through this new alignment, we will look into the future together.

- Remarks that Trinity faculty has been very instrumental in shaping his spiritual formation – especially when he was studying at TEDS for his MDiv – (graduated ’76)

Address:

When you look back over the last thirty years, there have been many voices announcing that changes were coming – sounding the alarms. Including Francis Schaeffer.

And these warnings have come true. We can’t define sexuality, marriage, etc. These social difficulties are not longer shocking. We can’t even define what “life” really means.

Things that we thought would be self-evident and sacred and no longer that way.

But again, people like Schaeffer warned us of this, and this time is now here!

Now, as we live in the “high-noon” of reasoning and thinking – we need to know how to respond. What are the patterns we need to deal with?

Four changes in the past 30 years:

1. The popularization of the death of God – especially the atheistic mindset.

- people don’t just believe this – they are also willing to live within in ramifications. If you say it, and repeat it, and say it in a triumphalistic way – that’s all you have to do! You say it or pronounce it, and then it’s over! Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris, etc. – they have made this type of thinking very popular.

2. The Third World’s attack on western ideas with their pantheistic mannerisms. The western world looks juvenile, and the rest of the world looks sophisticated. Pantheism has “disoriented” the Western world.

- Do you know of any other religious worldview defend the statement, “all are created equal”? Only Christianity would really support this. This framework shaped the Western world.

- All of the sudden the most unwanted voice in Western public forum is that of the Christian. Can you believe this shift?

The world doesn’t realize how precious the Gospel is

3. The transfer of truth through the eyes – the “eye-gate” rather than the mind.

- Most people today see with their eyes, but not with their conscience.

Example: Movies. They get rejected because

4. It has become a youth-oriented world as far as a molding point. We have to address the youth!

How do we respond?

1. We need an apologetic that is seen! Not just explained. Otherwise it will become heretical.

- Many Christians have sown these seeds of action – and we need to keep sowing. The life has to be lived! When the life is lived, don’t underestimate the impact.

2. An apologetic that is not merely argued, but is also felt. You cannot have a persuasive speaker if he/she does not come through as being persuaded themselves!

- passions are very real, and therefore the passion for the gospel has to be real if it is to appeal to a generation that lives with its feelings.

3. We cannot comprise the Word of God in the process! We cannot compromise the Word in the process of bringing the world over into the experience of Christ

- we have to bring life into the proclamation of the Word!

- Why didn’t Christ wait to become incarnate until we had video cameras? The Word has a lasting, abiding value as a carrier of truth.

- Words – they must have objective meaning and value! Otherwise, you are manufacturing a world of your own. And when these types of worlds collide – terrible things happen.

Thomas Moore: When we give our words to someone, we hold our lives in our hands. If we open our hands and let them drop, we shall look down and never find ourselves again.

- The Word that we have been given must be seen, felt, and argued!

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Question & Answer Session – with Zacharias, Chapman, and Njoroge

- Chapman to Zacharias: The practice of apologetics is changing – how do social justice issues affect this? Are classical apologetics still useful?

- Dr. Zacharias: look to Schaeffer for a bridge from apologetics to cultural engagement. Also, classical foundations are still important. There are felt realities to that we must address. If we understand the “wounds” of a culture, we will never be able to communicate with them. We need to understand the “why” questions and the anguish that a culture might be dealing with. Otherwise we will talk completely outside of their felt needs. There needs to be a connection between classical apologetics and felt needs.

Njoroge: we can become very good at intellectual ideas and forget that there are many other aspects of being human that need to be addressed. Often, gifted communicators find it hard to understand why people are not changed by good arguments. We need to make sure that different gifts are being used well. They all come into play.

- Dr. Zacharias: Just because people have heard the arguments doesn’t mean they understand them! So find an entrance into the heart – such as through music, poetry, etc.

Question: Christians are comfortable talking about truth because they believe there is one. Is there such a thing as objective beauty? Could this serve as an apologetic?

Dr. Zacharias: you can usually tell when beauty is violated more easily than you can sense it on its own. There will be preferences and choices, but when profanity comes into play, we see beauty from a more objective point.

Njoroge: We are called to preach a vision of beauty to others so people can truly long for God! Arts often bring out the best in people, so we need to know how to use art.

Scott Chapman: people might be searching for a beauty of love. In this kind of openness – God must find a place to dwell. And this is the role of the church.

Dr. Zacharias: most people have given up on love. They just don’t believe it exists anymore. People are very cynical in this regard. One thing we can do to help with this – is the model this fraternal relationship. This king of respect! And the church must model this. People who leave the church, they find that the church has totally rejected them, and they don’t have any room for God.

Njoroge: We talk a lot about winning souls for Christ – but we need to remember that once people come to Christ, there is still a lot of work to be done in their lives and in the community. We need to saturate the community with the gospel. This has really been lost – especially the biblical storyline. So we have to change the angles that we speak to. We need to understand this storyline of Scripture so that people are truly changed. They will be forced  to confront issues that they are dealing with.

Dr. Zacharias: Apologetic strategy often depends on where people are from. Also, this is a tumultuous time that we live in as far as the invasion of the mind! We have our Black Berry devices, TV, tons of emails – it’s almost as if God doesn’t have a chance at getting in! So we have to acknowledge this, and make sure that we guard our quiet times as well. This is a difficult time in which to live a consistent, godly life.

Question: From a Christian perspective, when we look at key political issues today, Christians are very divided. As you look at the landscape, what guidance can you give as far as addressing a diverse Christian body?

Dr. Zacharias: This is a difficult question! There will always be people who disagree with you.

- Example of Joe Gibbs (NASCAR – used to be in the NFL) – everyone is depraved (according to Joe Gibbs). It doesn’t matter what industry you are in.

Watching the world today – including the United States – there is systemic corruption everywhere! When the central power is given to a governing authority, it will plunder the souls of people. There are plenty of historical examples of this. The process of freedom and markets doesn’t eliminate evil, but it may be the best route from a philosophical perspective.

Can you respond to the apparent cruelty of God in the Old Testament?

Dr. Zacharias: Another very difficult issue! John Njoroge is doing a lot of thinking on this.

Njoroge: This is a really important issue today – in fact much of The God Delusion is based on attacking the character of God.

- the question itself assumes a certain standard. You have to believe that there is a moral standard in order to even raise this question, and you can’t have a moral standard without God. The question of evil is in view here as well. You answer these questions in a similar light. We have to remember that God is all-knowing, and we are not. When answering this question though, remember that God is often cast in the worst light possible. Remember that you cannot say that the events of the Bible are knee-jerk reactions. God’s judgments on the nations are purposeful. Also, Israel was an instrument in the hands of God and they too were inflicted with judgments from God.

Dr. Zacharias: When you see God’s cataclysmic actions – remember that there are major revelatory elements there as well! This means that what he does is a result of people ignoring God’s revelation. God is not acting in a vacuum.

Also: Dawkins and all of these scholars disavow God because of evil. But the thing is, when you talk about evil, you must say there is a God. But why must there be a moral law giver? Because when evil is discussed, it always relates back to people – so the question is bound within itself. There is a dignity inherent in humans that cannot exist without a law-giver.

Finally: pain is necessary! The possibility of pain is an indicator for self-preservation. This keeps us from self-destructing!

End of event: Thank you for joining us!

Today at 11am CST Trinity International University will announce a new partnership with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Go here to watch the live-stream for free: http://tiuproductions.com/livestream/ This is a special chapel service of the university.

In addition, you can watch a free live webcast of a special Henry Center-sponsored event entitled “Apologetics Beyond the Pew” at 2:30pm CST today, April 12, 2010 at http://tiuproductions.com/livestream/ The event will last for roughly 1.5 hours and will feature a talk by Dr. Zacharias on apologetics.

Both of these events will be recorded and posted for free viewing on the Henry Center website 2-4 weeks from now.

Schedule of Events for Monday, April 12

• 11am-12:15pm: Special chapel service to announce TIU-RZIM partnership in ATO Chapel (all invited); free webcast online
• 2:30pm-4pm: “Apologetics Beyond the Pew” with Ravi Zacharias and Friends in ATO Chapel (all invited); free webcast online

As previous announced, the Henry Center is sponsoring a special event with global evangelist Ravi Zacharias on Monday, April 12, from 2:30pm-4pm in ATO Chapel on the TEDS campus.  Entitled “Apologetics Beyond the Pew: A Conversation for the Church with Ravi Zacharias and Friends”, the event will cover how Christians can carry out faithful apologetics beyond the walls of the church building.

Dr. Zacharias will give 15 to 20 minutes of remarks on this essential topic and will then be joined by Scott Chapman of The Chapel (Grayslake) and John Njoroge of RZIM for a panel discussion.

The entire TIU community, with the general public, is invited to this free event.  It will be webcasted live for an international audience at http://tiuproductions.com/livestream.

In addition, the Henry Center is pleased to offer a free live webcast of a special service in ATO Chapel at 11am of the same day (Monday, April 12) announcing the formation of a special partnership between TIU and RZIM.  As noted above, visit http://tiuproductions.com/livestream to access the free live webcast.

Schedule of Events for Monday, April 12

• 11am-12:15pm: Special chapel service to announce TIU-RZIM partnership in ATO Chapel (all invited); free webcast online
• 2:30pm-4pm: “Apologetics Beyond the Pew” with Ravi Zacharias and Friends in ATO Chapel (all invited); free webcast online

On Thursday, April 15, 2010 from 12pm-1:15 p.m., the Henry Center is sponsoring a brown-bag gathering in Hinkson Hall entitled “Fostering Biblical Preaching Movements: A Conversation.”

Led by Greg Scharf, chair of the Pastoral Ministry department at TEDS, this conversation will feature David Jackman of Proclamation Trust, David Helm of Simeon Trust, and Todd Kelly of Leadership Resources International. With Scharf, who is affiliated with Langham Preaching, each of the participants will give a brief, seven-minute presentation on the movement they lead and how it contributes to the spread of biblical preaching. Following the brief presentations, attendees will be welcome to contribute to a lively question-and-answer discussion in the mold of the Center’s Timothy Series events.

The Henry Center invites the TIU campus, along with interested parties from the surrounding area, to this eye-opening event. “Fostering Biblical Preaching Movements” is free and open to all.

The Center has a heart for enriching the preaching ministry of God’s church, and we hope that this brief but packed event will accomplish just that.

(Image of Paul Preaching in Athens/An Uncommon Grace)

March 17th, 2010

Live blog by Chipper Flaniken

To view the live-stream for Christine Pohl’s lecture on hospitality, visit here: http://tiuproductions.com/livestream/

The Henry Center for Theological Understanding welcomes Dr. Christine Pohl, Professor of Church in Society at Asbury Theological Seminary

At 1:00 PM in the ATO Chapel of TEDS, Dr. Pohl will be delivering a lecture entitled:

“Practicing Hospitality in Troubled Times: Promise and Peril for the Church”

See below for a summary:

Offering hospitality to strangers was a distinctive feature of ancient Christian life. The biblical texts and tradition, Jesus’ practice and explicit teachings, and the needs of the ancient church and world combined to make hospitality a central aspect of Christian discipleship. In the last 500 years, transformative understandings of hospitality have been mostly lost, and with them, some crucial insights into Christian witness, social ministry and congregational life. Giving fresh attention to an ancient practice allows us to see the close connection between theology and everyday life, and offers promise and challenge to the contemporary church.

Begin Live Blog:

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Introduction

-  In the church today, our hospitality tends to be fairly tame and “safe”

-  It doesn’t really cost us.

Hospitality in Scripture

1. True hospitality is present from the the very beginning of Scripture until the very end, in fact, true hospitality is a condensing of the gospel

2. It wasn’t easy, but the NT finds leaders challenging each other to be welcoming

- Hebrews 13 – we may even be entertaining angels!

- 1 Peter 4 – hospitality is vital yet costly

3. Hospitality was practiced in the church and in the home

4. Hospitality was often practiced around meals

5. Hospitality was connected to the divine

- Jesus makes a close link to this in Matthew 25

- Jesus presents a hospitality parable in Luke 14:12-14

A History of Hospitality:

In the early church, hospitality was a vital apologetic

- as expressed by many writers, including Justin Martyr

The church reformers valued hospitality

The reformers, including Martin Luther, spoke very favorably of hospitality

John Calvin commended Christians engaged in the welcoming of refugees.

However, in their efforts to reform the church, Luther and Calvin did not recover the importance of hospitality in congregational life.

This is a critical issue, because vibrant hospitality occurs when there is overlap between society and the church.

If there is too much emphasis on the social/civic side, hospitality becomes disconnected and scattered.

18th Century – John Wesley recovered many of the practices of hospitality – such as eating meals together and visiting. But he did not call it hospitality since the term “hospitality” lacked a moral significance in England.

The argument is not that hospitality was damaged intentionally, but hospitality has been altered into something shallower in the Christian church over the past several centuries.

Wesley’s understanding of hospitality was much closer to the practices of the early church, so his views certainly deserve a closer look.

The Resurgence of Hospitality in the Modern Church

Why is this important?

1. Hospitality provides us a fresh lens that we can use to think about our faith

- we gain fresh perspective on discipleship

2. Hospitality is critical to the credibility of the gospel

- without hospitality, it is easy to dismiss truth.

- Robert Webber: the most significant apologetic for the Christian faith will be the hospitality found in the local church. This will become the new apologetic. People will come to faith not through arguments, but through fellowship.

Illustration: Christian community in rural Georgia. It is a rural Christian community that attracts 3,000 visitors per year simply because strangers are attracted to see how this Christian body loves and serves refugees.

3. New Christians hear about the gospel through intimate relationship!

- This is what allows for discipleship

4. People are much more alone than they used to be.

- People in lots of churches have no family close by. Thus, the church can help reconstruct families out of people who have come to be parts of these congregations.

- Churches have generally embraced a social service model. We serve meals, but we don’t sit down and have conversations with them, or invite them into our church. This is artificial and destructive! We are not just providing a social service

5.  People today are open to mystery!

- People understand that life has to consist in more than how much money they make. This is a dangerous search unless the church longs to meet these yearnings!

The Perils of Hospitality

What is in danger when we practice hospitality?

1. When we practice hospitality, our lives and our lifestyles are in danger!

- our lives are more exposed when we practice hospitality – especially when we become friends with people unlike ourselves. Hospitality forces us to live closer to our limits. Our frailties are exposed!

- hospitality stretches us! It involves a dieing to self. It is costly!

- we worry about embracing hospitality because we think that strangers might take advantage of us

- we must become willing to live with a certain amount of risk while still protecting the vulnerable people in our families.

- hospitality is safer in the context of community, so since we have smaller families today,

2. Since it is so potent, hospitality can be misused!

- many in the Christian tradition have used hospitality as a means of being idle

- but the churches founds ways to deal with this!

- Calvin wrote that people in need should be helped, but their circumstances should be inquired about. But remember, don’t cover your stinginess under the shadow of prudence!

- We have to start with God’s gracious character and generosity. This gives us a better set of resources to deal with the hard cases.

3. Hospitality can endanger our reputations and our experience of privilege

- transformative hospitality assumes that true hospitality moves in both directions! Other people need to be enabled to used their gifts of service!

4. We hesitate to do significant hospitality because we are worried about losing time and money.

- protecting family time and rest are important things to do, and there are times when we have to limit our hospitality!

- Francis Schaeffer: It is not sinful to be finite!

5. Hospitality endangers our plans

- hospitality interferes with our idea of efficiency and measureable results

6. Hospitality can interfere with our cherished way of life

- a shared way of life in good and compelling, and when we welcome people that are different than us, it can change our own identities.

- we have to be wise about what values we change, and which aspects of our community we are willing to adapt.

Discourse on hospitality as resistance

- our acts of welcome and respect toward people different than ourselves are particularly important when the world says they aren’t worth our time

- when we welcome these types of people, their self-assessment changes. Our opinions are influenced by what people think about us! There is nothing more dangerous than being invisible or having a place to contribute.

- in this way, hospitality is an important means of pursuing justice.

- the most vulnerable people in the world are those without vibrant relationships. These people need places to share their gifts! They need a home!

7. When in ministry, we must separate dignity from need! Otherwise we can easily humiliate the people that we help.

- hospitality reminds us that respect does not need to be drained from relationships when someone has significant needs.

8. there is peril in hospitality because it is effective in forging relationships, so it can be exploited by ambition. Don’t turn hospitality into a form of commercial exchange! We are goal oriented, which can be a dangerous thing.

- Hospitality cannot just be a strategy for church growth or evangelism! There are few contexts that are better for sharing the gospel.

9.  Hospitality is dangerous because it draws us so close to God’s mystery. It’s full of surprise and mystery!

- it can be crazy and unpredictable!

- when you talk with practicioners of hospitality, you often find that you get more than you give! God moves through these circumstances to effect the givers.

- however, we cannot carve our days into mundane things and the things that we think will effect the kingdom! We cannot build this distinction into our days!

The Henry Center is pleased to announce two upcoming events.

First, in partnership with Lausanne 2010, it will host a conversation on conversation on global Christianity and cultural engagement on March 17, 2010 at 9am in ATO Chapel.  The TIU community and the local evangelical community is invited to this exciting conversation, which will feature such leading evangelical thinkers as Tite Tienou of TEDS, Doug Birdsall (Executive Chairman of Lausanne), Andy Crouch of Christianity Today, Bethany Hoang of International Justice Mission, and Peter Cha of TEDS.  Skye Jethani of Leadership Journal will moderate the discussion.

Trinity is one of a select group of locations for Lausanne gatherings, including New York City, Boston, and Pasadena.  Please join the Henry Center and other distinguished guests for the March 17^th conversation.

Visit http://www.lausanne.org/global-conversation/chicagotrinity-gathering.html for more information.  The event will likely be live-streamed and recorded for later posting on this website.

Second, on Wednesday, March 17^th at 1pm in ATO Chapel, the Henry Center will sponsor a Scripture & Ministry lecture by Dr. Christine Pohl of Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Kentucky) on “Practicing Hospitality in Troubled Times: Promise and Peril for the Church”.  The lecture is free and open to the entire TIU community.

The following is a brief description of the talk:

Offering hospitality to strangers was a distinctive feature of ancient Christian life. The biblical texts and tradition, Jesus’ practice and explicit teachings, and the needs of the ancient church and world combined to make hospitality a central aspect of Christian discipleship. In the last 500 years, transformative understandings of hospitality have been mostly lost, and with them, some crucial insights into Christian witness, social ministry and congregational life. Giving fresh attention to an ancient practice allows us to see the close connection between theology and everyday life, and offers promise and challenge to the contemporary church.

Clearly, the issue of hospitality relates broadly to essential Christian themes and practices.  Attendees of the lecture will benefit from a richly scriptural and theological look at a Christian calling that many attempt to practice but few fully appreciate.

Please join the Center for these two upcoming events, which are free and open to all.

Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan of the Henry Center have just released a five-volume series entitled The Essential Edwards Collection (Moody, 2010).

This brand-new series distills the essential thought of America’s greatest pastor-theologian.  It is written to be of help to all kinds of people–those who know little about Edwards and haven’t had time to read him, those familiar with Edwards who could benefit from short resource guides offering important quotations and critical but deeply appreciative analysis, and those who love Edwards and want to work through the searching material he authored.

The books are short (160 pages), readable, and include application sections. The following is the list of books:

Jonathan Edwards, Lover of God
Jonathan Edwards on Beauty
Jonathan Edwards on the Good Life
Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity
Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell

The Essential Edwards Collection embodies the ministry of the Henry Center, as it presents the riches of profound scriptural and theological reflection to the people of God in order that they might love Him more.  It is not an anthology of Edwards’s writings, but a guide to his thought.  It includes the most important passages from his corpus along with commentary designed to illumine them and application intended to fire the heart and mind of the reader.

In the end, however, Strachan, an Edwards devotee, and Sweeney, an expert Edwards scholar, intend for this collection to not simply help people learn about America’s great theologian, but to enlarge the modern church’s understanding of God and the life of joy and excitement He offers us through His Son.

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Select Endorsements

“an excellent glimpse into a life lived unto God” Thabiti Anyabwile

“the kernel of much of Edwards’s thought in eminently accessible form” D. A. Carson

a “splendid library of volumes” David Dockery

“a fantastic introduction to the heart, mind, and ministry of the greatest theologian America has ever produced” Mark Driscoll

“I’ve read no better introduction to Jonathan Edwards” C. J. Mahaney

“five excellent and accessible introductions”…”a great achievement and a tremendous resource” Al Mohler

“Pure gold” Josh Moody

“This winsome and accessible introduction is now the first thing I’d recommend for those who want to know more about America’s greatest pastor-theologian” Justin Taylor

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Buy the collection.

live blogged by Chipper Flaniken

February 9th, 2010

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The Henry Center for Theological Understanding welcomes Wayne Ogimachi as a part of the ongoing Timothy Series. Pastor Ogimachi will be speaking at the TEDS chapel services on February 9th and February 11th.

A graduate of UCLA and Fuller Theological Seminary, Wayne Ogimachi has experience in youth, campus, and pastoral ministry in southern California. He also served for 17 years as the Pastor of Christian Layman Church in Oakland, CA, during which time he also helped start the Asian American Christian Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2000, he moved to Seattle to plant Lighthouse Christian Church in Bellevue, Washington, where he currently serves as Lead Pastor.

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Scripture passage from John 21:15-23 (read by TEDS student)

Pastor Ogimachi

Introductory comments:

Born in Chicago…moved to southern California when two years old. Pastored for 17 years in the Bay area. Then moved to Seattle to plant a church that he is still with (Lighthouse Christian Church). Attended Fuller Seminary…tough experience for him spiritually. Lots of new learning for a lifetime of ministry, gained a broader perspective of church history, gained a better understanding of theological controversies, rubbed shoulders with bright faculty and professors.

Spent seven years at Fuller doing his MDiv.

Did lots of different ministries during that time. Including prison ministry. Began to fall in love with the church as the vehicle for God’s kingdom.

Went to seminary with no intention of becoming a pastor. Thought he was going to do campus ministry (didn’t have a positive view of the institutional church during college years at UCLA – was involved in a vibrant parachurch organization).

Hard times during seminary: financial crises, relational issues, feelings of inadequacy, academic struggles. During those years, would often doubt God’s call on his life. Wondered if God could use someone like him effectively in ministry.

On the the passage:

Peter in a crisis of faith in John 21 – Peter had claimed he would die for Jesus rather than forsake him. Then he had a “humpty-dumpty” moment where things fell apart.

We have all had these types of moments. Like during Pastor Ogimachi’s experience in youth ministry.

But remember, Jesus wanted to help Peter pick up the pieces. Wanted to be sure Peter would meet him in Galilee. And they had breakfast together…which signified relational warmth in that culture.

But there was still an “elephant in the room” between Jesus and Peter. This is a common experience among many of us!

And for Peter…the elephant was his denial of Jesus! This is the same Peter that Jesus wanted to use to help build the church (Matt 16:18).

Jesus never tries to shame or blame Peter. Instead Jesus decides not to dwell on the past…but he didn’t minimize the sin either.

So Jesus asks, “do you love me?” (John 21:15)

This question just hangs in the air…and everything in Peter’s life hangs in the balance. This is a “defining moment” – the day that changes your life forever.

How do we know if we love Jesus?

1. If we love Jesus, we will long for personal communion with him and to be with him.

2. We will love the things he loves (Micah 6:8).

3. We will hate the things that he hates (Proverbs 8:13). There are things that Jesus hates!

4. We will long for Jesus to return. Has this longing been put on the back burner? What about in your life? If we love Jesus, we will long for his returning. Paul does! (2 Tim 4:8)

5. We will keep his commandments. This is a tangible outworking of love!

Regardless of past failures, those who love Jesus can be recommissioned like Peter was. We can rejoin the mission and take up the cause! We can serve the King and his kingdom!

Main point about loving Jesus: Jesus will only entrust his sheep to those who love him and his people. To those who deeply and absolutely love him! These are the only safe shepherds!

One of the things about seminary is that it can make you discerning, but it can also make you cynical. Are you becoming critical thinkers, or just becoming critical?

Anecdote: The church will be changed and renewed by people that love the church and are deeply committed to it! Pastor Ogimachi heard this in seminary and it profoundly impacted his life. Would he then stand on the periphery and criticize, or throw his hat in the ring and try to be a part of the solution?

So our prayer should be that God would protect us from cynical attitudes.

Wouldn’t you give your children to someone that you trust? That also love your children? Jesus is the same way. He will only entrust people into the care of people that love Jesus Christ and his sheep.

Quote: “There are two kinds of people…those who takes risks for God, and those who criticize and malign the first group.”

Back to the passage:

Jesus tells Peter that loving the kingdom will not be easy! Love brought Peter a task AND a sacrifice! We don’t love Jesus unless we are prepared to take up his cross.

Do you love Jesus? Our seminary years should increase our hearts for the Lord! Beware of coming out of seminary with a cold heart!

Will you follow Jesus to the end of your life? Will you get discouraged when the road gets hard, or will you be distracted by what God is doing in the lives of others?

Peter had this “distraction problem”. He looked at the apostle Jesus loved and asked Jesus about him. Do you get distracted by how God is using other people in ministry!

Again, sacrifice is going to happen in ministry!

Pastor Ogimachi: My hardest year in ministry was in 1996. Staff conflict. Several months of terrible discouragement. Lots of humbling moments and discouragement. Things I thought were going well were not going as well. Then the Lord told him, “if this is really going to be a good church, someone is going to have to lay down their life!”

When you see a healthy church – or even a healthy marriage or relationship – you can assume that it came at a major cost to someone. Even the healthiest churches and marriages have high costs!

If we don’t love God, we will be a danger to a church. But the more we love Jesus, the more ministry he will entrust to us.

Jesus trusts leaders that fall in love with him!

End live blog…thank you for joining us! Pastor Ogimachi will speak again during the TEDS chapel on Thursday, February 11th.