Was Easter Borrowed from a Pagan Holiday?
But, in fact, in the case of Easter the evidence suggests otherwise: that neither the commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection nor its name are derived from paganism.
What Christians Get Wrong About the Easter Story
Our Christian life is always full of the tension of death and resurrection together. We take communion and try to grasp the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for us even knowing in the back of our minds that Christ conquered death. And we take joy in the baptism of others into new life while at the same time knowing full well that the new life we experience in the Christian life was bought with the ultimate price, a perfect sacrifice and a harrowing journey into darkness.
Life and Death. Cross and Resurrection. To know full well the magnificence of Christ’s power, we must cling both to the Cross and to the resurrection. Only then will the story be complete.
Sex with those of the same gender is sin. That is not always a popular position to affirm in our society. Yet I am convinced the Bible teaches this. And it does so emphatically. Some will argue that Scripture should be interpreted based on our feelings, experience, and culture. That the various verses addressing this issue were written for a culture then and there, not here and now. But when something is identified as against nature, then it seems to be much bigger than a cultural argument. So any discussion by Christians needs to be framed by what God’s will is.
Doing Church Biblically Can Be Messy
But biblical living is not about doing things the easy way. It can be easy, but many times it isn’t. Instead of choosing either of these easy routes, the pastor chose the biblical route, the more messy, difficult, and uncomfortable route. He chose to uphold biblical standards of sexuality and do his best to show love and compassion. In this case, the lesbian couple did return, and the way this story will unfold is still to be determined (let’s pray for a positive outcome).
51% of Churchgoers Don’t Know of the Great Commission
When asked if they had previously “heard of the Great Commission,” half of U.S. churchgoers (51%) say they do not know this term. It would be reassuring to assume that the other half who know the term are also actually familiar with the passage known by this name, but that proportion is low (17%). Meanwhile, “the Great Commission” does ring a bell for one in four (25%), though they can’t remember what it is. Six percent of churchgoers are simply not sure whether they have heard this term “the Great Commission” before.
These Salad Vending Machines Have Become One Of Chicago’s Hot Lunch Spots
In 2013, he launched the first prototype of a solution: a vending machine that would serve fresh salads, restocked daily, with kale, spinach, quinoa, and other vegetables, grains, and fruit layered neatly in glass jars. The first location, next to Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s in a food court in downtown Chicago, was soon getting five-star reviews on Yelp.
Police officer helps clueless man break up with his girlfriend
A 34-year-old man took the motto “The police, your friend and helper” to heart when he walked into a police station in Ludwigshafen, a city on the Rhine River 50 miles south of Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday.
His problem was a personal one: He wanted to break up with his girlfriend but did not know how. He just did not understand her anymore, he said.