Lessons from the Prophet Amos

These are my notes from today’s Sunday School lesson and worship service at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 21, 2024.

“Praying The Hours” is a Catholic prayer ritual / method one of the members of our Sunday School class uses / follows.

 ”Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.“

Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭RSV‬‬
Let Justice Roll on like a river…” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

From ChatGPT 4: My prompt: “Tell me background about these Bible verses: ”Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.“ ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭RSV‬‬”

ChatGPT 4’s responses:

The verses you’ve quoted, Amos 5:23-24 from the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible, are part of the Book of Amos, which is one of the books of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Amos, the author, was an early prophet of Israel, active around 750-760 BCE.

These particular verses are part of a larger passage where Amos is delivering a message of judgment and warning from God to the people of Israel. The primary context here is a critique of ritualistic worship that lacks sincerity and justice. Amos is essentially telling the Israelites that God is not interested in their music and worship if they are not also pursuing justice and righteousness in their society.

Verse 23 (“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen”) indicates God’s rejection of worship that is disconnected from ethical living. In verse 24 (“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream”), the imagery of flowing water symbolizes the continuous and abundant practice of justice and righteousness that God desires.

This passage reflects a common theme in the prophetic books of the Old Testament, where the prophets call for social justice and true, heartfelt worship, as opposed to mere ritualistic practices. It emphasizes that religious ceremonies are meaningless to God if they are not accompanied by moral and ethical behavior, especially towards the less fortunate and marginalized in society.”

Via ChatGPT 4

How are we acting to come out of our places of privilege to:

  • Provide access to health care for those who don’t have it?
  • Where are we acting ourselves to channel God’s righteousness?

”Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭34‬-‭46‬ ‭RSV‬‬

I don’t think God calls us to be overwhelmed by the enormity of needs and suffering we see in the world. I think God calls us to do the work in front of us, to do the work he has prepared in advance for us to do. We are called to walk and live in faith, that God calls us to do this work together.

Crisis Assistance Ministries

“The  mission  of Crisis Assistance Ministry is to  provide assistance  and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency.

Our  vision  is to inspire our community to justice and generosity as we provide help, hope, and understanding to people struggling with limited financial resources.”

From CrisisAssistance.org

#HealOurCulture 

Full Old Testament reading:

”“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭27‬ ‭RSV‬‬

Consider the way Eugene Peterson expressed these ideas and sentiments of the prophet Amos:

”I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“Justice begins with God!

Justice requires that everyone shares in the resources of our culture and community.”

by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian
Justice begins with God” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Social Justice = Full participation in society

Only when the lives of all worshippers are congruent with the ideals of God’s justice is God pleased.

Ask for Signs and Directions!

These are some of my notes and “takeaways” from a sermon shared today on January 7, 2024, by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The sermon was titled, “Whose Star Are You Following?” and was live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook. It starts at the 44:00 minute mark if you’d like to view it yourself, and runs 16 minutes.

This Sunday is the celebration of the holiday of Epiphany, which in Christian traditions celebrates “the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana.” Rev Killian reminded us that as a society and in our culture, “We also follow stars!” Whether pop stars like Taylor Swift of Beyoncé, or sports starts like NFL or NBA athletes, we often pay an undue amount of attention to these “stars.” However, it’s important to consider, “Where are those stars leading?” Who and what are these stars attempting to “point us to” in our lives? Where do these stars lead? By encouraging us to consider “Whose star we are following?” Rev Killian powerfully juxtaposed the sermon text from Matthew 2:1-12 with ominous headlines from contemporary news and popular culture.

“Whose star ⭐️ are you following?!” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Rev Killian encouraged us to “NOT be afraid to ask for signs & directions.” We should be continually watchful for God, for He is present and at work all around us! We can see God in the beauty and wonder of His creation, but also in the ways we love and care for each other in this troubled world. God calls us to invite his Holy Spirit to provide us with directions for our lives, and he provides guidance when we seek Him in prayer, through Bible study, and through fellowship with other Christian followers of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be afraid to ask for signs & directions” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Rev Killian received applause during her sermon when she pulled out an “old school” paper map, and reminded the congregation, “When we encounter the living God, we reset our GPS.” Whether we are using analog or digital tools to find our way in the world. encounters with God can have a powerful and positive re-directing and “re-orienting” influence on us. As an undergraduate geography major and someone who grew up learning about maps and orienteering in Boy Scouts as well as in Air Force survival training at the Air Force Academy, this analogy really resonated with me!

“When we encounter the living God, we reset our GPS” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

I also loved Rev Killian’s encouragement to “Look for God and listen for His voice.” For over 10 years now, I’ve been blessed to participate in “Spiritual Direction” with Curt Gruel, through HeartPaths OKC. Even after we moved to North Carolina in 2022, my monthly meetings with Curt have continued via Zoom! “Spiritual Direction” is all about “looking for God,” and meeting with a mentor who can help us identify, see, and interpret “God sightings” in our lives. This is an important message every day, but seems particularly appropriate as we start 2024 and a new calendar year with different ideas for resolutions and new habits to adopt.

Rev Killian’s final exhortations were to ask “Who are the ‘Herods’ in your life? Who is sowing fear in your journey of faith and life?” As I consider the ways I want to develop the “Heal Our Culture” project in the weeks and months ahead, these questions are both challenging and prescient. There are many voices on YouTube, in mainstream news, and in social media which encourage us to adopt a spirit of fear rather than an attitude of joy, hope, and abiding faith.

I want to follow the star of Jesus, and I’m thankful for these words of encouragement from Rev Killian today!

Sermon Points by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

No Human Hierarchy in God’s Family

Through the YouVersion Bible app for iPhone, Shelly (my wife) has discovered the “Eyewitness Bible Series” of videos. This morning, on her recommendation, I watched the 11.5 minute video, “Topics 07 Gratitude,” which features the Biblical character Cornelius the Centurion. In this post, I want to reflect a bit on the theme of “human hierarchy” and how we are called to REJECT it as a “cultural norm.” This is vital to understand as a follower of Jesus Christ. This links directly to two books I have read (or listened to on Audible) in recent years, and I’ll also share some links to past posts reflecting on these themes more deeply.

Here’s the “BIG BIBLICAL IDEA” I took away from this excellent video as well as my (relatively) recent related theological readings: Through Jesus Christ, God calls us to reject the human hierarchies imposed and enforced by authorities and cultural influencers. As we read in the closing verses of the third Chapter of Galatians, written by the Apostle Paul:

‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Galatians 3:23-29

Rejecting the cultural norm of “hierarchies” is both challenging and radical. Most societies “teach” that hierarchies are real, natural, and should be both expected and embraced. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, however, rejects this. Throughout history, including the Jewish faith and the Christian faith, however, we see how many church authorities and leaders have MISSED this critical idea and value from Jesus, Instead, these “authorities” have worked to impose hierarchy and establish it as a universally accepted constant. As a follower of Jesus Christ, however, I understand that perspective to be heresy / heretical.

I’ll try to explain what I mean.

In this context, when I speak of “hierarchy” I’m talking about a perception or understanding that human beings are NOT equal and should not be accorded equal treatment. This is a cultural value in most human societies. In the infamous words George Orwell from Animal Farm, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Orwell was literally writing about animals, but he was metaphorically explaining hierarchy in human as well as animal societies / communities. Hierarchy is common and often accepted, even when it is (often) oppressive and destructive to the goal of human flourishing.

According OxfordReference.com: hierarchy is:

A type of social organization in which individuals are ranked according to their status or dominance relative to other group members. This affects their behaviour in various ways, e.g. by determining their access to food or to mates. Many vertebrate animals and some invertebrates live in hierarchical social groups.

Hierarchy. (n.d.). Oxford Reference. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095935499

Although Jesus Christ taught his disciplines to love one another without regard to hierarchical status or privilege, human authorities relatively quickly moved to co-opt Christianity, make it a “state religion,” and pervert it so it enforced rather than dissolved hierarchical divisions and separations in society. 2 years ago, for fun, I read Paul Stephenson’s 2010 book, “Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor,”  I wrote a lengthy reflection about the book and things I learned from it, titled, “Lessons about Constantine & Ancient Rome.” As I highlighted and attempted to explain in that post, these ideas relate directly to conceptions of “Christian Nationalism” and the ways we see Christianity continue to be perverted and mis-represented in contemporary U.S. politics.

As a follower of Jesus Christ and a student of the Bible seeking to be led by God’s Holy Spirit, I understand that:

  1. God does not condone or support the enslavement of human beings.
  2. God does not bless or endorse the oppression of women, or the patriarchal discrimination of women by men.
  3. God opposes discrimination and discriminatory treatment of human beings based on ethnicity or perceptions of race (which are, btw, in the case of “whiteness,” entirely culturally constructed)
  4. God does not condemn or exclude from full participation in His family any human being based on a self-identified label of gender or sexual preference.

This past week, I finished listening to Heather Cox Richardson‘s outstanding book, “How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America.” I need to both record and write a full review of the book, similar to the post I shared about Stephenson’s book on Constantine. There are SO MANY important and outstanding ideas and perspectives on history which Richardson shares in that book which deserve both amplification and further reflection.

Here’s my main connection to this book and the topic of hierarchy in the Christian faith: As followers of Jesus, we are NOT called to be disciples of oligarchy or hierarchy. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to view every human being on our planet as a child of God, a unique and miraculous creation of our Heavenly Father both deserving of love as well as every right and privilege as everyone else. We are all sinners, and all fall short of the grace of God. We all stand as equals, WITHOUT DIFFERENTIATING HIERARCHY, before the throne of God.

”But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—“

Romans 3:21-25

Here’s one final reflection, returning to the words of Paul in Galatians 3. In verse 23 we read, “nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Let’s consider what that means in the context of our ongoing culture wars in the United States. There is an enormous focus by some political actors on hierarchies based on gender and sexual preference. Those individuals and groups repeatedly preach a false and heretical gospel of hierarchy and condemnation of fellow citizens and human beings on our planet. Those voices proclaiming these divisions and perspectives, “endorsing hierarchical values,” do NOT speak for God or Jesus Christ. Rather, they are false prophets, and need to be called out as such.

”But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.“

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Here ends today’s sermon as blog post.

For more resources relating to these ideas, see my growing resource list for my inquiry project, “Heal Our Culture.”

Go in peace. My God’s Holy Spirit fill our hearts and minds this day, and may we all speak and act in kindness and love, representing the radical and transforming grace of Jesus Christ in a suffering world in desperate need of His embrace.

All Human Beings are Equally Deserving of Human Rights and Dignity” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

AI Helps Sunday School Lesson Planning

Our adult Sunday School class (ACE) at Caldwell Presbyterian Church is reading and studying the book, “Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness” by Kevin Nye. Tomorrow I’m facilitating our lesson, focusing on Chapter 2 of his book. As a middle school STEM teacher, I’ve been using a variety of AI tools in the past few months to help me create lessons, vocabulary lists, and even create web-based software applications using JavaScript. In addition to ChatGPT, Claude by Anthropic is my favorite text-based generative AI tool de jure, particularly because it allows users to upload PDF files (up to 10 MB in size) and use those for analysis and processing.

Since I purchased a Kindle version of Nye’s book and was able to convert it into a non-DRM PDF, I used the following AI prompt this evening to generate a lesson handout for tomorrow:

AI Helps Sunday School Lesson Planning” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

As has happened multiple times in the past 10 months, I was blown away by the speed, accuracy, and quality of the AI result to my query. Here’s a link to the 2 page handout Claude helped me create this evening, which includes:

  1. A short summary of Chapter 2 of the book
  2. Some main ideas
  3. Some vocabulary terms
  4. Some suggested discussion questions

AI truly can give each of us “superpowers” relative to the skills and abilities we had without it. Teaching (and learning) will never be the same, IMHO.

To learn more about AI, AI tools, and my analysis of what this means for teaching, learning, our culture and society, check out and SUBSCRIBE to the (almost) weekly podcast I co-host with Jason Neiffer, “The EdTech Situation Room.”

Addition: I also asked Claude (in the same chat thread” the following question: “Please analyze chapter 2 of the attached PDF, and list the Bible verses which are specifically mentioned by author Kevin Nye in that chapter.” Claude’s answer:

Here are the Bible verses specifically mentioned by Kevin Nye in Chapter 2 of the book “Grace Can Lead Us Home”:

  • Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it”
  • 1 Corinthians 10:26 – “For ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it'” (Partial quote)
  • Philippians 2:6-7 – “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.”
  • Romans 5:20 – “But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – “Test everything; hold fast to what is good”

In this chapter, Nye references these Bible passages to support various points in his discussion of housing and theology. Psalm 24:1 and 1 Corinthians 10:26 establish that the earth belongs to God, not individuals, which relates to his arguments around property and land ownership. Philippians 2:6-7 highlights Christ’s example of giving up power and privilege for others, which Nye connects to housing justice issues. Romans 5:20 supports the idea of responding to homelessness with grace rather than judgment about who deserves help. And 1 Thessalonians 5:21 encourages taking what is good from existing programs and philosophies while leaving behind what is unhelpful.

Via Claude.AI

Human Rights and Southern Baptist Protestant Christians

This should be obvious to all people in all modern cultures, but sadly it is not and some groups are working to “turn back the clock.

Women are full human beings and should be accorded FULL human rights. This goes for ALL people by the way. Check the Universal Declaration of Human Rights if you or someone you know is unclear about this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights

Both in secular and religious contexts, women have full rights (just as men do) to live, lead, and serve as human beings irrespective of their sexuality or gender identification. HUMAN RIGHTS. These rights are foundational, unconditional and irrevocable.

Jesus did not come to our earth, live among us for 30 years, willingly submit to crucifixion and death on a cross, and bodily resurrect from the dead so that His followers could “keep women in their place” or His followers would act as legalistic jurors presiding over tribunals on the basic rights of fellow humans.

Jesus came to our earth for many reasons, but principal among these was to teach us (as humans on this planet) how to LOVE and better care for each other. He also came to free us from the legalistic and oppressive rule of religious groups like the Pharisees, and offer us a NEW covenant based on grace, love, forgiveness and community.

It’s really quite remarkable and wonderful. We can all even read about it in our own language today!

Some Southern Baptist Protestants “need a heads up” on these topics.

Southern Baptists’ Fight Over Female Leaders Shows Power of Insurgent Right (NYTimes, 16 June 2022) – Gift Link 🎁:

http://wfryer.me/44j

Princeton Theology and Christian Fundamentalism

This is another ChatGPT 4 “theological and historical coaching” example today, in my continuing quest to better understand the historic roots and contemporary flavors of American Christian fundamentalism. If any of you / anyone reading this can identify any factual errors in these presented ideas, please let me know!

This line of personal inquiry continues to be catalyzed by my slow reading of “Fundamentalism and American Culture” by George M. Marsden

My first query:

Briefly summarize “the Baconian tradition in Scottish Common Sense Realism.”

ChatGPT4’s response:

“The Baconian tradition in Scottish Common Sense Realism refers to the influence of Sir Francis Bacon’s empirical and inductive approach to knowledge on the philosophical movement of Scottish Common Sense Realism. Developed by key figures such as Thomas Reid, George Campbell, and Dugald Stewart in the 18th century, this school of thought emphasized the importance of everyday human experience, common sense, and self-evident truths as the basis for understanding the world. By combining Bacon’s inductive methodology with an emphasis on common sense, Scottish Common Sense Realism aimed to counter the skepticism and excessive rationalism prevalent in other philosophical traditions of the time, such as those associated with Descartes and Hume.”

My follow up query:

Continue with more details, elaboration and examples of this philosophy’s impact on the overall arc / development of Christian theology and philosophy in the United States.”

ChatGPT4’s response:

“Scottish Common Sense Realism had a significant impact on the development of Christian theology and philosophy in the United States, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. Key proponents of the movement, such as Thomas Reid and George Campbell, sought to reconcile religious beliefs with reason and empirical knowledge.

The influence of Scottish Common Sense Realism on American Christian theology can be seen in the following ways:

  1. Princeton Theology: The Scottish Common Sense Realism was adopted and adapted by theologians at Princeton Theological Seminary, which became a major center for American Presbyterianism. Key figures, such as Charles Hodge, Archibald Alexander, and Benjamin Warfield, combined Reformed Calvinist theology with the principles of Scottish Common Sense Realism to argue for the rationality and coherence of Christianity. This approach, known as “Princeton Theology,” influenced generations of American theologians and pastors.
  2. Opposition to skepticism and deism: The reliance on common sense and empirical evidence provided a robust response to the rising influence of skepticism and deism during the Enlightenment. By emphasizing the self-evident truths of human experience, proponents of Scottish Common Sense Realism sought to counter the arguments of skeptics like David Hume and deists like Thomas Paine, who questioned the rationality of traditional religious beliefs.
  3. Moral philosophy: The emphasis on moral sense and innate moral principles in Scottish Common Sense Realism helped shape American Christian ethics. Thinkers like Francis Wayland and William Paley drew on this tradition to argue for the existence of a universal moral law, which they saw as evidence of God’s design and authority.
  4. Apologetics: George Campbell, a prominent figure in the Scottish Common Sense Realism movement, wrote an influential work called “The Philosophy of Rhetoric” (1776), which provided a basis for Christian apologetics. Campbell emphasized the importance of appealing to common sense, reason, and the evidence of the natural world when defending religious beliefs. This approach influenced many American theologians and apologists, including Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College, who employed these methods to defend orthodox Christianity against the challenges posed by the Enlightenment and rationalism.
  5. Education and social reform: The emphasis on reason, empiricism, and morality in Scottish Common Sense Realism influenced American education and social reform movements. Many American educators and reformers, inspired by the ideas of this philosophical tradition, sought to promote moral and religious education and address social problems through rational, empirically informed approaches.

In summary, the Scottish Common Sense Realism movement left a lasting impact on the development of Christian theology and philosophy in the United States, shaping key areas such as Princeton Theology, moral philosophy, apologetics, and education. By promoting the compatibility of religious faith and empirical reason, this tradition contributed to a broader intellectual framework that helped Christianity navigate the challenges posed by skepticism, deism, and the Enlightenment.”

My third / final query in this series:

How do “Scottish Common Sense Realism” and “Princeton Theology” continue to shape contemporary Christian theology and particularly modern conceptions of Christian fundamentalism? How do these philosophical frameworks intersect with conceptions and beliefs about “premillennial dispensationalism,” Biblical literalism, and debates over Creationism and evolution?

 GatGPT 4’s answer:

Scottish Common Sense Realism and Princeton Theology, while rooted in the 18th and 19th centuries, continue to influence contemporary Christian theology and shape modern conceptions of Christian fundamentalism in various ways. Their impact can be seen in the areas of biblical interpretation, theological conservatism, and the relationship between faith and reason.

  1. Biblical Literalism: Both Scottish Common Sense Realism and Princeton Theology advocated for the plain, literal interpretation of the Bible. This approach to biblical hermeneutics has been adopted by many modern Christian fundamentalists, who assert the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. By emphasizing the self-evident truths and common sense in interpreting Scripture, these fundamentalists resist allegorical or symbolic readings of the text.
  2. Premillennial Dispensationalism: While not directly related to Scottish Common Sense Realism or Princeton Theology, premillennial dispensationalism shares some similarities, such as an emphasis on literal biblical interpretation. This eschatological view, which emerged in the 19th century, divides history into distinct periods (or dispensations) and posits that the Second Coming of Christ will precede a literal thousand-year reign on earth (the Millennium). The literalist approach to interpreting biblical prophecy, often associated with Christian fundamentalism, can be seen as influenced by the hermeneutical principles of Scottish Common Sense Realism and Princeton Theology.
  3. Creationism and Evolution: The commitment to biblical literalism and the belief in the harmony of faith and reason have contributed to ongoing debates over creationism and evolution. Many Christian fundamentalists, drawing on the principles of Scottish Common Sense Realism and Princeton Theology, argue for a literal reading of the Genesis creation account and reject the theory of evolution as incompatible with Scripture. These debates have led to the development of various creationist positions, such as Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, and Intelligent Design.
  4. Theological Conservatism: Princeton Theology, in particular, sought to defend traditional Reformed orthodoxy against the rise of liberal theology and higher criticism. This emphasis on theological conservatism and the defense of orthodox doctrines can be seen in the development of modern Christian fundamentalism, which seeks to preserve the core tenets of the faith in the face of perceived threats from secularism, modernism, and liberal theology.

While Scottish Common Sense Realism and Princeton Theology are not synonymous with modern Christian fundamentalism, they have undeniably influenced its development in various ways. The shared emphasis on biblical literalism, theological conservatism, and the harmony of faith and reason provide a philosophical framework that continues to shape contemporary Christian theology and debates over issues such as premillennial dispensationalism, biblical inerrancy, and the relationship between creationism and evolution.

(There ends ChatGPT 4’s responses to my curious questions this morning.)

A final thought from me on ChatGPT, AI, inquiry, truth and curiosity: As a teacher, I strive to encourage my students’ own senses of curiosity, wonder, and desire for inquiry. What a rich and amazing, yet challenging context, AI and ChatGPT presents for this style of “seek and find learning!” We need to remind ourselves, “ChatGPT is a language model, not a truth model or search engine.” Its scope of knowledge and ideas is breathtaking today, however, and that scale and depth will only increase (exponentially, by the way) in the days and months ahead.

We all need to be “playing with ChatGPT” today, to better understand, process and grapple with its capabilities, limitations, and pitfalls.

Welcome to the future.

Resistance Narratives: Shelter Theology

Today I facilitated an adult Sunday School class discussion about “Resistance Narratives,” which is the fourth chapter of Susan J. Dunlap’s 2021 book, “Shelter Theology: The Religious Lives of People without Homes.” The ACE class at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, is studying this book in advance of a visit from the author, Dr. Susan Dunlap, who lives in Durham and is on the faculty at the Duke Divinity School. Here are the slides I shared during our lesson today, along with a 30 minute summary video I recorded this afternoon after class, to share with members who were not present today as well as others online.

I created over 40 annotated photos of quotations and excerpts from Chapter 4 in preparation for today’s lesson and discussion, but just talked about six of them during class. All of those annotated photos are available in this Flickr album.

Caldwell Presbyterian Church of Charlotte is in the midst of a multi-year project they call “Easter’s Home,” which involves the conversion of the church’s old education building into a 21 apartment, permanent supportive housing facility for single adults in the Charlotte community experiencing homelessness. The need for this type of affordable / supportive housing in the Charlotte urban area is tremendous. Around 3000 adults in Charlotte are homeless each night.

After summarizing and highlighting key points from the chapter in today’s class, I shared some personal connections to the ideas and themes Dr. Dunlap raised. I talked about Positive Tomorrows, which is the non-profit and school serving families in Oklahoma City experiencing homelessness where Shelly (my wife) worked and taught for 4 years. I also shared an audio podcast Shelly recorded with her students in November 2015 at Positive Tomorrows, talking about things for which students are grateful. I didn’t have enough time to fully play the podcast in class today, but I did include it in the 30 minute summary video linked above.

In the after-class video recording, I also mentioned Storychasers and the different types of digital stories highlighted on the Storychasers “Examples” page. I did not mention, but probably should have) the “Christian Digital Storytelling” examples page I created recently. I think there are good possibilities for the ways members of the Caldwell Presbyterian community might use digital storytelling in the weeks and months ahead both to educate their own congregation about the complex issues involving people experiencing homelessness, their needs, and the respectful (as well as safe) ways members of the church community can act in service and support of these marginalized members of our community.

The last thing I will note is that I was able to share a little of my own experiences reading and studying the pedagogy of Paulo Freire, whose ideas about empowering and transforming the minds and lives of the most marginalized and oppressed members of our communities connect directly to the themes and invitations of Susan Dunlap in her book, “Shelter Theology..” In addition to studying John Dewey for a semester with Professor Doug Simpson at Texas Tech University when I was working on my PhD, I also studied Paulo Freire for a semester with Dr. Simpson. It was a challenging and motivating experience, and continues to shape my thoughts as well as aspirations on the subjects of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice.


The Pedagogy of Paulo Freire” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Bible Verse InfoPic with Generative AI (Midjourney)

I created today’s Bible Verse InfoPic using Midjourney, a Generative AI platform,which is an example of artificial intelligence art.

Bible Verse InfoPic (Generative AI)” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Midjourney is one of several generative AI image tools available publicly now, including DALLE-2, Stable Diffusion, and others. The Quick Start Guide to Midjourney can help get you started. You will need to setup a free account on Discord, but you can use the web-based interface if you don’t want to (or cannot) download and install the software. This was my first AI-generative image attempt, using the query, “baptize with fire john the baptist.”

I chose to UPSCALE the fourth image (bottom right corner) and make some variations.

I again chose to UPSCALE the fourth image, and this was my final result I went with for the Bible Verse InfoPic.

More information about creating Bible Verse InfoPics is available in Chapter 6 of my book, “Pocket Share Jesus: Be a Digital Witness for Christ.”

To learn more about Generative AI models and the revolution they are rapidly bringing to our connected society, check out the “Hard Fork Podcast” episode, “Generative AI is Here. Who Should Control It?”

https://twitter.com/wfryer/status/1599198521022107648

In 2020-21 I taught an adult Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, focusing on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. We used John Lennox’s new book, “2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity,” as one of our course texts. My lesson slideshows and recorded lesson videos (mostly over Zoom) are archived and available.

Examples of Christian Digital Storytelling

If you happen to be a long-time (or even “one time”) member of First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma, then the videos I’m going to link here may bring you particular JOY! Even if you’re not, they are pretty awesome and special. (More so if you know our kids, Sarah and Rachel, and/or other kids who grew up in the early 2010s at FPCE!)

This afternoon I collected and shared examples of “Christian Digital Storytelling” on a new page on the Storychasers website, which is now a personal passion project of mine as a media literacy educator and follower of Jesus.

The page now includes 16 embedded videos created and/or recorded at FPC Edmond through the years. Here are several of them!

Our Light Has Come (A [Sunday morning] performance from the musical “One Incredible Moment” at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond Oklahoma on December 7, 2014.)

Miracle in the Manager (Children’s choir at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma on December 24, 2012.)

Jesus Joy Of The Highest Heaven (A song by the youth choir at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, on December 24, 2012.) [featuring soloist Sarah Fryer)

Happy Birthday Jesus (This was the rehearsal for “Happy Birthday Jesus,” sung by Rachel Fryer on December 24, 2011, at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Rachel shared this at the 5 pm family Christmas Eve service.)

PreSchool Christmas Program 2007 (This Christmas program stars preschoolers at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. This video was filmed and created in December 2007.)

Rolling Green Outreach Ministry (A short video describing the Rolling Green outreach ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Special thanks to Shelly Fryer, Rachel, and Sam Carothers for sharing their perspectives on this opportunity to fellowship, love and serve others in our community.)

I added this examples page from the Storychasers website to my “Christian Website Projects” page of my Christian blog.

Merry Christmas 2011 from the Fryers” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Lessons from Prison Ministry

This morning Shelly and I planned and recorded a 97 second video, “Lessons from Prison Ministry.” This focuses on our experiences several years ago with a wonderful Oklahoma non-profit, “The Oklahoma Messages Project,” which was previously called, “Redeeming the Family.”

Here’s the script we wrote and used for this 7 slide “Narrated Photo Story.” More examples and resources for creating Photo Story videos and other kinds of digital stories are available from Storychasers.

When we lived in Oklahoma City, through our church, we had several opportunities to serve in a wonderful prison ministry called, at that time, “Redeeming the Family.” It has since been renamed, “The Oklahoma Messages Project.” (slide 1 image)

We went into Oklahoma prisons to work with moms and dads experiencing incarceration, helping them record messages of love for their children at home during special times like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. (slide 2 image)

This was the first time either of us had ever set foot into a prison. It was a bit scary, but we had some prior volunteer training from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. (slide 3 image)

We helped parents select books for their children, and filmed them reading the books to their kids, along with supportive messages of love and affirmation. (slide 4 image)

These messages were recorded with digital camcorders, and put on DVDs that were mailed to each family and child to watch at home. Many of the kids receiving these video messages from their mom or dad would watch them over and over again. (slide 5 image)

When a mom or dad is missing from their family home, it is natural for children to worry.  It is very important for children to know that their parent is safe and OK. It is also very important for children to hear messages of affirmation and love, when they are separated. (slide 6 image)

We both thank God for the opportunity to serve, even just a few times and in some small ways, with the Oklahoma Messages Project. We encourage you to find similar organizations and nonprofits in your community which are serving children, parents and families. (slide 7 image)

(/end of script)

Learn more about “Christian Digital Storytelling” in my chapter on “Narrated Slideshows” from “Pocket Share Jesus: Be a Digital Witness for Christ.”

Redeeming the Family” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer
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