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Religion Spiritual Thoughts
l@ the faith: dustglve me n Jesus
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BY RONNIE “(MAYER CONJRlBUllNG WRITER
As I traveled through my home state of Georgia not long
ago, I came upon a little Baptist church stuck away in the
woods. That's not unusual. At times Georgia seems to be
overrun with Bapn’st churches; that and kudzu.
What was unusual was the name of this church. It
was the “Entire Bible Baptist Church.” Not “Bible Baptist
Church," a very common church name, and it was not like
the church in which I was reared, where we had all our
declarative doctrinal statements on our sign out front.
Our sign read “Independent, Fundamental, Premillen-
nial, and XIV-Only.” This was not an invitation to come in.
It sewed as a warning. Any would-be visitors had better
believe what we believe. Otherwise, just stay away.
I didn’t get the impression that the Entire Bible Baptist
Church wanted people to stay away, but the church did
want people to know where it stood. Obviously, they
intend to practice the “whole counsel of God” and do
everything the Bible commands.
But nobody, not even the good folks at the Entire Bible
Baptist Church, practices the unabridged Bible. This is a
good thing, because there are parts of the Bible that are
nothing short of confounding.
Consider that owning slaves, selling your children into
servitude, and executing adulterers are all permitted in
the Bible. Further, holding hands with your wife at the,
wrong time of the month, eating shrimp and pork chops,
or wearing clothes blended from two different fabrics (so
much for my favorite pants) are not allowed.
Does the Entire Bible Baptist Church keep all these
commandments? I doubt it, and that’s okay. Actually, it’s
more than okay. It’s a sign of spiritual maturity when one
can move beyond hardened rule-keeping. And besides,
turning the Bible'into a tool to hurt others just isn’t right,
no matter how zealous toward obedience a group of
people might be.
What then do we who love the Bible do with these
of Lake Stevens ’6 Granite Falls
Thefollowingmassesarenowatournewsiteat
Inchsloy on SR 92 (1/3 mile E of Soccer fields)
5pm Saturday‘s
Sunday’s at 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am,
12:00pm (Spanish), 5:00pm Mass
Rel. Ed &'Youth Programs also on Sundays
560-69l-AMEN (2656)
www.holy-cross-parish.com
. A S s E M n L Y
Sunday 10:00 am. Morning Worship with George Smith
6:00 pan. Evening Worship 0 Wednesday Groups 7:00 p.m.
9 autumnal»: (& various in week): Bible cinder/rm. grps
m.lakestevensag.org H 1
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9805 — 31st. Pl u. 425-334-3700
tangled texts? This will be an overly simplistic answer to
some, but for me, I have come to read the Bible through
the lens of Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, I take a “What
Would Jesus Do” approach and use him, his words, and
his way to better understand.
So when I come to these inexplicable and sometimes
bizarre passages, I look to Jesus to make sense of them. .
And I discover that most of the time Jesus is silent on these
issues, and when he does speak, it is speech seasoned
with love, grace, and shackle-breaking freedom. That’s
Why for me, the “entire Bible" is not the foundation of
faith; Jesus is. 7
Once after having a similar discussion, a listener came
to me with the news that I had to believe everything in
the Bible the entire corpus of the church's theology — to
become a Christian. So I asked this dear person a ques-
tion: “When did you come to faith in Christ. He answered
that he had come to faith when he was nine—years—old.
“Good,” I said. “I came to faith in Christ when I was ten.
I don't know about you, but at the time I did not believe
in the Virgin birth did you?"
Of course he didn’t! At that age he didn’t even know
what a virgin was, and neither did I. At that time I could
not discuss the reasons for the Protestant Reformation,
recite the Apostle’s Creed, expound upon the eschatology
of the Hebrew prophets, or quote Calvin's “Institutes.” But
I knew Jesus loved me. That was enough.
Thirty years later, there is so much I do not know. In
fact, I may know less today than ever in my life, but I'm
okay with that. I’m okay being unable to reconcile every
conflict between faith and science. I'm okay not having a
clue what the book of Revelation is about. I'm okay Being
uninterested in the hundreds of strange, technical prohi-
bitions found in the “entire Bible." Just give me that with
which I started. Just give me Jesus. That is enough.
Ronnie McBrayer is the author of "Leaving Religion,
Following Jesus. He writes and speaks aboutlife, faith,
and Christ-cen tered spirituality. Visit his website at
wwwronniemcbrayernet.
.V “Doing Life Together!
Sunday Services Meeting
at 9:30 a.m.&11 am.
amiififf‘llirrf.li Programs for all ages
Meeting at the Lake Stevens Boys Girls Club
1609 E. Lakeshore Drive WA 98258
LakeStevensChurchcom - 425—334—5900
LAMB 0F goo LuTHERAN CHMRCH
V SUNDAY MORNING AT 10:15 AM
Bible Classes, All ages at 9:00 am
Meeting at:
Zion Lutheran School (425) 377-2173
103rd Ave. SE Lake Stevens, WA
‘ www.lambofgod-Iakestevens.om '
Pastor, Rick Johnson
' Worship/Youth Loader, Jan Novak
fienezerLutfieran Cflu
LCMS
rcfi
LUTM!’
ea: 425-334-0421
Sunday Worship
9:30 am.
V Home of Ebenezer Lutheran Preschool 425-397-6374
, snohomishrornmunirychurch
'
stamens,
Advertise your churCh or place of worship in
the Journal ’3 church directory v'
Contact the Journal at'425-334-9252 or
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Lake Stevens Journal June 1, 2011
Local youth group offering
free drop in sports Sundays
JOURNAL STAFF
On Sunday, June 5, the EPIC Youth Group of Lake Ste-
vens Family Church will be hosting a Sunday Slam at the
Boys & Girls Club.
Ifyou are in grades seven to 12, you are welcome to join
other teens for three intense hours of dodgeball, volley-
ball, basketball, pizza and movies. The event will run from
pm. until 6 pm. Parents are welcome to either drop off
their youth or join in the fun. For more information please
contact Kari.L@IakeStevensChurch.com.
1' THE DATE
' 's'rmns men school.
cuss or 191!
40TH REUNION
Saturday, September 17, 201 l
5 pm. to lo pm.
5 pm. to 7 pm. Social
7 pm. Dinner
WHERE: Florol Holl, Forest Pork
' Everett, WA
COST: $30 per person by Aug l _, V
$35 per' person Aug 2 Sept 2-
Pleose RSVP with poymenis ’ro:
LSHS Class of 197], P086»: 5752'
Lake Stevens, WA 98258.: ‘
For more information go to Ishsclossofifllifi’gnioilfiorn'3'-
Sunday School: During service
Newborn Grade 8
." 41!;
’-
.
(TIHURCH
' 7: oflhonauvquungalpd
Sundays 10:00 am
Pastors Paul and Barbara Mazzlo
(425) 397-0515 www.TheLakeChtirch.org
9015 Vernon Rd. ( 1 Mile North of Haggen)
Youth Group: Wed: 7:00 pm '
9015 Vemon Rd.
real help ' real frlonds real faith - roaladvonturo
' JOIN us on SUNDAYS
SERVICE "Mrs:
r 9:00am and 10:45am
Dubuque Road;
Snohomish WA 98290
425-334-918l
Serving loko Stevens, Snohomish, and beyond
