“Know Thyself” — That’s Socrates — and it makes sense.  I recently read “Reforming Fundamentalism” (a terrible title, by the way) by George Marsden, a church historian at Notre Dame, about the developments in American Christianity in the part of the church that actually believes that the Bible is true, that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, rose from the dead.  Meaning, us.

It centers on the founding of Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, and its development over the past few decades.  Fuller is important: it’s the premiere reasonable evangelical seminary, it’s big, its graduates are pastors all over the West.  It’s efforts to be reasonable have been the theme that has driven its history, both for good, and (in my opinion) for not-so-good.

Fundamentalism started healthy.  It developed from some very well-written paper-back books of articles on the essentials of the Christian faith.  But after the Scopes Trial (remember “Inherit the Wind”?), it descended into obscurantism.  Sort of “My mind is made up; don’t confuse me with facts.”  After World War II, a handful of serious Christian scholars started Fuller in Pasadena with the goal of being faithful to the Gospel, believing in the reliability of the Bible — but also being careful about scholarship.  Considering, and answering objections to the faith in a responsible way.  One of their key tenets was the belief that the Bible is completely reliable, the inspired word of God. Read on…

On our stationery, there is a Bible verse at the bottom, stylized to the point that you have to stop and concentrate to read it, but there nonetheless.  It says,

“If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me.  For anyone who saves his life shall lose it, but whoever shall lose his life, for my sake, shall find it.” It is from our Scripture this Sunday, Luke 9, verses 23 and 24.

Sir Thomas More, or as he is known in the Roman Catholic church, St. Thomas More, was a man who took up his cross and followed Jesus as best he knew how.  His life is an example of integrity, of the kind of faithfulness that Jesus expects of us, and which sometimes has a high cost.

Next Sunday, Brian Turner will be preaching.  He’s one of our elders, who earned his M.Div. a year ago, and who leads in worship and also heads up our Growth Group ministry.  On the following Sunday, Andrew Park will be preaching.  Andrew is the pastor and church-planter of Trybe, a congregation in Oakland near Highland Hospital.  You won’t want to miss either of these Sundays at New Church!

Just want to let you know some of the parameters we are following in this series, which we start this week:

• the sermon will be from the Bible, not the movie.  But dealing with issues raised in the movie
• you don’t have to see the movie to benefit, especially if you are uncomfortable with it
• although some of the movies will include bad language, none will include nudity — or horror themes
• we will screen some of the films in the lounge; we have a license from CVII to do this
• starting in June, we plan to have a Growth Group in the week after, to discuss what the Bible says on the movie’s issues

The point of doing this series is to engage with the culture.  Living here where we do, we will be much more effective as salt and light if we can interact with our neighbors, co-workers, and friends on the culture they are immersed in: movies, books, to name just a few.  The challenge as always is for us to be “in the world but not of the world.”

Please call one of the pastors if you have suggestions or questions.

Next week, “The King’s Speech.”

– by Rudyard Kipling

If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose tears would come down to me,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were drowned in the deepest sea,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!