HELLO!

It was wonderful to see another large turnout today, especially all the new faces. Bethe’s children story was remarkable; it appears at the 29-minute of the service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4QBS6zIqac

Later, the UCW honoured Hilda Cole and Betty Rozee with Lifetime Membership pins, which included tributes and their families surprising them with their presence. I always enjoy this annual event.

Though my voice was not at its best I am told people could follow and hear the sermon. The book I referenced throughout, The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries (1996) was written by Rodney Stark. It’s a short text, written from a sociologist’s point of view, as opposed to a religious scholar. Stark begins with basic growth arithmetic. Numerically speaking, Christianity grew at 40% per decade. For those first years it would have looked painfully small. However, 40% growth per decade creates an exponential curve. He then turns his eye to the factors which led to such growth. Here a few causes:

The incredibly strong social networks of the Jewish people, the source of Christianity’s first people, empowered the spread of the good news. There was a reason even Paul started his ministry in local synagogues.

Christianity developed a surplus of women due to the prohibition of female infanticide. This increasing number of women would have married and brought men into the faith, swelling their numbers.

Ancient cities were horribly overcrowded and dangerous places that bred disease. Christians offered a vision of hope to the oppressed and, through selfless care during times of epidemics, saw more of their sick live. The early church grew by embodying (incarnating) their self-giving Saviour in the midst of a depraved and crumbling Empire. The witness of the church, despite being an illegal and sanctioned movement, gave it a credibility with those watching from the sidelines. “The Way” (as the early church called itself) reminds of that 1970’s hymn, “They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love”. As St. Francis is reported to have said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. And when necessary, use words”.

Peace, Kevin