I began reading The Da Vinci Code the other day. Since we’ll be discussing it in the Tipping Point Sunday School class over the next few weeks, I needed to read it first hand. … Would I recommend it? I’m torn here. So I need to qualify my answer.
I’m a long way from really understanding it all, but I’ve begun the learning process for setting up the reading of an RSS feed. This actually is a bit of a test of that.
It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve given an update and that has brought me into my second month since ‘retiring’. It has certainly not been a lazy month.
Reading: I have read, or am at various stages of reading several books.
Research: I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the Internet looking up stuff on the Gospel of Judas, other early Christian writings, The Da Vinci Code, Tiktaalik Roseae, and how to do stuff on the Internet.
Jury Duty (described in 4/18 update): This has started me thinking about all the judical terminology related to Christianity and apologetics. I hope to comment on some of these elsewhere on this site.
Men’s retreat at Verdugo Pines, near Wrightwood, CA and atop the San Andreas Fault.
See www.bethanybiblefellowship.org/images/Men/06MensRetreat/index.html.
20’s ministry: Last Sunday morning we held our first meeting with key leaders of a new 20’s ministry being started at Bethany. One of our first topics will be a discussion of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This will give us an opportunity to discuss the reliability of the Gospels, the role of women in Christianity and whether Jesus is the Son of God.
I have just set up an actual blog on CrockerMedia.com. If you’re reading this you already should know how to get here. I’m just learning how to use it, so it may take a bit to get it (or me) up to speed.
4/18/06. Well, jury duty was interesting. I had the opportunity to visit with a former team mate from Boeing, who also got on a case. Mine was the fourth criminal case I’ve heard. (I’ve also been on two civil cases.) I consider myself a lightning rod for jury duty — one that will probably attract even more strikes now that I am ‘retired’. This most recent case was over $1.32 worth of nails. Since this is on the World Wide Web, I won’t discuss the details here, although I might be able to keep myself off future cases, were I to do so.
I read the ‘Gospel of Judas’ last weekend and find all the hype rather silly. It is quite clear in my mind why it never made it past the first cuts in the early church’s determination of which of the early writings were scripture. And it has nothing to do with claims that Jesus instructed Judas to betray him. It is quite clearly a Gnostic document. Gnosticism was an early offshoot of Christianity that is well known and was considered heresy by the early church. The Gospel of Judas was not unknown, though it had been lost. It was dismissed as heresy by Iraneus (A.D. 180). To read it for yourself go to http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html. I strongly suggest that you download the pdf and compare it to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. To read Biola’s comments check out Biola Responds to the Gospel of Judas.
More thoughts later on Tiktaalik roseae, The Da Vinci Code and other topics, as I have time.
4/11/06. My first week hilights: new lawnmower, 1/2 day of prayer, Children’s Network International (Bible drive), meeting with Pastor Leckie, meeting with focal for a new 20’s ministry, weekend with grandkids. This week I have jury duty and am on a case.
In the news were stories about Jesus walking on ice – not water, Tiktaalik and the ‘Gospel of Judas.’ I’m working on comments about each of these to put into the “Topical Links” on the left.
I’ve moved the explanation of our step of faith to a link on the right.