United Methodist Bishops Nix Online Communion -- for Now

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

UPDATE NOTE: Since the publication of this lesson on Thursday, we have learned that the comment in our "In the News" section of the first lesson that Rev. Andy Langford "thinks the bishops' ruling is a mistake" is a misrepresentation of his position. We regret the error and offer our apologies to Rev. Langford. The comment has been removed from the article. We have also obtained Rev. Langford's position paper on the matter, and we are including two excepts from it in the "In the News" section below.

At their November 15 meeting, the bishops of the United Methodist Church declared a moratorium on performing any sacraments online, including Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper), until the matter has been studied to determine which, if any, sacraments would be acceptable when conducted over the Internet. The Council of Bishops made the ruling at the request of an unofficial but influential group of United Methodist theologians, bishops, church agency executives and pastors.
The trigger for that request was the plan from Central UMC in Concord, North Carolina, to launch a "virtual campus" that would offer webcam Bible study, counseling via live chat and worship services online. Concord has even employed a second pastor specifically to minister to the online community. While there is apparently no objection within the denomination to those plans, Concord's announcement that its online services would enable virtual users to receive Communion at home whenever it is offered in the services was not as well received by all. The church had been planning to offer online Communion for the first time on Christmas Eve.
Virtual participants in the Lord's Supper would use grape juice and bread or crackers they supplied themselves, but which would be blessed over the Internet by the officiant leading the service. Such an online arrangement is already practiced by some independent and evangelical churches, such as Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California.
Central UMC's senior pastor, Rev. Andy Langford, thinks the bishops' ruling is a mistake. "The way we operate now, if you want to receive [Communion], you have to come to my church sometime between the hours of 9 and 12 on Sunday morning," he said. "I don't think there's any other institution in our country that can survive on that kind of business model."
Langford now plans to survey online participants in Central's virtual campus to see if they want Communion online.
Christians both within Methodism and from other denominations are split on the appropriateness of online Communion. Some see it as simply being pragmatic and making use of advances in technology, much as the early Protestants took advantage of the invention of the printing press to make the Bible widely available. Others see a virtual Lord's Supper as missing the point of being a sacred "meal" shared within a physically gathered community. Some consider virtual Communion a sacrilege.
The fact that different traditions of Christianity view Communion differently also affects what various Christians think of online Communion.
A few Christian groups, such as the Quakers and the Salvation Army, don't practice Communion at all. Some evangelical groups consider the elements (the bread and juice or wine) a representation of the body and blood of Christ. Some, such as the Methodists, consider the elements a representation, but also view Communion as a sacrament (something that conveys God's grace to us and makes present or effective the sacred and holy to participants). Lutheran groups typically consider that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in, with, and under the consecrated bread and wine, and Catholic theology says that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Some denominations, such as Baptists and Mennonites, call Communion an ordinance (an outward expression of faith that Jesus told us to observe with other Christians). Some Christians also differ on whether there has to be a member of the clergy present for Holy Communion to actually take place.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Church's Online Communion: Sacrament or Sacrilege? Wall Street Journal
Can Online Communion Be a Substitute for the Real Thing? RNS
Take Online Communion With Us. Saddleback Church
Why I'm Open to Online Communion. Ministry Matters
The Big Questions
1. What is your church's understanding of what happens when the Lord's Supper is shared? How would this understanding be affected, if at all, if the Communion were shared with people over the Internet?
2. To what degree is physical, human presence a critical component of Christianity? To what degree is it a critical component of the church? Why?
3. Apart from online Communion, what is your feeling about virtual churches in general? Might they be an important way to bring the gospel to people who are already used to having online friendships (such as on Facebook), dialog (such as on Twitter) and face-to-face interactions (such as on Skype)? Why or why not? To what degree is offering virtual church a concession to the reality today that many people do not want to actually attend church? Should we make such concessions?
4. How does the practice of taking Communion to shut-ins fit into your church's beliefs about the meaning of this sacred meal? How might that practice influence your opinion about online Communion?
5. To what degree might participating in online Communion help Christians feel more connected to the global church beyond the local expressions of the Body of Christ? Is that possibility more important than whatever objections church leaders might raise to online Communion? Explain your answer.
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (For context, read 18:15-20.)
We've seen this verse cited as biblical support for the idea of online Communion, with supporters of the idea maintaining that the "gathering" doesn't have to be physical. Likewise, if two people are together in their family room gathered at their computer as online Communion is conducted from a church elsewhere, could not Jesus be among the two people in the family room?
However, it's important not to read this verse out of context. As one online commenter pointed out, "Matthew 18:15-20 is about church discipline and accountability, not simply being in a room next to one other person and saying 'See, we're doing church together.'"
Even so, the entirety of Matthew 18 is focused on "the kingdom of heaven" and on the "lost" becoming found.
Questions: How might matters of church discipline and accountability be conducted in a virtual church? Should virtual church be considered a stepping stone to get people to come to "real" church? Why or why not?
1 Corinthians 9:22, NIV
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. (For context, read 9:19-23.)
In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul uses the Greek word kerdiano five times, translated as "win" or "gain" -- as in winning or gaining people for Christ. The principle Paul puts forward here is the importance of accommodating himself to people as and where he finds them, so as to bring them to Christ.
Questions: Paul is not talking about Communion in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, but about evangelism, and it's unlikely that he'd have thought of the Lord's Supper as a means of winning others to Christ. But based on his attitude as expressed in these verses, what do you think Paul's view about online Communion would be if the Internet had been available in his day?
To what degree are you willing to accommodate yourself to others to win them to Christ? Would you be willing to participate in online church with them to extend them Christian fellowship? Why or why not?
1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (For context, read 11:23-26.)
This is from the apostle Paul, on the institution of the Lord's Supper.
Questions: What do you feel you are proclaiming when you "eat this bread and drink the cup"? How would that proclamation be affected if the Communion you were participating in were over the Internet?
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (No context necessary.)
The writer of Hebrews told Christians to meet together "to provoke one another to love and good deeds" and to encourage one another in the faith.
Questions: Obviously, the Internet was not an option in the days of the early church, but if it were, do you think the Hebrews author would have seen it as an acceptable way "to provoke one another to love and good deeds" and to encourage one another in the faith? Why or why not? Can online Communion actually encourage people to "neglect meeting together" or is cyberspace simply another forum for such meeting?
Can online worship really be "meeting together" when it is so one-directional? That is, the viewer at the computer alone in a house can see the pastor or other worship leader and feel connected to him/her perhaps almost as much as when seated in a church, but the officiant cannot see and interact with each worshiper.
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on this, from a TWW team member: "I'm all in favor of sending out newsletters as PDF's, maintaining church websites and Facebook pages, sending out prayer concerns by computer, but we know Jesus by the breaking of the bread (see the Emmaus story in Luke 24), and even though we can't always be together, we ought to try. The Amish, for instance, don't forbid cars because they are anti-technology. It is because cars drive families farther apart and prevent them from getting together and being together."
2. Respond to this, from another TWW team member who is a young adult: "I like the online Communion discussion. I think this brings to life conversation about incarnation ministry and the power of presence. So much is virtual today, and as much of my generation is all virtual, it also brings with it a lack of real community. It seems to me like we have some very lonely generations today who connect easily over Facebook and text message but miss the in-person community. I am reminded why God came to earth and didn't just stay separated from humankind. God chose to be here with us and in remembering the story of Communion and partaking in the mystery of Communion, I feel it is very important for a presence to be associated."
3. Comment on this definition of "virtual reality," relating it to online Communion: "an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one's actions partially determine what happens in the environment; also the technology used to create or access a virtual reality."
4. Consider also this from Wikipedia: "According to Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer, cyberspace is defined more by the social interactions involved rather than its technical implementation. In their view, the computational medium in cyberspace is an augmentation of the communication channel between real people; the core characteristic of cyberspace is that it offers an environment that consists of many participants with the ability to affect and influence each other. They derive this concept from the observation that people seek richness, complexity, and depth within a virtual world."
5. Respond to this, from another TWW team member: "I once knew someone who described having a 'Communion service' at a kids' summer camp which used potato chips and coke instead of bread and wine -- something that seemed to me rather wrong, almost blasphemous."
6. We assume the online respondent named "Robert" was being sarcastic when he made the following comment about online Communion, but see what you think: "Awesome idea! I don't like people anyway. How great that I can be a Christian and get my preaching from the TV, communion from the Internet, worship from an iTunes download and serve the less fortunate by making a financial donation online. Who needs other people to be accountable to, or to learn from, or to serve alongside with. I sure hope heaven is this way, 'cause being in community with people is too troublesome and demanding. Who wants that?"
Responding to the News
This is a good time to review your church's understanding of Communion, and talk together about how it connects with your spiritual life.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, as we seek to share the gospel, help us to be innovative, wise and careful about seeking your direction. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Typhoon Causes Death and Destruction in the Philippines

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan (called Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines) roared across part of the chain of the Philippine Islands with 150-mph winds, knocking over houses and killing thousands. Cargo ships were washed ashore, trees uprooted and power lines knocked down. Residents have been left without food or clean water, and relief efforts have been hampered by the loss of electricity and mobile connections. Towns look like war zones, with flattened buildings and bodies in the streets.

Haiyan is among the strongest storms on record and threatens to become the deadliest disaster in Philippine history, surpassing Tropical Storm Thelma, which killed 5,000 people in 1991. The Philippine government estimates that 9.5 million people were affected by Haiyan, with 600,000 people displaced from their homes.

The typhoon cut through the center of this island nation, scoring a direct hit on 10 percent of the population. The winds of Haiyan generated waves as high as two-story buildings, creating the look of a tsunami. Hardest hit was the city of Tacloban, where early estimates suggest as many as 10,000 people may have died. Hospitals have been gutted and pharmacies destroyed, with looters stealing medical supplies. "Help. SOS. We need food," wrote a survivor in large letters on the city's port.

"Tacloban is totally destroyed," said schoolteacher Andrew Pomeda to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families. People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food. I'm afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger." The Philippine government has deployed soldiers to deter further looting.

"It is really a massive disaster," said Sandra Bulling of the humanitarian agency CARE. "Aid is slowly getting through, and the local authorities have started distributing. But what the municipalities are telling us is, they're running out of their stock, and now they're really relying on international support." More than 30 countries are pledging aid, including the United States. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other Navy ships to head for the Philippines to assist the Philippine government and military in relief efforts.

A Filipino member of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia says, "The Philippines has had more natural disasters this year. Tacloban, specifically, was affected by the recent earthquake, and now the typhoon. I think they were caught unprepared because Haiyan was scheduled to hit Samar first. Usually, by the time a typhoon passes through Samar, then proceeds to Tacloban (Leyte Island), the winds have slowed somewhat. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Haiyan. People evacuated in Samar, but not so much in Tacloban." She and her husband are sending help through the Red Cross.

A member of the Wired Word editorial team writes: "Having lived through four hurricanes/typhoons, I am in shock about the magnitude of this storm and the scale of the devastation. Church agencies will be responding, both for rescue and recovery, and then for the rebuilding. Church World Service, Lutheran [Disaster Response], UMCOR, CARE, Red Cross, Salvation Army are all there or on the way. And they will coordinate with each other in a remarkable demonstration of the body of Christ. The most difficult thing for church agencies to promote to their members is long-term rebuilding. It is dull, mundane and plodding. And it is essential."

On November 11, one such response came from the United Church of Christ, which issued an appeal for $250,000. Plans are for the UCC to support early response and recovery efforts of interdenominational partners and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Says the appeal: "Initial response activities will likely include material resource provision, emergency shelter items, drinking water and cash for work programs."

More on this story can be found at these links:

Philippines Fears Massive Death Toll as Typhoon Haiyan Wreaks Havoc. The Washington Post
Typhoon Victims in Philippines Plead for Aid. Associated Press
Where Was God in the Philippines? CNN Belief Blog

The Big Questions

1. Where is God present in a natural disasters such as a typhoon, if at all?

2. How do you explain the death and destruction of a storm in light of God's plans for the world?

3. Where do you see evil in this tragedy? Where is there evidence of good?

4. Why are people more generous in their support for rescue and recovery than they are for rebuilding?

5. What factors contributed to the tremendous loss of life in the Philippines? What factors contributed to the loss of life being smaller than it might have been under different circumstances or in a different locale?

6. How should Christians respond? Be specific.

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

1 Kings 19:11-12
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. (For context, read 19:1-18.)

Queen Jezebel threatens the life of the prophet Elijah, causing him to flee into the desert. He becomes despondent, but God sends him an angel and a gift of food and drink. Then he takes a long journey to Horeb, the mount of God, and spends the night in a cave. God tells him to go out and stand on the mountain, "for the LORD is about to pass by" (v. 11). Elijah witnesses a great wind, an earthquake and a fire -- none of which contains the presence of God. Then, following a sound of sheer silence, Elijah receives clear directions from God about the future of his mission.

Questions: Why is God not in the wind, earthquake or fire, despite the fact that they are spectacular displays of power? What is the significance of the sound of sheer silence? How does it prepare Elijah to hear the word of the Lord?

Psalm 18:11-16
[The LORD] made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. (For context, read 18:1-19.)

This psalm is a celebration of a time when David was delivered from the hand of his enemies. It assumes that the power of God is seen in the forces of nature -- thick clouds, hailstones, lightning. But at the same time, God's clear intent is to deliver his faithful people from danger, whether the "mighty waters" are literal or figurative.

Questions: Where do you see the power of God at work in nature? What is the danger of attributing a particular natural event -- good or bad -- to the hand of God? How have you observed God's desire to deliver people from danger, if at all?

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (For context, read 46:1-7.)

The psalm celebrates God's defense of his people in a time of upheaval and turmoil. The promise is not freedom from trouble, but instead help in the middle of trouble. God's people do not need to fear changes around them because "the God of Jacob is [their] refuge" (v. 7).

Questions: How have you experienced God as a refuge and strength, a help in trouble? How does freedom from fear help people to deal with traumatic situations? Where do you see God at work in disaster zones such as the Philippines?

John 9:1-3
As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him." (For context, read 9:1-12.)

Over the course of human history, many people have assumed that bad things are supposed to happen to bad people, whether they suffer a physical disability such as blindness or a natural disaster such as a typhoon. Recall that some religious leaders saw Hurricane Katrina as God's judgment on America -- sometimes for contradictory reasons! -- using scriptures such as Psalm 107: "[The LORD] commanded and raised the stormy wind, ... [and turned] a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants" (vv. 25, 34). But Jesus takes another approach, suggesting that a man was born blind so that the work of God might be revealed in him. Then Jesus heals him of his blindness.

Questions: Why are people inclined to make a connection between hardship and sinfulness? When have you seen bad things happen to good people? How can the power of God be revealed in a traumatic situation?

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (For context, read 1:19-27.)

James urges his fellow Christians to "be doers of the word, and not merely hearers" (v. 22). To be doers of the word is to be quick to listen, slow to anger and able to control your tongue. It also involves avoiding worldly temptations and caring for people in need.

Questions: Although you are far from the Philippines, how can you help care for the people of that country who are in distress? What can be done to help not only with rescue but with rebuilding? How would this be an expression of pure religion?

For Further Discussion

1. How would you respond to a person who claimed that Typhoon Haiyan was a sign of God's judgment on a sinful people?

2. CNN's Belief Blog reports that "more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58%) than on an angry and punishing deity (38%), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute." Do you believe global warming was a factor in the severity of this storm? What about the fact that the U.S. has experienced a relatively mild hurricane season this year? Bearing in mind that people of faith hold widely varying beliefs about "climate change," is there anything in this arena that Christians in general can do to mitigate severe natural disasters in the future? What about Christians whose professional work and expertise are in meteorology, science and related fields?

3. In disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the typhoon in the Philippines, suffering is compounded by the fact that many residents are poor and living in unstable housing. What can be done to improve conditions and thus mitigate the effects of natural disasters in the future?

4. What role should the church play in rescue, recovery and rebuilding? How do you support this scripturally and theologically?

5. Where do you see vulnerability to natural disaster in your own church and community? How should you take action to be better prepared?

6. What can be done to strengthen connections between Christians in the United States and Christians in countries such as the Philippines? How will this help us to "bear one another's burdens [and] fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)?

Responding to the News

Investigate what your denomination is doing in response to Typhoon Haiyan, and think about how you can participate. Make a donation to you denominational effort or to the work of a relief organization such as the Red Cross. Pray for the people of the Philippines.

50th Anniversary of Death of C.S. Lewis Observed

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Christian apologist Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was born in Belfast to an emotionally distant father, who sent him away to boarding school after his mother died of cancer in 1908. Before the age of five he had renamed himself "Jack," after his dog Jacksie was killed by a car. He and his older brother invented imaginary worlds populated by talking animals.

As a teen, Jack abandoned the church in which he had been raised, threw himself into the study of mythology and the occult and declared himself an atheist. He later wrote that he was "very angry with God for not existing." Wounded in World War I before he was 20, he suffered from grief and depression over the loss of fellow soldiers.

After resuming his studies, Lewis earned a "Triple First" (top rankings in three different areas akin to what today we would call "majors") and became what today we would call a professor at Oxford University. There, he and The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien were both members of the "Inklings" group of literary lights who met to discuss their craft and the big questions of life. Aided by the writings of George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton, as well as by Tolkein, Hugo Dyson and others, Lewis began, if reluctantly, to reexamine Jesus Christ.

In his autobiography Surprised by Joy, Lewis wrote that he came out of atheism into faith like a prodigal, "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape," every night feeling "the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In ... 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Within two years he had fully embraced Christianity.

Lewis' return to faith from skepticism and his reasonable defense of Christianity earned him the nickname "The Apostle to the Skeptics." Those who identify Lewis as key in their own conversions and faith development include Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project, who called Lewis "the 20th century's most articulate proponent of the rationality of Christian faith"; Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza; and too many leading professors and scientists to name here.

In 1956, Lewis married another convert from atheism to Christianity, Jewish-American writer Joy Davidman Gresham, who died four years later of cancer at the age of 45. Ironically, in an effort to comfort him, clueless friends suggested he read A Grief Observed, a book he himself had written using a pseudonym, describing his struggle with sorrow after his wife's death. His life and relationship with Gresham are depicted -- with much directorial license -- in the 1993 movie Shadowlands.

Later this month, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Lewis will be honored with a memorial in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, in London.

More on this story can be found at these links:

Celebrating 50 Years of C.S. Lewis's Enduring Legacy (2:02 video). C.S. Lewis Foundation via YouTube
C.S. Lewis: Life Story With a Purpose (1:05:17 video). YouTube
Discipleship of Heart and Mind. C.S. Lewis Institute

The Big Questions

1. A TWW contributor who holds a PhD in physics states: "Lewis made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled believing Christian." Wilfred M. McClay states that Lewis shows how "a profound Christian faith and a profound commitment to learning can be combined ... and can fruitfully influence one another." How did Lewis embody the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God, including "with all your mind," by refusing to check his brain at the door of the church? How could your church encourage greater engagement of the intellect in discussions of spiritual importance?

2. Another TWW team member, who did some of his master’s degree work on C.S. Lewis, says Lewis enjoyed engaging in lively debate with non-believers, and would admit defeat on those rare occasions when he felt someone had undone one of his arguments. On what basis can discussions take place between those with radically different beliefs and worldviews?

3. Author Philip Yancey has said: "[Lewis] was deeply Christian, and yet he saw that that made him larger, not smaller, and it made him more engaged with the culture around him, not less engaged." How does your faith motivate you to engage with your culture?

4. Comment on this argument -- sometimes called "Lewis' Trilemma: Jesus as lunatic, liar or Lord" -- from Mere Christianity: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." Can you think of any other options other than the three Lewis proposes?

5. C.S. Lewis' story mirrors the "slow and laborious" journey people often take toward faith. Francis Collins characterizes Lewis' road to faith as "setting out to disprove God and converting himself by accident." His thinking was shaped largely by conversations with other Christians meeting together in small groups as a means of introspection and growth. Who has had the most impact on your faith journey? Share about a conversation you have had that was pivotal in your faith development.

6. How do you understand the relationship between science and faith? You may wish to consider this comment from Constance Kalbach Walker, Senior Research Scientist and Nuclear Physicist at Duke University: "I was attracted by Lewis's cogent logic couched in relaxed, everyday language. Apparently one could be a serious Christian without either shutting off one's brain or becoming a theologian! My understanding of how science relates to biblical faith has also grown. They are friends, not enemies. Science tells us about the physical world we inhabit and how it works, while Scripture tells us about its loving, holy, powerful Creator and the kind of relationship he desires with us, his creatures. Rich insights flow back and forth across their frontier. How could it be otherwise? Since God is the author of both the Bible and the material universe, they must be speaking in harmony."

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

John 8:25, 53-54, 56-58
They said to him, "Who are you? ... Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?" Jesus answered, "... Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am." (For context, read 8:12-59.)

Based on texts such as this one, Lewis asserted that the claims Jesus made about himself are so audacious that one must either believe he is the Son of God and worship him, or reject him as a madman or as demon-possessed. The question of Jesus' true identity is key to understanding the testimony of the New Testament. In John 8, the Pharisees assume (incorrectly) that Jesus does not speak with God's authority, and therefore label him a Samaritan (a pejorative term), a liar and demon-possessed. They were ready to kill him for blasphemy when he stated that he existed before Abraham, whose body had lain in the grave for centuries. Lewis writes in The Magician's Nephew: "What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are."

Questions: What do you hear Jesus saying about himself? What is your understanding of who Jesus is? Has your view of Jesus and the way you hear his words changed over time depending on where you were "standing" in life? Has your understanding of his identity and the way you relate to Jesus changed as you have changed?

Mark 8:27-29
Jesus ... asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." (For context, read 8:27-32.)

After performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God, Jesus debriefs his disciples to see what they have learned about his identity. First they give their sense of Jesus' approval rating among the people. Then Jesus asks them where THEY stand. Peter "gets" that Jesus is more than one of the prophets and affirms that he must be the Messiah -- the One for whom they have waited all their lives. Even so, when Jesus follows this up by teaching them about the suffering, rejection, death and resurrection he will experience, Peter can't wrap his mind around that and tries to shut him up.

Questions: Jesus asked his disciples what others were saying about him. What do you hear people saying about Jesus? How do you respond to people who have a different understanding of who Jesus is? What does it mean to you that the disciples' understanding of Jesus' identity seemed to develop in fits and starts? When have you been surprised by a new revelation (for you) of who Jesus is?

John 1:45-46
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." (For context, read 1:45-51.)

At the start of Jesus' earthly ministry, Nathanael had his doubts about Jesus' true identity, especially when he heard that he hailed from the notorious town of Nazareth. His friend Philip bore witness toJesus and simply invited Nathanael to come see for himself. Because Jesus seemed to know his heart and his habits, even though they had never met, Nathanael accepted him as the Son of God and King of Israel.

Questions: Nathanael's prejudices were initially a barrier to faith in Christ. What barriers to faith have you faced in your own spiritual journey? What friend(s) helped you get past those barriers, and how did they aid you? How is Philip's invitation a model for conversations you might have with non-believers today?

John 20:25-28
So the other disciples told [Thomas], "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (For context, read 20:24-29.)

After Jesus' resurrection, his disciples rejoiced to see him alive. But Thomas, who "was not with them when Jesus came" (v. 24), could not accept their testimony as fact until he saw Jesus for himself. He wanted to verify their story before committing his heart and life to it. Second-hand faith was not good enough for him. It has been said that God has no grandchildren, only children. In other words, we cannot develop deep, authentic faith by riding piggyback on the shoulders of someone else's faith. Yet, when Thomas does see Jesus, his confession of faith is one of the most astounding in all of Scripture: "My Lord and my God!"

Questions: How does Thomas' initial absence from the fellowship of believers when Jesus revealed himself to them, and his subsequent rejoining of the community of faith, relate to his struggles with doubt? What does Jesus' response to Thomas mean for doubters today? How can Thomas be an example for modern-day skeptics? How is his path of faith similar to that lived by C.S. Lewis? Does it bear any resemblance to your own faith journey?

Jude 3
Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (For context, read Jude 1-4.)

Questions: What author have you read who has expanded your understanding of "the salvation we share"? Who challenges you "to contend for the faith"? How might you contend for the faith in your own circle of contacts?

For Further Discussion

As time permits, discuss Lewis quote(s) that interest you. A selection follows.

On God's indispensability:
"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito." --Letters to Malcolm
"When you are arguing against God you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all. It is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on." --Mere Christianity

On earthly toys and eternal treasure:
"One road leads home, and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness." --The Pilgrim's Regress
"I sometimes wonder if all pleasures are not substitutes for joy. ... God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. ... If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world. ... Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." --Mere Christianity
"All these toys were never intended to possess my heart. My true good is in another world, and my only real treasure is Christ." --The Problem of Pain
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." --The Problem of Pain
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important." --God in the Dock
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen -- not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." --"Is Theology Poetry?" (lecture presented to the Oxford Socratic Club)

Responding to the News

Now might be a good time to dive into Mere Christianity or another of C.S. Lewis' classics. You might also consider watching the movie Shadowlands with a view toward learning from Lewis' own brush with grief.

Scientists in your class might consider checking out an organization called The American Scientific Affiliation, self-described on their website as "A Network of Christians in the Sciences." Members must have at least a bachelor's degree in science. Their website is http://network.asa3.org/.

Closing Prayer

Son of Man, Messiah, our Lord and our God, when you reveal yourself to us, give us courage and grace to honor you as the great I AM who is worthy of our worship and service. Teach our tongues to contend for the faith and to winsomely persuade others to come and see for themselves who you really are, that they too may be "surprised by joy." Amen.