This first universal creed of the church, this creed was produced at the first ecumenical council held at Nicea in 325.  The creed is rich in history and theological content.  It is the part of the liturgical tradition to this day and many if not most Christians recite it each Sunday.  We will be examining the theological issues addressed in the creed, the Biblical support for the content of the creed, and the potential value of the creed for Christians today.
The series will begin on Sunday, July 12 and will be led by Dave Timmerman.

Dana and I are in Portland, Oregon this week for the Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting and my ordination on Saturday night at 7pm PST (10pm EST).  It has been a long, but useful process leading to this week and I am grateful that others have affirmed God’s call upon my life. When the Covenant ordains, it "sets apart" persons with the authority to preach and teach the Word, administer the sacraments and rites of the church, and exercise pastoral care and leadership.  The ordained pastor functions as theologian in residence and missional leader, overseeing, empowering, and enabling all forms of a local church’s ministry. If interested, you can watch the ordination service live online here.

Lesson from June 21, 2009

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Philippians 3: 15 – 4:1

We are looking at the last half of chapter three today, but it is important to see this section in connection with the first half of the chapter.  Interestingly, in this chapter Paul addresses two extremes of the time.  On the one hand, as we saw in chapter 3:1-11, there was the desire by some to return the faith more directly to its Jewish roots. 

Lesson from June 14, 2009

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Philippians 3:12-15 

1. What does it mean to be “perfect”?
2. Matthew 5:48 says “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In what way(s) are Christians expected to be perfect?
3. In verse 12, Paul says he hasn’t been “made perfect”. In the original Greek, this action of being made perfect comes from the verb “teleioo” (adjective “teleios”). Other verses that use the same word include Romans 12:2, 2 Cor. 12:9, and Hebrews 2:10.
   • To what kind of perfection are these verses referring?
   • The adjective translated as “mature” in verse 15 above also comes from this same Greek word. How is this different from being made perfect as described in verse 12?
   • Augustine suggested the difference between verse 12 and verse 15 as a difference between a “perfect wayfarer” and a “perfect possessor”. Which description best applies to which verse?
4. What prize in verse 14 does Paul hope to win? See 1 Cor. 9:24-25 (and its reference to the Olympic games), Philippians 3: 8, and Luke 13:31-32. (The “goal” referred to in Luke is again from the same Greek word for perfection used in verses 12 and 15 from Philippians. Is martyrdom Paul’s goal?)

Are you wondering where to begin with God and faith?  On Sunday, June 7th Pastor Dan will begin teaching a class during Discovery Hour (9AM on Sunday) that walks you through the starting points of understanding the Bible and what God desires from you.  You will learn how to know you will go to heaven when you die, how to pray, how to study the bible, and other foundational aspects of the Christian faith.  The class will last for 10 weeks.  Each session will have an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you might have about the Christian faith.