ClarkeComments.com

Hello All:

I will be out of town for the next few days for my Anniversary. When I return, I plan to continue my series on the Magisterium of Churches of Christ.

Until then, I will leave you with a small excercise..I’m sure it will generate much lively discussion.

Answer the following question:

Which one of the following is the infallible, inspired word of God?

A. King James (Authorized) Version.

B. New King James Version.

C. Revised Standard Version.

D. American Standard Version.

E. New American Standard Bible.

F. New International Version.

G. Today’s New International Version.

H. The Amplified Bible.

I. The Message.

J. The New Living Translation.

K. The New Revised Standard Version.

L. The Holman Christian Standard Bible.

M. The New Jerusalem Bible.

N. The Ignatius Study Bible.

O. New American Bible.

P. The Douay-Rheims Bible.

Q. English Standard Version.

R. International Standard Version.

S. New Century Version.

T. Revised English Version.

U. Young’s Literal Translation.

V. Contemporary English Version.

W. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Translation.

X. Knox Translation.

Y. New Millenium Bible.

Z. Twentieth Century New Testament

Discuss.

-Clarke

Clarke:

I bought a couple of books the other day; they were a present from my wife for Valentine’s day, which is quite amazing as she is always complaining that I have too many books!

The first book is God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology, by Michal Horton. The reason for my interest in and purchase of this book will become apparent in my next post that examines the Magisterium of Churches of Christ.

The second book I bought is The Mass of the Early Christians, by Mike Aquilina. Mr. Aquilina is a Catholic Apologist who is regularly heard on EWTN’s Catholic Answers Live. I listen to EWTN radio whenever my favorite Christian radio station plays music that doesn’t deserve to be aired…which in the last couple of months, has been quite alot. Quite a lot of the time Catholic Answers has quite contrived answers to the questions they recieve, but from time to time they do provide some great biblical insight. I bought Aquilina’s book because the Early Church Fathers hint of liturgical worship and hierarchy early in Church History, and while I’ve heard plenty of Catholic Eucharistic theology on the radio, I’m quite interested to read about it. I think it will be a fascinating read, and a good follow up to the book I’m reading right now, John Mark Hicks‘ Come to the Table: Revisioning the Lord’s Supper.

-Clarke

Hello all:

Its been a while since I posted. I have a few things to write on, but I’ve held back. Until now.

Last night, I recieved my weekly Disciples News Service email. I found the following story at the bottom of the synopsis:

NORTHWEST REGION WELCOMES NEW CHURCH START IN SEATTLE, WA.

Friends of the One has been welcomed as a Disciples congregation in formation by the Regional Board of the Northwest Regional Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Friends of the One, which met for the first time on Sept. 30, is a Christian Sufi community bringing together the mystical traditions of two faith groups into the formation of a Christian community. The community’s Sufi practices include a silent mediation of the heart. This Sufi tradition is explicit that one can belong to any religion and be a Sufi and there are many Sufis who are actively and fully Christian.

The community also will draw from the non-hierarchical non-creedal Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) tradition, which practices the return to the earliest roots of inclusive Christianity, including weekly communion, to which all are welcome. To learn more about Friends of One, see: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07157.html

I’ve heard of Sufism, but never known anything about it. According to the Wikipedia Article on Sufism, it is a branch of Islam. Some Sufi’s are considered “universalists” who feel that Sufism is compatible with all relgions and that the Sufi “faith” is the most base form of religion that leads to knowledge about God. Islamic Sufi’s deny universalism as unorthodox.

My first thought about this article is that this is quite disturbing, especially with the words “inter-faith” being used to describe this church. This type of activity seems to affirm what more Conservative Disciples have been saying about the direction the Denomination is heading. I’d like to hear your opinions on the issue.

Also, if you know any Disciples, send them over. Disciples are usually few and far between on here…I’d like to hear what they have to say about this.

-Clarke

Hello everyone:

I finished up “Distant Voices” and I really enjoyed it….so, I picked up another of C. Leonard Allen’s (along with Richard Hughes, this time) books, “Discovering our Roots: The Ancestry of Churches of Christ.”

If you’ve not read this book, pick it up. It provides some really great backgound on Restorationist thought in Christianity that occured before our movement began and which had great influences on our movement.

The best irony I’ve found so far is that alot of our restorationist roots came from the Puritans…who were later known as Congregationalists….who later merged with some other churches and formed the United Church of Christ. Its quite amazing how belief changes over time.

-Clarke