Jesus' last instruction to his disciples was this: "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Lk 24:49). The disciples had just been traumatized by the crucifixion and shocked by the appearance of the resurrected Christ. They feared for their lives against persecution by the same religious establishment who had just killed Jesus (Jn. 20:19). The temptation to get out of town and into the sheltering anonymity of the countryside must have been great. Jesus had told them to go out and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of the risen Christ to all nations beginning with Jerusalem (Lk. 24:47-48). The disciples were undoubtedly anxious to "get the show on the road." But Jesus added, "Stay in the city until you have...power from on high." The tapes play in our head with the persistence of an FM "oldies" station -- "The Lord helps those who help themselves." "When the going gets tough the tough get going." "We can't just sit there and do nothing," we tell ourselves. "We must do something." So we move on out--exhorting, organizing, building, growing, maintaining, struggling, burning out.... Whole industries serve this cycle. There are motivators, strategic planners, fund-raisers on the upside and counselors for the downside.
Entertaining Commencement
The following piece was written by Cherie Harder, President of the Trinity Forum, as well as Afternoon Seminar leader for the C.S. Lewis Summer Institute 2011. She has graciously allowed us to re-post her article here. Entertaining Commencement In the midst of this graduation season, it is timely to consider one of the more interesting
A Word of Grace – May 9, 2011
Dear Friends, People want answers. Lawyers have questions. It is not surprising that lawyers aren’t popular with people who want easy answers. What does surprise this lawyer is that so few people have questions. I am talking about not taking life for granted. Relatively few people inquire into the source, underpinnings and future of their
Kevin Belmonte’s William Wilberforce Biography Released on Audiotape
Kevin Belmonte, one of the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s great friends and frequent collaborators, wrote an acclaimed biography of the abolitionist hero William Wilberforce in 2007. Now, this year, one of the most widely-acclaimed audio book readers in the world, Simon Vance, (noted for his readings of “The King’s Speech,” and works by G.K. Chesterton, C.S.
The Book That Made Your World Available Now
C.S. Lewis Foundation Trustee Vishal Mangalwadi has just released his new book, The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization. Our Founder and President, Dr. J. Stanley Mattson, has not only endorsed the book, he also wrote its foreword. He compared it to Alexis de Toqueville’s “outside-looking-in” perspective, and