Tag Archives: faith

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A Godless Church?

Hello World,

I must confess…I am somewhat fascinated by atheists…the idea that there are people out there who believe this magnificent Earth despite all of the ugliness from war to sickness to downright stupidity just appeared without God is just incomprehensible…

Every now and then, I come across an atheist, and I am always unsure of what to say…I’m not a master in apologetics, and I should certainly study apologetics more I always feel when I find myself in these uncomfortable encounters…But at the end of the day, a belief in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is an act of faith…And of course, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” At at 40 years old, I’ve “seen” God work in my life so much so that I will continue to hold on in my belief in Him until I die so help me God…

But apparently, there is a growing initiative to create godless churches…Here is one article I found about a former Methodist minister who is now a “godless” church planter…

“From Pastor to Harvard’s ‘godless church’ Planter”…below are a few interesting excerpts of an interview with Teresa MacBain…

I was raised in the Deep South where my dad was a Baptist pastor. I always felt my calling was to be in ministry but the Baptist church didn’t allow women pastors. As I moved through my young adulthood, my theology became more liberal leading me into the Methodist church where I became a pastor. I’d always been a thinker so when questions relating to my faith began to pop up, I ignored them at first. You see, questioning and doubts were sinful in my faith tradition…

An enormous number of Christians have threatened to do physical harm to me. Many others have been kind in their response. They don’t understand and of course, they offer to pray for me. Some atheists have disagreed with me. I’ve heard comments like “I’ll give you a year but this won’t stick.” But overall the Christian response has been much worse than the feedback I got from the “angry atheists.”

We need to work with language. Some like the Sunday Assembly are calling these “atheist churches.” Some who have been burned by religion but are looking for community want to reclaim the word “church.” For others even a liberal church like the Unitarian Universalists will not meet their needs. For this reason, we’re using the term “Humanist community.”

So what do you think? What do you when you encounter atheists? Why do you believe in God?

Any thoughts?

P.S. I am always very respectful of people I encounter who don’t believe as I believe because I think it’s the Christian thing to do…

 

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Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Gymnast Gabrielle Douglas Pens New Book!!!

Hello World,  

When I first heard about Gabrielle Douglas this past summer during the Olympics in London, I was so proud of her as she is the first African-American woman to win the women’s all-around gold medal in gymnastics and first American to win both of the individual and team events at the same Olympics. And then when I realized that she is an unabashed Christian, my admiration for her grew, and I realized that I could likely learn a lot from this 16-year-old dynamo! Thankfully, Zondervan Books also believes Gabrielle Douglas has a lot to share about her faith in God and accomplishing her dreams through faith. Her debut memoir “Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith,” through the Zondervan division of HarperCollins, is coming to bookstores nationwide on Tuesday, December 4.

Here is Gabrielle talking about the book…

From PRNewsire –

“Even before I competed in the Olympics, I always wanted to write a book,” says Douglas. “Of course, there’ll be a lot of stories about gymnastics, but the book will also be about how much my family and I have overcome during our journey. It hasn’t been easy. I want people to read my story and say, ‘If Gabby can do it, I can do it, too. Anything is possible.'”

Grace, Gold & Glory, written in collaboration with Michelle Burford, contains a full-color poster and photo inserts, and provides a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Olympic fan favorite. In her memoir, Douglas reveals how her modest upbringing rooted in family and faith has shaped her into the young woman and role model she is today.

The youngest of four siblings, Douglas shares poignant, often humorous stories from her childhood as she talks candidly about the obstacles faced along her road toward the world gymnastics stage. Grace, Gold & Glory offers a firsthand look into the intense training and sacrifice required of this elite athlete and uncovers personal truths for Douglas, such as the bullying and racism she endured as an African-American gymnast, her heartache, isolation, and homesickness, as well as multiple injuries – all of which led Douglas to consider leaving gymnastics forever only seven months before the London Olympics. Douglas also opens up for the first time about her father’s role in her life.

Her memoir serves as an intricate road map from birth to Douglas’ historical journey to London and the numerous  prayers, meditations, and Bible verses that helped her stay strong along the way. The autobiography also reveals some of Douglas’ favorite moments post-Olympics, including the many celebrities she’s met and a guest role on her all-time favorite TV series.

“With strong faith in God and some serious determination, every dream is possible,” says Douglas. “I hope this book inspires others to go for their biggest dreams.

You can pre-order the book Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith at Amazon. The book is also available for pre-order at Barnes & Noble.
Any thoughts?
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A Father’s Day Testimony…

Hello World,

A one-year-old DeVon Franklin celebrating his birthday with his father...

Happy Father’s Day to all of the wonderful fathers in the world especially my dear ole Daddy 🙂 And here is my testimony about my father “Color Him Father, Color Him Love.” Unfortunately, not everyone has a father to which they can wish Happy Father’s Day, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t live on in their hearts or influence their actions although they are gone…

The father of DeVon Franklin, vice president of production for Columbia Pictures, died when Franklin was a child after having a heart attack. In his book/testimony “Produced By Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self,” Franklin shares memories about his father who also suffered from alcoholism and how his father’s life and death influence him even now…Franklin, who will be featured on Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday” today at 11 a.m./1o a.m. C.S.T., candidly admitted on his Facebook page how being on this show on Father’s Day (also his father’s birthday) has affected him…

ALCOHOL ABUSE + AMBITION proved to be a lethal combination. My dad died at the age of 36 when I was only 8 years old. This is a picture of me and my Dad, celebrating my first birthday. When I got word from Oprah’s network that my interview with Oprah would air on Sunday, June 17…it nearly brought me to tears. Why? Because June 17th is not only Father’s Day, but it is my Dad’s birthday too. He would have been 61 years old. So much of my life I have wanted to make him proud and fulfill the potential that was cut short in him. So I believe it is no accident that God would schedule one of the biggest opportunities of my life on this day to let me know that my Dad’s purpose wasn’t cut short…it is alive and well in me and my 2 brothers. It is deep confirmation to me that even with the most difficult tragedies…God’s grace, mercy and love still abound…

Franklin’s book is truly inspiring, and I was blessed to interview him about his book and his career for MOVIEGUIDE.  Check out my interview with him here! Below is a preview of his interview with Oprah.

Preview: DeVon Franklin on “Super Soul Sunday”

In an all-new “Super Soul Sunday,” DeVon Franklin—a Hollywood executive who does double duty as a preacher—shares his advice on achieving success without losing yourself. The author of “Produced By Faith” author talks with Oprah about how he balances his Hollywood life with his faith.

How does you father influence your life today?

Any thoughts?