Newspapers / The Future Outlook (Greensboro, … / July 3, 1970, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE FUTURE J. F. JOHNSON MISS EMMA P. JOHNSON. L. A. WISE OUTLOOK Editor & Publisher News Reporter Staff Photographer Make all checks payable to and mail to: THE FUTURE OUTLOOK P. O. BOX 20331? GREENSBORO, N. C. 27420 PHONE 273-1768 Second Class Postage Paid at Greensboro, N. C 10c Per Copy Published Weekly $6.00 Per Year The Declaration of Independence "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers on earth, the separate and equal sta tion to which the laws of nature and of nature's God en title them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." We present here the opening paragraph of the unani mous Declaration of the Thirteen States of America, on the 189th birthday of our country. As a holiday, we too often forget the real reason for the celebration and look forward to the day as a time to enjoy the outdoors with picnics, fireworks, fishing, sprees, etc. Maybe a few vet erans will recall, or the survivors of those who died to pre serve our way of life will think of the cause of the cele bration, but to be truthful we have a designated Memo rial Day to honor our war dead and July 4th is our In dependence Day. The educational processes of our country are under constant pressure in regards to what and how they shape our young people. Especially is this true in regards to the recent show of a lack of patriotism in some instances among our armed services. What we are wondering is, is it possible to teach patriotism? It is possible to teach history, to demand respect, to inculcate ideals, but to actually teach love and patriotism seems an impossible task to impose on instructors. Better is it to teach history, to impress ideals and to create a love for our way of life and thereby to create a higher degree of patriotism. It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court decision con cerning prayer in the schools came just about a week be fore the celebration of Independence Day and to note mention of God in the Declaration of Independence and in all documents of the government and the use of the Bible in most public functions. Many things have been said concerning the decision both in agreement and in disa greement. It is unnecessary to repeat them here except to say that while patriotism may not be a "taught" sub ject, religion is considered such. The United States estab lished as a Christian nation offers freedom of, not from religion. And while the nation is established as Christian, it welcomes other religious and creeds and the Supreme Court has attempted to prevent the imposition of a re ligion on anyone not desiring it. It must be carefully stated that to pray, or not to pray or what to pray for, is left to the local authorities. Actual religious instruction has been eliminated from the curricula of public schools for some time and at the same time the opportunity for the teaching of moral maxims and principles which would be advantageous in the training of the young is eliminated. Recognizing the fact, many denominations have maintained private and paroch ial schools so that instruction in the particular faith of the group can be maintained and religion taught on a proper prospective with other subjects. * This year, the 4th of July comes on Saturday. May we wish you a safe and happy Fourth of Jnly and remember safety begins with you ? on the highway, in the home or wherever and however you celebrate the holiday. This Weed's Sunday School Lesson GENESIS IN CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE BEGINNING WHERE YOU ARE Some of our social scientists and psychologists tell us that the loneliness or emptiness many persons feel nowadays is caused by the absence of meaning in their lives ? a lack of personal identification with and sense of belonging to a family, a na tion, or a social group. To com pensate for aimless living, many such persons turn to the use of alcohol, drugs, violence, or pro miscuous sex. In our society, life patterns and values are changing fast. Many families live far from rel atives and move often. To main tain emotional balance and per sonal health in such a situation, we need to remember, preserve, and understand both family her itage and national history. For a nation to determine its pur pose, it must understand its past. The nation's history must be re cited and studied so that goals and aspirations for the future may be confidently set. Patriot ic celebrations and rituals make a nation's present and future meaningful. The Book of Genesis is the foundation for the self-under standing of the community of Israel ? of family, clan, tribal, and national origins and heri tage. Israel's worship is basical ly a theological recital of her origins and heritage, just as the church's worship is a recital of her Founder's history and mean ing. Genesis provides a faith ac count of the origin of the world and history as the handiwork of one Creator-God. The first eleven chapters of Genesis pre sent genealogical origins inter woven with stories about the early world. Genesis 12 through 50 records Israel's traditions about her fathers in the faith. The stories of Abraham and his descendants, a mixture of his torical fact and theological af firmation, have provided the cultural foudations of the West ern world for nearly two thous and years. SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES The Scripture lor this lesson is Genesis 1:1-4; John 1-1:3; Ro mans 1:16-21; Colossians 1:15 27; Hebrews 113. Selected vers es are printed below. Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God cre ated the heavens and the earth. John 1:1-3 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 ail things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Romans 1:18-21 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his in visible nature, namely, his eter nal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; 11 for al though they knew God they did I not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Colossians 1:15-17 15 He is the image of the in- 1 visible God, the first-born of all creation; 16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on 1 earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or I principalities or authorities ? all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all! things, and in him all things hold together. Memory Selection: By faith I we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not ap-l pear. ?Hebrews 11:3 EXPLORING THE QUESTIONS , Many persons living in the I nineteen-seventies may feel thatl reading Genesis is an irrelevant and time-wasting endeavoa Can I a study of ancient cultures and history be meaningful to mod ern man? Why is the study of Genesis important to Christians? I To persons who live, as we do, in a culture dominated by science, the question of histori cal validity is important. Are I the Genesis accounts historical-] I ly accurate? Tied to the ques tion of historical accuracy is I the matter of the origin of thel material in Genesis. Who wrote it and why? Perhaps the most important I aspect of this study is the que? tion of enduring meaning. Whatl is the purpose of Genesis? A re- 1 la ted question is this: Whatl should be the results of this study for any man anywhere, I any time? FINDING HELP WITH YOUR QUESTIONS As we begin this series of thir teen lessons in Genesis, we need I to consider both our reasons for making such a study and the perspective from which we will approach it What does this an cient book have to do with twen tieth-century Christians? Genesis for Christians We Christians do not possess a brand-new religion. We wor ship the God of our fathers, known of old. Genesis is a part I of our heritage and history. In this heritage we discover our personal identity, our sense of belonging, our awareness of des tiny, our guide to meaning and real community. Americans must understand themselves through the history of the Pilgrims, through the work of George Washington and others of many ethnic and cul tural backgrounds who have contributed to our history. Simi larly, Christiana must discover themselves through the history of their fathers in the faith. From its beginning, the Chris tian community recognized its indebtedness to the Old Testa ment Scriptures. But for Chris tians this Old Testament inher itance must inevitably be un derstood from the perspective of the New Testament's testi mony to the event and meaning of Jesus Christ The Genesis passage printed with the lesson MWrti that God created the heavens and the earth. Obviously we cannot .make such a claim on the basis of eyewitness testimony. We ac cept the statement by faith. We understand the story of creation as an expression of the faith of our spiritual forefathers. Thus we join with the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, who wrote, "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God." (11:3) John's Gospel states that cre ation came through the Word of God and that this Word be came flesh in Christ. (1:1-3, 14) The apostle Paul who wrote tha? "all things were created through him (Christ) and for him." ( Co loss ians 1:16) As creation came from God through his Word, so the new creation (technically, "the re newed creation") has come through the redemptive activity of Christ This new man, Gods Son, has ushered in the new age of the Spirit, the age of the spir itual man. The redemption Christians claim in and through the birth, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is expressed as a new Genesis. The final chapters of the Bi ble, Revelation 21 and 22, echo the creation stories of the first three chapters of Genesis. The original intention of God is pic tured as having been fulfilled through the redemption of the Lamb. There is now a new heav en and a new earth, and regen erated men freely eat of the tree of (eternal) life. The Beginning at Salvation The Book of Genesis begins the story of God's salvation of the world. It records the origin o f the world, of evil, and of the process of redemption as Christians traditionally have un derstood it. God's salvation be gan with Abraham contin ues to the Christian community of today. Because men have believed the witness of the biblical rec ord, many in every generation have come to know the God who revealed himself to Abra ham and who is perfectly re vealed in Jesus Christ. Ttie Christians' knowledge of God rests on the faith Abraham knew. "The word of the Lord came to Abram . . . And he believed the Lord; and he (the Lord) reck oned it to him as righteousness (or merit." (Genesis 15:1a, ?) Paul claimed that as Abraham was Justified (accepted) by God through faith, so the sons of Abraham are those who, like him, are Justified through faith. (See Galatians 3:8-9) This Justi fication or acceptance of by God is what we mean by Salvation. Christians preach that man's salvation was fully realized in Jesus the Christ. This descend ant of Abraham is also proclaim ed as a light to the gentiles and Savior of the world. In the New Testament Jesus is called the true seed or offspring of Abra ham, and by faith in him the gentiles become adopted sons who share the patriach's bless ing. Genesis thus provides the theological fttmswock for the gospel of redemption and renew al which the church claims is fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ. A Book of Faith Questions often arise as to the historical accuraay of the (Continued on Page >)
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