“The Weekend Wanderer” is a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend. Wander through these links however you like and in any order you like. Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with all the views expressed within these articles but have found them thought-provoking.
The Seoul Statement: The Fourth Lausanne Congress: “The Fourth Lausanne Congress held in Incheon, South Korea, marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of a remarkable movement committed to global mission. The First Lausanne Congress in 1974 brought together 2,700 church leaders from over 150 countries, who affirmed their shared conviction that the whole church must take the whole gospel to the whole world…For fifty years, the Lausanne Movement has been guided by the Lausanne Covenant (1974), the Manila Manifesto (1989), and the Cape Town Commitment (2010). The Seoul Statement of the Fourth Lausanne Congress fully affirms those earlier Congress documents and builds on their firm foundation by renewing our commitment to the centrality of the gospel (Section I) and to the faithful reading of Scripture (Section II). Only in this way can we meet the specific challenges that now face the global church (Sections III-VII)as we seek to bear faithful witness to our crucified and risen Lord—from everywhere, to everywhere,for the sake of generations to come.”
“African theologians look to Nicene Creed’s anniversary year to reshape spiritual future” – Fredrick Nzwili at Religion News Service: “As Christian denominations in Africa join the preparation for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, clerics, theologians and laypeople are embracing the moment as a chance to reshape the continent’s spiritual and social future. The gathering of bishops in Nicaea (now Iznik, in Turkey) in 325 was called by Roman Emperor Constantine to settle factionalism in the early church caused by Arianism, a theology that said Jesus was not divine, that originated in Africa. ‘Why it was held is because an African cleric like myself raised issues that needed to be addressed concerning the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,’ said the Rev. Stephen Njure, a Catholic Church historian at Moi University in western Kenya. ‘That is Arius. Arius came up with a heresy that necessitated the council.’ The anniversary, said Njure, ‘has everything to do with us, since one of us prompted its being, because of our need for clarity of faith,’ adding that ideas like Arianism, which the council declared a heresy, help the church by forcing it to formulate doctrine and purify its teachings.”
“Three Christians including pregnant woman sentenced to over 40 years in prison” – From Article 18: “Three Christian converts including a woman pregnant with her first child have been sentenced to over 40 years in prison on charges related to their religious beliefs and worship meetings. Abbas Soori, Mehran Shamloui and Narges Nasri, who is approximately halfway through her pregnancy, were sentenced by notorious Revolutionary Court judge Iman Afshari on 8 March – International Women’s Day. Narges, who is 37 years old, received the stiffest sentence – 10 years for ‘propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law’, five for membership of an ‘opposition group’ (house-church) and an additional one year for ‘propaganda against the state’ – for having posted on social media in support of the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Abbas, 48, received a total of 15 years in prison – 10 years for ‘propaganda activities’ and five for membership of an ‘opposition group’ – while Mehran, 37, received an eight-year sentence for the first charge and two years and eight months for the second. All three were also sentenced to years of deprivation of social rights, such as to health, employment or education – 15 years each for Narges and Abbas, and 11 years for Mehran – while Narges and Abbas were fined 330 million tomans ($3,500) each, and Mehran 250 million ($2,750). Narges and Abbas were also banned from membership of any group, residing in their home province of Tehran or leaving Iran for two years after their release.”
“Compassion for a World in Need” – From National Association of Evangelicals: “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). This beloved verse captures the heart of evangelical faith: the firm conviction that God loves every human being and offers eternal salvation to all who place their trust in Jesus. As Jesus’ followers we emulate his generosity and love for our neighbors in need, across all barriers of race, ethnicity, nationality or geography. For two thousand years, Christians have obeyed Jesus’ command to go into all the world, preaching the gospel in word and deed, and making disciples of all nations. We honor the dignity of God’s image in all people, uphold the sanctity of every human life, and embrace the call to show compassion for the orphan, the widow and the vulnerable wherever they are found. As citizens in a country blessed with abundance and unparalleled global influence, we also recognize the responsibility to steward our nation’s resources in a way that leads to a more peaceful and prosperous world. Such a world is in our national interest, contributing to our health, safety, wealth and much more. But more is at stake than our own security and prosperity. Jesus taught that ‘[f]rom everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked’ (Luke 12:48).”
“What one Finnish church learned from creating a service almost entirely with AI” – Dasha Litvinova and Kostya Manenkov at The Associated Press: “A tale of good versus evil played out on the large screen in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Finland. Jesus was shown in robes with long hair and a beard, while Satan was dressed in more modern clothes but with a menacing frown and higher-pitched voice — all created by artificial intelligence. Also addressing the flock at the Tuesday evening service were avatars of the church’s pastors and a former president of Finland who died in 1986, reading from the Old Testament. It was the first church service in Finland put together mostly by AI tools, which wrote the sermons and some of the songs, composed the music and created the visuals. The widely advertised experimental service drew over 120 people to the church in northeastern Helsinki, much more than on a typical weeknight. People came from out of town as did a handful of foreigners who admitted they didn’t speak Finnish well enough to understand it all.”
“Christian Solidarity International Warns of Potential Genocide in Syria” – From Christian Solidarity International: “Christian Solidarity International (CSI), is warning that conditions for genocide continue to exist in parts of Syria controlled by Ahmed al-Sharaa’s HTS – an al Qaeda spin-off that has been designated a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council. CSI is in touch with its partners on the ground in Tartous and Latakia provinces, where the killings took place, and is preparing a humanitarian aid response. Over 1,000 civilians, mainly from the Alawite religious minority, have been massacred in recent days in an orgy of targeted killings, accompanied by dehumanizing hate speech. According to HTS’s jihadist ideology, Alawites – an ancient heterogenous religious sect – are outside any protection offered by traditional Islamic law. The executions mark a resumption of the violent religious cleansing committed by al-Sharaa’s al Qaeda affiliate and other Sunni jihadists during Syria’s ‘Arab Spring.’ Prior to seizing power last December from Assad’s secular dictatorship, al-Sharaa’s jihadists religiously cleansed Syria’s northwestern Idlib province of its Alawite population. The region’s Druze and Christian populations were also largely driven out. CSI is urging the member states of the United Nations, especially the member states of the Security Council, to fulfill their obligations under international law to prevent genocide in Syria, and to protect those in danger of perishing as a result of genocide.”
Music:: Fernando Jesus, “Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted” from The Crucifixion of Jesus
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Matthew Erickson 