FELLOWSHIP FOOTNOTES

Newsletter of Hamilton Bible Fellowship

April 2007

"We preach Christ crucified," Paul wrote to the Corinthians to reinforce the centrality of the cross to the message of the gospel. Yet Christianity is not ultimately about death. Jesus’ death eliminated the final consequence of humanity’s fall, of our innate rebellion against our creator: to have it "our way." In a legal sense, Jesus’ death fully satisfies the Holy God’s just requirement for sin - our sin. Jesus is our "substitute," making "atonement" (how’s that for big theological words?). In a very practical sense, this makes possible the reconciliation of the broken relationship with our creator caused by sin:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us

the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in

Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19a

Jesus’ death on our behalf is central to the good news, but ultimately the good news is his resurrection. Identifying with his resurrection means that we no longer need be controlled by sin, but that we may live in newness of life:

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore

do not let sin reign in your mortal body . . . . For sin shall not be your

master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 6:8, 11-12, 14

"Under law" is Paul’s expression for "religion." Christianity is not about religion! "Under grace" is Paul’s expression for the work of God in us, through the enabling and encouraging presence of his Spirit in us. This is the only way that new life can happen. It is identifying with Christ’s resurrection to life, simply receiving him and believing in him. It is Christ, now alive in us. Paul elsewhere calls this "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). The newness of life that we can now live even in a fallen creation and sinful world points to the future day when we will see Jesus face to face, when "we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is" (1 John 3:2). That is - resurrected! We will have new, perfect bodies, unscarred by sin and unaffected by death and dying. The only body bearing the marks of sin for eternity will be that of the resurrected Jesus. And our eternal destiny is not that of disembodied spirits, but of resurrected, whole persons with bodies which will allow us to enjoy forever all that we can now enjoy only in part. This is our hope! This is what Easter, Christ’s resurrection, is about.

Pray for: Dianne’s Dad, Deb’s Mom, Susan’s parents. Also, for Dianne, Janet Griffith, Jim Fister and others - for continual progress with health issues. The building, as we finish some indoor projects and move outside in the next month or so (and for funding!). All the ideas put forth on Sunday, for ministry opportunities: that many begin to be realized as folks step up to implement them.

The Andrews have two grandchildren coming, one in July and one in September. Pray for April and Mark and for Ashley and Tim, respectively.

I do believe, that die I must,

And be returned from out my dust;

I do believe, that when I rise,

Christ I shall see, with these same eyes.

Robert Herrick

Good Friday Service with bread and soup meal following, April 6^th at 6:00 PM at the church building. Please come and invite friends - the meal is provided (you don’t need to bring anything).

On Easter: Community Sunrise Service on the Village Green, 6:30; breakfast following at Park Methodist (Rain location: Park Methodist).

HBF will have the Easter Morning Service at 10:00.

Tuesday, April 17^th: CCF is sponsoring a "Brown Bag" (free lunch) talk on Christianity and Modernity, by Prof. David Dudrick in the Ho Lecture Room (105 Lawrence) at 12:15. All are welcome!

HBF’s Annual Meeting will be part of the morning worship on Sunday April 22^nd. Pray for preparation for it.

April Birthdays: 4 Kayla Cady; 14 Mike Chang; 15 Barb Schindler; 20 Susan Nolen, April Cady;      25 Candy Hayes