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Whose Side Are You On?: A “Third Way” To Reconciliation (Roland Warren – 6/26/20 – NCS New Canaan & NCS Bergen County)

June 26, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With tremendous honesty, passion and wisdom, Roland Warren presents a “third way” approach to racial reconciliation and healing. Warren shares vulnerably about his first experience of racism and the impact it has had on his life. He also explains how God began to reveal insights about the current cultural climate by pointing him back to lessons learned in his early days at Goldman Sachs.

Starting with Joshua 5:13-14 (see text below) and then looking at the model of Jesus, Warren urges us to put aside the “tribal” sides that divide us over issues and concepts like “systemic racism”, “white privilege” and “black lives matter vs. all lives matter” and consider what it would look like to be “on God’s side” in addressing issues of racism and racial division. Warren reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle, and that the “two sides” are really the divisive side of Satan and the reconciling side of God–that is the real choice we have to make.

Warren shows that God’s way, as modeled by Jesus, is to pursue reconciliation by changing individual hearts–that systemic racial problems will only heal when people’s hearts have been changed to embrace both justice and mercy–whites and blacks committed to fighting injustice and forgiving. Warren boldly asserts that reconciliation will never happen between a guilty person and an angry person, which is why many current narratives and efforts just bring greater division.

During his 22 minute talk and an extended 45 minutes of Q&A, Roland addresses topics such as:

  • Why messages of reconciliation are not being heard because the media needs “volatility” for news.
  • How systemic injustice toward blacks today can be compared to systemic injustice toward Jews at the time of Jesus, and how Jesus addressed the systemic by changing individual hearts.
  • The lessons we can learn from how Jesus perceived and treated victims and victimizers.
  • Drawing on his experience as President of the National Fatherhood Initiative, the need to help build strong black families.
  • Drawing on his experience as current CEO of Care-Net, the tragic reasoning that he believes leads to a disproportionate number of black abortions.
  • That truly “caring” about black lives means caring comprehensively, from “womb to tomb”.
  • How whites and blacks can (and must) move toward reconciliation by getting past positions of anger and guilt.
  • The importance of personal responsibility and forgiveness in pursuing reconciliation.
  • Practical ways whites can come alongside blacks in the pursuit of reconciliation without supporting organizations they believe have a different agenda.
  • How “God’s side” of reconciliation can be expressed in secular terms as the universal desire for “peace”.

Warren’s message and perspective is one most people have probably not heard, but it is one that needs to be heard.

Here is a link to the 2016 article Warren mentions in his talk. https://newcanaansociety.org/new-canaan/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2020/06/washingtontimes.com-Black-Lives-Matters-real-agenda.pdf

Joshua 5:13-14 13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped[a] and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Anger, Audio & Video, Christianity-Theology, Cultural Change and Engagement, Faith, Faithful Presence, Father-Son, Forgiveness, Friendship, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Healing, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Raising Children, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Shame-Guilt, Speak Truth, Spiritual Warfare, Transparency and Authenticity

I’m Not Racist, But Am I Ignorant, Uninvolved? (Dr. Mark Gordon Fee – 6/12/20 – NCS New Canaan & NCS Albany)

June 12, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

In a talk he has never delivered before, Dr. Mark Gordon Fee shares how God has been directing his attention and wrenching his heart in the light of the protests that have followed the death of George Floyd. Fee shares transparently from his own life experiences of fear, pain and anger that have been helping him recognize his ignorance about racism and, at the same time, become less ignorant. He also vulnerably admits that he has yet to understand what “involvement” should look like for him.

At the end of Fee’s talk, NCS brudder PJ Johns shares some impromptu reflections on growing up black in Westchester County, NY and raising his children in Fairfield County, CT. PJ concludes the only color that really matters is red–the color of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for every human.

These are not messages about blame or victims or movements or politics or protests or riots. They are messages from two committed followers of Jesus sharing their hearts and their pains. They are messages about how we might “see” each other with more compassion and begin to honestly explore how to love each other as God first loved us–as just “brothers” with no chromatic descriptors.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Anger, As One, Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Cultural Change and Engagement, Fear and Worry, Friendship, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Healing, NCS New Canaan, Relationships, Right Wrong, Shame-Guilt, Transparency and Authenticity

“Dad” Cares (Even in a Pandemic) (Rev. Richard Berry – 5/29/20 – NCS New Canaan)

May 29, 2020 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Rev. Richard Berry may call himself “just a dumb hick from Skowhegan, Maine”, but he is a country pastor filled with much wisdom, a huge heart for humanity, enormous (yet simple) faith and an endless supply of stories about how “Dad” (what Richard calls God) has shown up in a homeless shelter in central Maine.

We first heard from Richard in 2016 before his first book was released. Since then, he has published three and a fourth is on the way. He comes back to share more stories of hope, human dignity, miracles, joy and self-reflection from the Covid pandemic.  Why should you listen?  For the same reasons you might want to read his books:  If you want to smile, if you need to laugh, if you are willing to cry, if you are lacking hope, if joy seems to be hiding, or especially if you are questioning your belief in God, Jesus or the role of his Church in our world today.

Those interested in learning more (or helping) about Richard’s homeless shelter can visit https://sheltersbyjesus.com or read Richard’s first book “Sheltered by Jesus”, available at this link https://amzn.to/3cdYIL4

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Chapter Friday, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Crisis and Adversity, Cultural Change and Engagement, Evangelism, Faith, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, Nature of God, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Right Wrong, Salvation, Serving Others, Transparency and Authenticity

Friendship with Jesus (and Each Other) (Mike Timmis – 4/17/20 – NCS New Canaan/NCS Winston-Salem)

April 17, 2020 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

Mike Timmis, a founder of NCS Grosse Pointe and a member of the NCS National Board, reflects on the NCS mission of men pursuing friendship with Jesus and friendship with each other. Mike talks about his own journey of faith and shares why friendship with Jesus is the greatest gift we can give to another person.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Christianity-Theology, Evangelism, Faith, Friendship, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, NCS New Canaan, New to Christianity, Transparency and Authenticity

Add Virtue Above All (Joseph Holland – 10/25/19 – NCS New Canaan)

October 25, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Drawing from his own experiences as well as his knowledge of American history, Joseph Holland shares 3 of the 12 virtues highlighted in his upcoming book “Vigorous Virtues”. Holland explains what he calls “The Three C’s”–Courage, Compassion and Civility. Joe posits that the deterioration of public and political discourse in America reflects a loss of foundational values. He points out that 2 Peter 1:5 instructs Christians to add “virtue” to their faith before anything else.

Holland describes how Courage requires us to be “pugnacious” and “prayerful”. He then explores Compassion and urges that it come with guidance (help people grow beyond the need for the assistance) and caring. Finally, Holland discusses “Civility”, which he believes is the most important virtue in light of the diminishing civility in America. He describes Civility as a process of “letting go” of cultural and sociological baggage and “leaning in”–taking action toward reconciliation and forgiveness.

Holland’s talk is an important one for this chapter of American history.

Filed Under: Audio & Video, Video Tagged With: Audio & Video, Cultural Change and Engagement, Faith, Faithful Presence, Forgiveness, Friendship, Great Commandments - Love God - Love Neighbor, NCS New Canaan, Prayer, Relationships, Right Wrong, Serving Others, Speak Truth, Spiritual Warfare, Stewardship and Generosity

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