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The Resurrection of Christ is the Anchor of our Hope
Yesterday, marked 36 years of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero. His life and martyrdom stands as a testimony to the enduring countercultural message of the gospel. As I reflect and prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Easter, these words from Archbishop Romero lay heavy in my heart: "I must lament leaving you an inheritance of so much selfishness, so much evil. Be yourselves a better world!"
After thirty-six years of his death, Are we a better world today?
If we survey the situation of our world, it seems that in every corner of the globe there is anxiety, unrest, oppression of the poor, corruption, political bigotry, racism, gender discrimination, religious persecution, terrorism, threats of nuclear attacks, war, and death.
At the core of the Christian celebration of Holy Week we find two days, Holy Friday and Easter, that enable us to lift our hopes above the futility and pessimism of the present human dilemma.
Oh, how difficult it is for us to believe that God is in the process of redeeming this world!
The parable of the leavened bread sheds light for us: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast we use in making bread. Even though you only put a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeates every part of the dough." (Mt. 13.33 NLT) God's yeast is doing its work in the dough.
The death and resurrection of Christ is the only hope we have in this life. In this year Easter message, Bishop Munib Younan, which I invite you to read bellow, said, "This Easter Good News has come to the world again at just the right time. At this time, the world desperately needs the message of the empty tomb. We need the light and life of Easter morning."
The message of the resurrection challenges Christ's followers everywhere, particularly those of us who live comfortable and safe lives, to consider anew the words of the Heidelberg Catechism: What is your only comfort in life and death?
That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins
with his precious blood,
and has set me free
from all the power of the devil.
He also preserves me in such a way
that without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head;
indeed, all things must work together
for my salvation.
Therefore, by his Holy Spirit
he also assures me
of eternal life
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
Rev. Carlos L. Malave
executive director
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2016 Easter Message from Bishop Dr. Munib Younan
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you-unless you have come to believe in vain.
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Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, in the name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Today Christians across the world rejoice in the Good News we have received, on which we stand, and through which we have been saved: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.
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Insight into the Church of God
(Anderson IN; CCT participant communion)
by Jim Lyon, General Director, Church of God Ministries
Move. It is, in the first instance, a verb. Merriam-Webster defines the verb with a series of others: "to go, to proceed, to become, to start, to keep pace," and so on. Our English word move descends from the Latin movere, which expresses the idea "to set in motion" or even "to disturb." The Latin also carries the sense of "to prompt toward some action or outcome" (as in, "I was moved to tears").
The Church of God has long seen itself as a movement. We do not imagine ourselves to be a denomination or institution, but a movement. We speak of ourselves as the Movement. The Oxford Dictionary helps us here, defining movement as, "a group of people working together to advance shared ideas." We have seen ourselves as a movement
within the larger Christian family, emphasizing certain core ideas drawn from Scripture, calling the best out of the larger Body of Christ, expanding the Kingdom of God.
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Report CCT 2016 Annual Convocation
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 22 - At the 10th annual convocation of Christian Churches Together, member churches and organizations deepened their work on racism and other issues of common concern.
Well-known anti-apartheid leader Allan Boesak gave an insider's critique of the truth and reconciliation process in South Africa, and applied that to the struggle for racial reconciliation in the US. He drew a sharp distinction between political reconciliation, which he said has proven to be short-lived, and the Christ-centered reconciliation that is at the heart of Christianity.
"If we say 'justice' we must say 'Jesus.' If we say 'Jesus' we must say 'justice,'" Boesak insisted. Describing reconciliation as "holy ground," he said it must be "real, radical, and revolutionary."
St. Louis pastor and activist Michelle Higgins brought a Christian view of Black Lives Matter, which she described as a "pro-life" movement. Lamenting the dehumanizing practices facing people of color, she urged churches "to tell the truth about their own history so that they might be a united front to tell God's story in the world." This should come naturally for Christians, she pointed out: "As a body of believers, we already participate in an alternative history. Sunday school is an alternative institution."
Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S., opened the event with a description of global poverty. There are currently 52 active wars and insurgencies, he noted, which has led to more than 60 million refugees and internally displaced people.
On the topic of immigration reform, two speakers acknowledged the current political impasse and the shift toward fear of outsiders. It's essential for the churches to embrace the biblical call to welcome refugees, said Jenny Yang of World Relief. Added Eliseo Medina of the Service Employees International Union: "Because of the political climate, we are engaged in a battle for the soul of America." Nevertheless, expressing a sense of hope for the long term, the speakers noted that legislative change takes years.
Other speakers at the Feb. 17-19 convocation were Linda Plitt Donaldson of Catholic University, David Beckmann of Bread for the World, Roslyn M. Brock of the NAACP, Timothy B. Cremeens of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral, Cheryl Sanders of Howard University School of Divinity, and about a dozen more.
At this anniversary meeting of CCT, participants reviewed their history and furthered understanding of the themes that have been examined over the past decade. In addition to poverty and race, these have included evangelism, mass incarceration, immigration, and the effect of immigrants on the church in the US. A panel of presenters discussed the latest thinking on Christian witness in a multi-religious world.
Organized in 2006, Christian Churches Together is composed of 38 churches and national organizations and represents the broadest range of Christians in the country. The members are committed to meeting together for fellowship, worship, and joint efforts on issues crucial to Christian witness in the USA.
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