This past Sunday one of the most significant weeks in the life of the church began. It has come to be known as Holy Week in Christian circles and it’s an interesting title considering the events of this week.
Were moving! ...and growing
Introducing The Ledge Cafe
In the fall of 2009, a dream and a vision were birthed the day we purchased our beautiful heritage building in downtown Squamish. The work of restoration was a 3-year process of raising funds, countless hours of volunteer labour, along with the help of skilled trades, until we were ready to reveal The Rock’s Ministry Centre and The Ledge Cafe in January 2013. Our vision is simple. Combine our passion for great coffee, our love of music, the arts, and community with our love for Jesus and making him known in Squamish.
The Ledge Cafe offers amazing coffee, healthy, hearty and homemade food andlive music most Friday and Saturday nights. Be sure and visit soon!
Science and Faith—Is There a Problem?
You hear a lot about facts these days. In most university science classes you’ll hear an argument that goes something like this. “Science is the pursuit of facts, not truth. A scientist leaves the ownership of truth to philosophers and theologians. The currency of science is the provable, not the believable.” Do you believe that? Truth is, by definition, the extent of all truisms. Everything that is true is part of truth. In every trial, the accused is either guilty or innocent, never both, never neither. Despite what the fallible court may rule, the truth does exist. The thing that is true is also a fact. Fact, in scientific terms however is something that is “observably” true, but not different in substance from truth.
This rhetorical slight of hand disarms the still under-developed critical thinking abilities of young university students resulting in their eventual belief that truth is relative, that there are many truths and finally, that whatever can’t be proven by observable facts, cannot be true and therefore must be false.
Conclusion: whatever is believed by faith is false!
At this point well meaning Christians come along and attempt to prove that there really is no battle between science and faith, that the two can be both intellectually and theologically aligned. The truth is, that is false and there is one good reason, one fact that proves the point—the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ.
In the book of Acts, which is the historical record of the start of the Christian church 2,000 years ago, Jesus told his disciples that they were to be his “witnesses” to the world. And that they were to be witnesses to the fact that he was standing right in front of them, 40 days after being dead and buried for 3 days.
Science does not “believe” that a dead man can come back to life. Science does not believe that there is life after death. Neither of these two facts can be observed today by the scientific method. Both however have been observed by eyewitnesses, many of whom were put to death for their faith in those facts.
Glenn Davies Lead Pastor
Was It Worth It?
Another U.S. election is in the books and a ‘winner’ has been found. President Barack Obama was reelected by just 2.5 million votes over his rival Mitt Romney. Blue prevailed over Red. The party of the middle class and the poor over the party of the marketplace and the rich. These symbols have been intentionally crafted and so we have come to believe that no Blue party will ever be good for business nor your personal pocketbook, and no Red party will ever really care for the poor and the disenfranchised. These symbols played over and over again every four years seem however to be creating deeper suspicion and division rather than respect and unity.
Today, at least half of the people in America are anywhere from relatively unhappy to extremely disappointed and outraged. The question then is, ‘was it worth it’?
For Christians this is an important question. Because depending on who you voted for, who you prayed would win, your response to the result will be very telling.
As usual, the folks over at the Gospel Coalition have posted an article that I encourage every believer in Christ, every Christian who truly believes that God’s Plan ‘A’ for this world is the church and not politics, even our beloved democracy, should read. Whether your guy lost last night and equally so, if your guy won last night, you should read this article. Here’s a quote to give you a taste…
If we suffer political defeat like those who have no hope but politics, we do not even commend ourselves, let alone the God who hung the moon and stars. But if we grieve as those who hope in the return of the King, those who trust in flawed politicians may one day see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Jesus did not give his life so we could watch cable news as if our lives depended on it. Jesus submitted to death ordered by rulers so we might never fear them. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24.)
To read the whole article—click here
Finally, as Canadians we must be very careful not to be too puffed up today as we shake our heads while watching the political frenzy that is U.S. politics—the Red & Blue teams exist in Canada as well. As the wise sage once said, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
Blessings,
Glenn