God is not dead in Gotham

Cheer up, you’re worse than you think,” Rev. Timothy Keller says with a smile. He’s explaining that humans are more weak, more fallen, more warped than they “ever dare admit or even believe.” Then comes the good news: At the same time people are “more loved in Christ and more accepted than they could ever imagine or hope.” Many Millennial Christians in NYC attend his Presbyterian church--and respond to his message. “Every other religion has a founder that says: ‘I’ll show you the way to God. Only Christianity of all the major world religions has a founder that says: ‘I’m God, come to find you.’

http://www.wsj.com/articles/kate-bachelder-god-isnt-dead-in-gotham-1419032446

My little book group that met at Panera’s a few years ago used his book,

And it is outstanding.  Maybe I’ll reread it.

Part 1: The Leap of Doubt There Can't Be Just One True Religion How Could a Good God Allow Suffering? Christianity is a Straitjacket The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell? Science Has Disproved Christianity You Can't Take the Bible Literally Part 2: The Reasons for Faith The Clues of God The Knowledge of God The Problem of Sin Religion and the Gospel The (True) Story of the Cross The Reality of the Resurrection The Dance of God

The price of paperbacks and culture

Recently I purchased three paperback books. "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen ($25); "The reason for God" by Timothy Keller ($16); and "The Lutherans in North America" (2d ed., used $10). It takes my breath away to pay that much for a paperback, but I think these books will last longer than anything on my computer, or access to their scanned versions on some future computer.

The history book--of which I've only read about 10 pages--is very well written, with copious notes and excerpts, and reverses many of the losses of the last 40-50 years in anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-Christian trends in American history. It's so refreshing!

The history of the Lutherans I'm really enjoying too, because I love the layout. Unfortunately, it confirms something I've often thought--that the church has been losing to the culture for years. The story of Lutherans is really an immigration story, and at one time there were 48 squabbling synods. We have fewer synods today, but still battles are going on the congregational level. ELCA will be losing many congregations because of its unfortunate acquiescence to cultural standards of sexuality instead of biblical. Since the days when St. Paul wrote the first century church, Christians have been struggling with how to be "the church."

The Keller book comes highly recommended by friend Sharon, and we've chosen that for our next Monday morning book, having finished up the Kullberg book this week, a book I will reread many times.