Heart of God

Main idea of today's ABF lesson is
   To neglect active concern for the vulnerable is to neglect the heart of God for people

Of course, that idea needs biblical support . . . and that was the bulk of the lesson.

Just Living - So Why Should I Care?

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Our next series of study is entitled, "Just Living," based upon the theme verse of Micah 6:8.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8

If you are interested in reading further about the subject, check out the following titles and selections. I'll be drawing from Keller's and Corbett's books throughout the series.

Generous Justice, Timothy Keller
     The first chapter, "What is Doing Justice?" is available free online. 

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . . or Yourself, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
     You can watch a couple of quick videos (2-4 min.) by the authors online.
          "How We Define Poverty," Brian Fikkert
          "Relief, Rehabilitation, Development," Steve Corbett


-Richard 

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Did Lewis Meet Freud?

Did Christian author C.S. Lewis ever meet with atheist intellectual Sigmund Freud? 

During the last 3 decades of the 20th Century, Dr. Armand Nicholi (psychiatrist to the New England Patriots for 15 years) taught a course at Harvard University to both undergraduates and medical students on Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. He captures that course in the book The Question of God (Free Press: New York, 2002).

Nicholi speculates on a meeting between Lewis and Freud at Freud's home in London sometime in 1938-1939. Playwrite Mark St. Germain wrote Freud's Last Session which enjoyed a successful Off Broadway run in New York, winning the Best Play Award from the Off Broadway Alliance in 2011.

 Houston's Alley Theater is hosting a Freud's Last Session through February 23, 2014. For the Houston Chronicle's review, "Class on religion is in 'Session,'" show times and admissions, see the Lifestyle section, January 30, 2014, page 1. The Chronicle has a better article published on the 27th entitled "'Session' Imagines a Meeting of the Minds." The Houston Press also has a brief review.

PBS picked up Nicholi's work, producing four hour program, The Question of God, which aired in 2004. The whole program is available on DVD. Significant portions of the program are available online.

So What?!
If you're having discussions with friends about the question of God and Jesus, or you would like to have such a discussion, consider the following.

1. Read the Houston articles linked above.
2. Watch and read goodly portions of The Question of God online at PBS.
3. Invite your friend(s) to join you at the Alley Theater and dinner afterwards (a late dinner for evening shows, or an early dinner for afternoon shows).
4. Talk about what was most interesting to them and, also, to you. 

You don't have to understand everything that happened on stage or all the ideas discussed.

• Simply listen, and mostly, try to understand some of the issues from your friend's point of view. 
• Then tell of your experience, where it is similar to, or different from, Lewis and Freud.