From the Pulpit...

We read Genesis 31. Then Pastor Postiff used the morning preaching time to teach on an issue that has troubled our church for some time. Because it was occasioned by a particular thing that was done in our church, it may not be of general interest. However, it addressed an issue of an anonymous letter that contained false accusations and racist content. This letter and some related matters have caused a division in the church. In light of the hot-button issue of race in evangelicalism today, it was appropriate that the church pause and think about that issue, among others. We also discussed how a believer should bring an issue to the attention of another believer.

Several solutions to the problem were offered--to those who were hurt, to the one who wrote the anonymous letter, and to the church as a whole.

Pastor Postiff offers an expanded definition of the statement that he made during this message that racism is not a skin problem, it is a sin problem. That is clever shorthand for this: person B is black, person W is white. Racism does not indicate a problem with person B's skin color; rather, it indicates person W's sin. Of course, W has wrongly made B's skin color an issue, but more than that, W has made person B an issue as a person, thinking that skin color indicates a whole host of features that make W superior to B. As expressed in the message, there is NO ROOM FOR THIS KIND OF THINKING in a Christian's mind. Period. W is not superior to B. W should esteem B better than himself. That's Bible.

There is no evening message recorded for today, since we shared a Singspiration with Hiawatha Bible Church.