Theology, ministry, education, and current events at the online home of Dr. Christopher Sanchez
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thoughts on Ferguson
The grand jury charged with reviewing
the actions of Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in
Ferguson MO has declined to indict Wilson with a crime. The resulting protests are beginning to
subside though the strong feelings on both sides of the case remain. Ferguson is not the only community to see
protests as a result of this decision.
Here in Atlanta there have been protests as well. This story will continue to develop in the
coming weeks and months as the evidence, not publicly available is reviewed.
The
Evidence – The prosecutor in this case has made
nearly all of the evidence available to the public (CNN
has done us the service of posting links).
Initial reviews have focused on witness testimony that often
contradicted itself or the physical evidence or was provably wrong based on the
forensic evidence. Brown was not shot in
the back or in the back of the head as some witnesses alleged though some persist in their
insistence of putting forward a version of events that simply could not have
happened. While the public review of the
evidence will continue, it is important to remember that twelve members of the
Ferguson community reviewed all of the evidence and heard all of the testimony
before reaching their decision.
The
Response – Unless you have been completely
unplugged from any and all media, you are aware that protests began almost
immediately after the decision of the grand jury was made known to the
public. There is a tremendous difference
between protesting and rioting. Whether
justice was served in Ferguson will continue to be passionately debated for
years and the position one takes largely depends on the worldview one holds. What is not open to debate is that violence
is never the answer. The destruction of
property that has been front and center in the media recently only undermines
the legitimate concerns of the community.
The
Family – Neither the decision nor the response changes the fact
that Brown’s family is mourning his loss and do not feel that justice has been
served. They see a police officer that
went too far, a judicial system that failed them, and the continuation of systemic
racism. Regardless of the view one holds
of this particular situation, the underlying tension is real. Failure to
acknowledge this either willful ignorance or intellectual dishonesty.
The
Reason – So much pain, so many people expressing their outrage at
the decision, so many inappropriate responses, so little reaching out to one
another. At the heart of this
controversy is sin, plain and simple. Man continues to rebel against God, trusting
in himself, and getting the same results we have always gotten. (Jeremiah 17:5; Romans 1:19-32). The behavior is not surprising. The tragic outcome should be expected.
The
Solution – Professional football player Benjamin
Watson has articulated the solution
and I am hopeful his willingness to use his influence will be joined by others
to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The solution to the problem of sin and hatred and animosity towards one another is salvation found
only in Christ. The way we relate to one
another will not improve without the transformation of hearts and minds and
that is only truly possible when we are one in Christ. I am hopeful that Watson’s voice will be
joined by others who understand this and are not afraid to share the good news.
Monday, August 25, 2014
2015 Johnny Hunt Men's Conference
Kids are back in school, summer is winding down and it is time to start looking ahead towards the holiday season and beyond. It is also time to start planning for the 2015 Johnny Hunt Men's Conference! The 23rd annual conference is right around the corner January 30-31. This year there will be an awesome live event at First Baptist Church Woodstock. FBCW is also partnering with Lifeway® to simulcast the conference worldwide.
The theme this year is "WIN FROM WITHIN: Feel the Force of Forgivness!"
2015 Johnny Hunt Men's Conference Promotional Video from FBCWoodstock on Vimeo.
The theme this year is "WIN FROM WITHIN: Feel the Force of Forgivness!"
2015 Johnny Hunt Men's Conference Promotional Video from FBCWoodstock on Vimeo.
Labels:
Announcements,
Church,
Conference,
Outreach
Monday, June 30, 2014
Hobby Lobby & Conestoga Wood Specialties SCOTUS Decision
So many
opinions being expressed about the SCOTUS' decision this morning concerning
Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties which I think is good. The more people pay attention to what's
happening locally, in our states, and in our nation, the better! However,
there are an awful lot of those opinions that are simply not based on the
facts. Hobby Lobby's health insurance
coverage, prior to ACA, provided coverage for sixteen different methods of
birth control and even included us guys.
I haven't heard much talk about that little fact. There are others too!
The
decision specifically states that it deals solely with the contraceptive
mandate (p. 46 of the majority opinion) so those who are making much of a
company refusing to cover blood transfusions or immunizations or even
permitting discrimination in hiring practices, for example, are either
willfully ignorant of the ruling or intentionally deceptive. Either way, they are being intellectually
dishonest in their protests of the decision.
The court
today ruled that the Contraceptive Mandate violates the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act that the US House of Representatives passed unanimously and the
US Senate passed by a vote or 97 - 3. President
Bill Clinton signed that bill into law in 1993.
As a reminder for my liberal friends, the Democrats controlled both the
House and Senate in 1993. The history of
how that law came into being may be of interest to some of my friends and it is
actually a good read.
I have
included a link to the actual ruling for those who might choose to take the
time to read it. Like most legal
rulings, it is a bit dry, but is worth the time to read. Also, Justice Kennedy's concurring opinion
as well as the dissent written by Justice Ginsburg is rather interesting in and
of themselves. At a time in our nation
when many people are choosing sexuality as the basis of self-definition, it is
refreshing to be reminded by the highest court in our nation that people have a
right to believe in a divine creator and to strive for their own
self-definition based on those beliefs.
Further, that right is not excluded from the political, civic, and
economic life of the larger community (p. 1-2, Justice Kennedy concurring opinion). In other words, people of faith have every
right to participate in public life and do so in a way consistent with their
religious beliefs.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
What Jesus Affirmed
I was having a conversation with
a friend recently who is struggling with some of the things he finds in
Scripture. I reminded my friend that we do not get to pick and choose that
which we will believe in God's word. You see my friend is struggling with, among
other things the story of Jonah. Can't possibly be a real account of an actual
event...right? I disagree!
Stay with me for a second and I
will tie this all together! My Sunday School class is in a study of Proverbs
and Song of Songs focusing on Solomon. Well, during my studies, I was reminded
of Matthew 12:38-42 (ESV) which reads as follows:
"Then
some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to
see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation
seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the
prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly
of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and
behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise
up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the
ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater
than Solomon is here."
While preparing for our series in
Proverbs and Song of Songs, this little reminder pops up that ties Jesus,
Solomon, and Jonah all together in a single passage! Here's the hook folks: you
can't say you accept Jesus and then deny the things that He affirmed! It simply
doesn't work and honestly, it is really bad theology. I love how God weaves
everything together for our good!
Sunday, March 02, 2014
A New Season
My regular readers have noticed that my blogging activity
has slowed down considerably since beginning doctoral work at The SouthernBaptist Theological Seminary. Well, the
workload is significant and requires a good bit of my time. Still, I love blogging and can’t seem to stay
away. I wanted to take a moment to share
some new developments with you.
Being a husband, father, student, working fulltime, and
serving in various capacities in our church, time is a valuable commodity. With such a full schedule professionally,
academically, and personally, it was with a sad heart that I served my last
shift this past Monday with The HopeQuest Ministry Group. For nearly two years I have been privileged
to serve alongside amazing people who love the Lord and have a heart for those
struggling with life dominating issues related to alcohol abuse (or
dependence), substance abuse (or dependence), or sexual brokenness. The highlight of my time mentoring with HopeQuest has
been watching the TREK program of this ministry successfully go through the
process of becoming licensed by the State of Georgia. I have developed friendships that will last
the rest of my life and will continue to have a special place in my heart for
this vital ministry.
With the closing of one door, another has been opened. I will begin teaching a median adult Sunday
School class at First Baptist Church Woodstock next week during the 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School hour. Melisa and I are
humbled to be called to serve in this capacity and excited about the opportunity
to play a small part in the discipleship ministry of this wonderful
church. We hope to bring an even greater
focus on discipleship to the class with an eye towards missions. We have witnessed the power of small groups
firsthand and are eager to see how the Lord uses this class!
As always, I covet your prayers and greatly appreciate your
encouragement. We are on an incredible
journey and it is pure joy to be able to share it with you.
Chris
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Educational Philosophies - Part Three: Essentialism, Existentialism, and Postmodernism
Essentialism: a second reaction to
pragmatism/experimentalism/progressivism, essentialism found common ground with
the perennialist view of progressive educational practices attempting to be a
painless endeavor.[1] Both idealism and realism inform the
essentialist, many of whom feel that schools have declined and stricter
discipline and returning to the basics are called for. Essentialism is a conservative position which
is more interested in teaching established facts and truth rather than innovating
and providing educational frills.[2]
Students are viewed as a receptacle to be filled by the
essentialist teacher preferably using lecture to deliver the tried and true
essentials of education. History, in
this view, has validated this approach and teachers rarely experiment with
other philosophical views.[3] Though essentialists have
much in common with perennialists, they do differ in a number of ways, notably
in that essentialists are more willing to absorb the perceived positive
contributions of progressivism. Another
key difference is that perennialism has traditionally been focused on higher
education while essentialism is concerned more with elementary and secondary
education.[4]
Existentialism: Anthony and Benson
differ somewhat on the history of existentialism from Knight. Interestingly, Knight describes
existentialism as “nearly all a twentieth-century product”[5] where Anthony and Benson
describe origins in the eighteenth century though they do mention a new birth
with most existential philosophers being prominent twentieth-century thinkers.[6] Defining existentialism is difficult as their
prominent voices differ on so much. They
do not seek ultimate meaning or purpose in the world believing each person must
make such decisions on their own.
Existential teachers do not believe in a particular type or form
of curriculum as they prefer students to discover individual meaning. These teachers despise traditional
instruction viewing it as being coercive though they do understand the need for
basic content. Additionally, vocational
training is frowned upon since any career can be used to discover truth and
reality. This philosophy is incompatible
with the Christian worldview as it denies absolutes of any kind leaving the
individual to determine truth for themselves.
Postmodernism: Noddings states that
postmodernism is more a mood than a movement.[7] The best way to understand postmodernism may
be as a reaction to modernism. The
modernist views the world as a reasonable place that cannot only be understood
but a place where there are fixed laws which underpin reality and human
thought.[8] The postmodernist rejects
such thoughts stating that there is no foundation upon which to rest such
beliefs. Pragmatism, existentialism, and
Marxism are the undergirding for postmodern thought.
In the classroom, postmodernism does not believe that a single
curriculum is suitable for all students and does not believe teaching the seven
liberal arts of the Enlightenment.
Postmodern teachers focus on the social impact of their classroom
content and creating an awareness of how a dominate culture has used its
position to control a powerless culture.[9] Postmodernism seeks to broaden the horizons
of students and encourage them to give equal weight to other worldviews as
their own. Truth is determined by the
individual and as such is incompatible with a Christian worldview.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)