How Can a Church Think Critically about the Bible?

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New Testament Reading—Matthew 1: 18-23

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by God through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

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The Christian Message in Seven Words

Dear Church Family,

Recently, the highly regarded magazine The Christian Century featured an article by David Heim about a challenge it posed to various writers. The assignment given to them was to proclaim the gospel in a maximum of seven words. The writers gave diverse answers that I found quite revealing. A number alluded to the traditional theological view that we are all sinners unconditionally embraced by God’s love. For example, the esteemed academic Martin Marty wrote, “God, through Jesus Christ, welcomes you anyhow.” Likewise, Donald Shriver proclaimed, “Divinely persistent, God really loves us,” while Mary Karr emphasized the fresh start that forgiveness brings in stating, “We are the Church of Infinite Chances.”

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