August 21, 2015
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Back in 2013, the Red Sox and the Cardinals faced off in the World Series for the second time in 10 years. I remember being shocked to read that tickets to these final games at Fenway were selling for upwards of $1,700 a piece! A few hours before each game, however, the box office sold a limited number of tickets at just a fraction of the price. As you can imagine, die-hard fans were lined up around the Green Monster for hours, hoping for the possibility of buying a coveted World Series ticket at face value. What struck me about this article is that people are capable of incredible patience when it comes to receiving something of great value. These Red Sox fans were willing to bear the cold and miss work because the reward far exceeded the price. They were able to be patient because they had the right perspective.August 20, 2015
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
Probably some of us, at one point or another, have tended toward one of two extreme attitudes toward confession. The first extreme says: “Why should I confess? My sin is paid for on the cross. I’m forgiven. I don’t need to be forgiven again!” In other words, a reliance on the finished work [1] of Jesus Christ actually becomes the basis for a belief that regular confession in the life of the Christian is not necessary. Why is this wrong? Well, it’s wrong because, simply put, we still sin:“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”[1]
August 19, 2015
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov is primarily a novel about the meaning of suffering. For this reason, it is fitting that Dostoevsky would choose Job as his main vehicle of philosophical thought. Job is considered the best work on suffering produced in the ancient world, chiefly because it focuses on an age-old philosophical question that remains relevant to us today: why is there suffering in the world? Dostoevsky evokes the story of Job with The Brothers Karamazov; the three titular brothers each representing something of Job himself in their differing perspectives on suffering. Ivan Karamazov, the eldest, voices what Job only hints at: some suffering is simply incomprehensible; God might not be just and righteous after all. The second brother, Alyosha, affirms with Job that God is good and suffering will be surely be redeemed. Dmitri, the third brother, surprisingly, comes closest to Job overall: neither despairing of God’s goodness entirely nor claiming to understand his circumstances. The brothers’ reflections and interactions take place against of a backdrop of sparring claims about God and the human condition: is God just? Is He loving? Is suffering a form of divine cruelty, or a powerful vehicle for God’s redemptive purposes?
August 19, 2015
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
“For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.” - I Corinthians 4:17Modern academic communities place a great deal of emphasis upon cultivation of the mind—often at the expense of interest in cultivation of the heart and the accompanying character formation that an older generation of educators believed went hand-in-hand with growth in learning.
August 18, 2015
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
August 17, 2015
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy inspired the nation during his inaugural address when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” It was a rallying cry that provoked patriotism and public service in cities across America. The words spoken by JFK on that day can be echoed with a different focus today, that is, “Ask not what God can do for you but what you can do for God.”August 12, 2015
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for You are the one I praise. — Jeremiah 17:14
The Marketplace and Social Shalom
By Dr. Anthony Bradley
From ChristianUnion.org
Dr. Anthony Bradley, professor, public intellectual, and author was the featured speaker at New York City Christian Union's July 2015 Forum. Dr. Bradley explores the implications of understanding business as a social justice vocation by nature and defines the ways in which marketplace leaders are invaluable as the primary change agents for communities seeking to help the poor and bring peace...
Watch Here >
August 11, 2015
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s egregious same-sex “marriage” ruling, the church faces a host of challenges. The secular gospel of sexual liberation as a human right has captured the public imagination, thanks especially to the aggressive marketing of corporate and media establishments. Marketing ploys portray a confused and deeply harmful view of sexuality, one that debases men and women, as “beautiful and true.” How can the church help expose the flawed logic of the sexual revolution and bring hope and healing to society?First and foremost, the church needs to be persuasive to the up and coming generation. Too many times has the church come across as irrelevant or even oppressive. The church must present a compelling response to the “liberating” claim of the sexual revolution, exposing this claim for the lie that it is and fleshing out a biblical alternative that is more fulfilling and life-giving individually and socially. To be effective, this articulation must not be confined to like-minded circles, but fully conversant with the predominant secular narrative, going toe-to-toe with its best spokespeople.
August 5, 2015
The following audio presentations were recorded in Sandy Cove, Maryland.
Bearing the Burdens of Others (47:54)
Bearing the Burdens of Others (47:54)
Commissioning and Prayer (37:47)
July 17, 2015
Dr. Anthony Bradley, author and associate professor, The King's College, spoke on "The Marketplace and Social Shalom." (46:35)
City Christian Union is a ministry of Christian Union that works with individuals and institutions in developing a network of strong Christian leaders to impact influential cities, starting with New York City.
City Christian Union is a ministry of Christian Union that works with individuals and institutions in developing a network of strong Christian leaders to impact influential cities, starting with New York City.
July 16, 2015
The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. The LORD is the strength of his people; He is the saving refuge of his anointed. — Psalm 28:7-8
All Christians are Gospel Missionaries
By Lorri Bentch
From ChristianUnion.org
Every Christian, regardless of which career path he or she is pursuing, is called to make disciples. In this recording from Rooted, the Christian Union Leadership Lecture Series at Yale, Christian Union Vice President of Operations Lorri Bentch challenges all believers to be disciple-makers — to be missionaries — within their respective spheres of influence...
Listen Here >
July 12, 2015
Students at Princeton explain the impact of Christian Union at Princeton. (10:43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=o0zlsew-u8I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=o0zlsew-u8I
July 3, 2015
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. — Romans 5:1-2
Perspectives on Obergefell
By Various
From First Things
How should we respond to the ruling by the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage? What’s next?...
Read More Here >
June 18, 2015
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. — James 1:17
Bored to Life: Secularism and its Malcontents
By Scott Jones
From Princeton Faith and Action
Do all of your earthly accomplishments end up feeling like hurdles on an endless path? Christian Union Ministry Fellow at Princeton, Scott Jones, speaks at Encounter, the weekly leadership lecture series resourced and supported by Christian Union at Princeton...
Watch It Here >
June 14, 2015
...to Make Disciples
by Rebekah Hannah
We are all disciples of someone.
We all have someone in mind we want to emulate. We dress like others. We talk like others. We do what other people say is best. We take pieces of other people and put them together to build the best version of who we want to be. Whether good or bad, we all emulate someone who came before us. That being said, we also have more influence than we could possibly imagine.
June 14, 2015
Family Helps Next Generation Grow to Spiritual Maturity
by Sarah CampWhen Tim Kuo '96 arrived at Princeton as an undergraduate, he wanted to be part of a Christian community, but admits he didn't expect Christ to be central to his college experience.
June 14, 2015
A Biblical Theology for Changing Times
by Michael J. Wilkins
As I stand on a bluff overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean near our home in Southern California, I watch lines of waves forming far out on the horizon. The waves that finally break near shore are much larger today than normal.
I check out the surf report and find that these waves were generated by a monstrous storm. The weather is sunny and calm where I stand, but the waves that break below me were generated by a ferocious, hurricane-force storm many days ago and thousands of miles away off of the tip of New Zealand.If I am to surf these waves effectively, I need to know as much as possible about their size, power, direction, and speed.
Similarly, as we stand here, midway through the second decade of the 21st century, waves of various kinds of practices, fads, and styles continue to sweep upon the church.
June 14, 2015
Christian Union Ministry Fellow Leads by Example
by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer
While Christian Union faculty teach rigorous and intellectually rich Bible courses to students at some of the nation's leading universities, they also walk alongside the young adults through troubling times, stressful semesters, and doubts about their faith. Serving as role models and mentors, ministry fellows like Scott Jones open their hearts and lives to students, emulating Christ as they share what it means to live a seeking God lifestyle.
June 14, 2015
Christian Union Ministry Fellow Leads by Example
Students Exhibit Boldness in Speech Class
by Eileen Scott, Senior Writer
Two students took a classroom assignment and used it for God's glory, buoyed by the strength and courage they received from participating in Christian Union's ministry at Cornell.In their Oral Communications class, Elisabeth Mistur '17 and Nashon Garrett '16 each chose to present a position that runs contrary to popular views. Mistur discussed the public policy issue of whether to require women to view their ultrasounds before an abortion; Garrett spoke about creation being taught alongside evolution in science classes.
June 14, 2015
CU Ministry Hosts Panel on Race
by Eileen Scott, Senior WriterWhat does the Gospel have to say about race?
That was a question asked by students involved with Christian Union's ministry at Columbia University this winter.
As the fall semester was coming to a close, Jim Black, Christian Union's ministry director at Columbia, and Yolanda Solomon, a ministry fellow, encouraged the students to be a voice on campus following nationwide racial unrest.
