19 August 2008

Here goes nothing...

Good Morning All,


Welcome to our online Bible study. Every week I've been able to send out emails and I have received numerous replies. Okay, so some weeks no one wrote back and other weeks eight or nine returned my email. There was a common theme in the replies: "I want to make it down there, but I just get busy," or "Man I'm here today but I have a meeting."

Alright, adapt and overcome. I'll shift times and bring the Bible study to you-sort of a traveling carnival. We had a good run for a couple weeks, but half the people on the To: line have been TAD and a fair number don't have anywhere at work that's appropriate to host anything.

And I think to myself, "How can I make this available to people without going conflicting so many schedules... If only I could host this via email."

Hmmmm...

I know everyone gets on their computer and probably spends more time there than they want to. I'll give this a trial run and see how it goes.

The blog is open. I'll update every Tuesday or Wednesday and I'll check in during my chows. Topics will go as I'm led or as I get suggestions or requests. I don't think this blogsite requires you to be a member to post, but you may have to enter your email. I read the privacy info and the only thing they do with the email address is verify it is real to keep spam posts off. If you would like to try a different venue, or know of a better forum, I'm mobile. This is just the only free blogspot I know that doesn't hit you with ridiculous adds.

Without further ado, todays topic is world view.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

~Paul (Philippians 4:5-8)~


For the intent of this forum, we'll define a world view as the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and reacts to it.

More info at http://www.reference.com/search?q=world%20view

Basically all of that lead up to identify that we all view the world through different eyes and perceive things differently than anyone else around us. At the top of this page there is a picture of three warriors from the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya. Their world view is dramatically different than anything you have ever experienced. Yet, if they were Christians, there would be an overlap where our beliefs overlapped.

My questions for you are:
-What attributes outline or establish a Christian world view?
-How are these a direct representation of God's world view and view of us as humans?
-What Scriptures do you know that are related to this topic and how do they fit with the first two questions?

One additional Scripture I had for this topic was Ephesians 5.

This topic came to me while I was listening to an old Audio Adrenaline song from the mid 90's titled My World View.


I want to see the world through Jesus eyes
see through Jesus tears

I want to see the world through Jesus eyes

my vision's not as clear

I want to feel the world with the hands that made it

know the pain and appreciate it

hear their cries and hope to understand


[CHORUS]
My world view

it's how I see the world

it's how I look at you

My world view

it's how I see the world

would you like to see it to?

My world view


I want to place my foot upon the rock

the rock that doesn't move

For upon the rock the Kingdom's built

and here's the Kingdom view

I see creation and I see Adam's fall

I see through the years and I can see it all


All things come together for the good




1 comment:

James said...

Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed, it was very good.

-- from Genesis 1:31


This is God's view of the world, that everything he has made is very good.

And more specifically God's view of humanity,

The God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...
So God made man; in the image of God He made him; male and female he made them.
Then God blessed them.


-- from Genesis 1:26-28

This is God's view of humanity, that we are blessed and created in his image. That is to say, when God looks upon a human being, he sees his own likeness.

So a Christian worldview, I would say, fundamentally needs to God's view of the world-- the recognition that all of creation is very good, and that all of humanity is an icon of the Eternal God.

What follows from this are the greatest commandments, to love God and love our neighbor. If we love God, and if our neighbor is created in God's good image, then our love for every human being-- no matter how depraved or abhorrent they are-- needs to be the caliber of love that is due our Creator.