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Happy Sunday everyone,
You might like to check out the NationStates Christian Community Church’s Worship Service and resources!
God bless you all!!
Check out these: Online Church Resources
Join the discussion of this week's service at our Church Discord Channel
SONGS
How Great Thou Art, God of Wonders, Hosanna & Be Thou My Vision.
Performed by Stacy Feyer Salo at Mars Hill Bible Church, Michigan
READING 1
Luke 24
READING 2
Romans 8
Sunday Service - Ashburton Baptist Church, Melbourne, Australia
PRAYER
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your Kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into tempatation,
But deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power & the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
GIVING
'Tearfund is a Christian charity working for a better world. You can help them fight poverty & injustice today by donating using the link below.
DONATE HERE to Tearfund - Australia
Whilst generosity is strongly encouraged, please know that giving is always optional and you are never compelled to donate to a cause or organisation through the NSCCC if you choose not to.
SONG 3
How Deep the Father's Love For Us
Cameron & Kelly
An interesting article or further reading: Decentralised Power & Biblical Leadership: Lessons From Exodus 18
The Church has now launched a Discord Channel for everyone to interact and share fellowship with one another - Join the discussion at our Church Discord Channel .
Gethsemane garden, The Region of Christian, and Sac tac
Hi everyone,
You can join a UCN Political Party in this poll. All residents of Christian are recognised as full members of all UCN Political Parties: page=poll/p=161088
UCN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
I'm really glad to let everyone know that 2 of the Foundation Units in the UCN School of Theology, are now more readily available with all content in a Factbook (instead of Google classrooms). You can study single units of study for a Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor & PhD in Theology. 2 units = Certificate in Theology.
Check out the units below and telegram me if you have any questions!!
HOME | STUDY OPTIONS | ADMINISTRATION | POLICIES | ENQUIRIES
📖 UGF1: GOD FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 📖
Tutor: Ecclestia
To enrol in the unit, telegram Ecclestia.
This unit, which is 1 of the school's 4 foundation units, will introduce you to the concept of God and specifically who God is from a Christian perspective. This unit looks at the traditional conception of God but also at the diversity of view and understandings of God and why the God of Christianity is unique to that of other faiths. This unit combines theological, historical and historical-critical views of God, introducing you to a diverse set of ideas whilst encouraging you to critically engage with and evaluate the convergence and divergence of these ideas.
This unit contains 2 modules. Module 1 is 'Who and What is God' which looks at traditional, orthodox and non-orthodox views of God in the christian tradition. This module looks at God from a more historical, scholarly view of God. Module 2 is a lecture series on God in the christian tradition which looks at God from a more theological perspective.
Questions
Submit the questions to your academic tutor
1. What made you choose this unit?
2. What are you hoping to learn from this unit?
ASSESSMENT
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after you have finished each module.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
- For each module, come up with 5 questions in total as a response to each module. Questions may be around what you (1) Feel are unanswered by the module (2) Subsequent areas you're interested in.
- You will receive 5% for 1 substantive response to Module 1 and 5% for 1 substantive response to Module 2.
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after reviewing the content of Module 1.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
-In at least 400 words respond to 1 of the following questions:
Q.1 What are the similarities & differences (if any) beetween the conceptualisations of God in the Old & New Testaments. You may draw on the contemporary differences between current Christian and Jewish thought to support your argument.
Q.2 Using the 6 resources in the Introduction to Module 1, what conclusions can be made about God's nature and how he interacts with humankind?
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after reviewing the content of both modules.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
-In at least 500 words respond to the following question:
Q: Who is God from a christian perspective?
MODULE 1 - WHO & WHAT IS GOD?
Estimated time to complete module: 1hr 30mins
Christianity began as a sect of Judaism and much of its foundations flow from Jewish ideas of who and what God is. The Hebrew scriptures (the old testament) record a number of thoughts and understandings of who the God of the Jews is. Jesus, the apostles and the early Christians added to this understanding and recording their understanding in the books and letters of the New Testament.
This introduction looks at the how God is explained in the old and new testaments. These are some excerpts to demonstrate the views of the biblical writers.
Resource 1 - Video - 'Word Study: YHWH - 'Lord' - The Bible Project
Resource 2 - Reading - Exodus 3 - Account at the burning bush where God recounts his relationships with Israel.
Resource 3 - Reading - Exodus 34 - Account of the exchange between God & Moses with God describing aspect of his nature.
Resource 4 - Reading - Psalm 34 - A psalm attributed to David of how God helps the righteous and those who are struggling.
Resource 5 - Reading - Luke 15:11-32 - Parable of the Prodigal Son. Describes Gods care for his children.
Resource 6 - Reading - 1 Corinthians 8:6 - Pauls understanding of God.
Christianity, like the other Abrahamic religions, which are Judaism, Christianity & Islam, teaches monotheism which is the belief in one God and opposed to many Gods which is polytheism. Christianity differs from the other Abrahamic religions for its belief that God is a Trinity. Resource 1, from the Bible Project, seeks to explain Trinitarianism as it relates to how Christians view God. The Nicene Creed is a foundational Christian text which established trinitarianism as the orthodox christian standard of God.
Resource 1: Video - God - The Bible Project
This video looks at the trinitarian nature of God.
Resource 2: The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed was adopted at the Council of Nicea in AD 325 and alongside the Apostles Creed, is considered a foundational Christian text and one of the earliest Statements of Faith. Whilst records vary, around 300 bishops of the 1800 that were invited attended with only 5 coming from the Western Church. The Nicene Creed was agreed to among the backdrop of the 'Arian Controversy'. Arius 'emphasized the supremacy and uniqueness of God the Father, meaning that the Father alone is almighty and infinite, and that therefore the Father's divinity must be greater than the Son's. Arius taught that the Son had a beginning, and that he possessed neither the eternity nor the true divinity of the Father, but was rather made "God" only by the Father's permission and power, and that the Son was rather the very first and the most perfect of God's creatures.' (Wikipedia). The Bishops present at the Council voted overwhelminghly in favour of the Trinitarian view, that Jesus was fully God and co-equal with the father and the spirit, and codified it within the creed. As such, the Nicene Creed has stood as a general test of orthodoxy for most Christians throughout history. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea#Arguments_for_Arianism
Despite the vast majority of Christian denominations holding the Trinity as their theological perspective on the nature of God, there is a minority of groups in the Christian tradition who hold to non-trinitarian positions. The 2 most prominent are Biblical Unitarianism and Modalism.
Biblical Unitarianism
(From Wikipedia) Biblical unitarianism encompasses the key doctrines of nontrinitarian Christians who affirm the Bible as their sole authority, and from it base their beliefs that God the Father is a singular being, the only one God, and that Jesus Christ is God’s son, but not divine.
Historical Groups: Nazarenes, Ebionites, Socinians, Unitarian church (before merger with Universalists to become the Unitarian Universalists).
Current Groups: Church of God General Conference, Spirit & Truth Fellowship, Christadelphains, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith.
Resource 1 - Video - 'What Does the Bible Say About God?' - Spirit & Truth Fellowship - Biblical Unitarianism perspective.
Modalism
(From Wikipedia) Modalistic Monarchianism (also known as Oneness Christology) is a Christian theology that upholds the oneness of God as well as the deity of Jesus Christ. It is a form of Monarchianism and as such stands in contrast with Trinitarianism. Modalistic Monarchianism considers God to be one while working through the different "modes" or "manifestations" of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Following this view, all the Godhead is understood to have dwelt in Jesus Christ from the incarnation. The terms Father and Son are then used to describe the distinction between the transcendence of God and the incarnation (God in immanence). Lastly, since God is a spirit, it is held that the Holy Spirit should not be understood as a separate entity but rather to describe God in action. Modalistic Monarchians believe in the deity of Jesus and understand Jesus to be a manifestation of Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, in the flesh. For this reason they find it suitable to ascribe all worship appropriate to God alone to Jesus also.
Current Groups: Oneness Pentecostalism
Resource 2 - Video - 'What is Modalism' - New Life of Albany Ga.
Jewish View - Comparative Piece
Resource 3 - Video - A Rabbi Speaks of the Jewish Understanding of God - Rabbi Dweck - Jewish Wisdom - J-TV. Think of the similarities and differences this has to the Trinitarian, Biblical Unitarian and Modalist understandings of God in the Christian tradition.
MODULE 2 - LECTURE SERIES
Estimated time to complete module: 3hrs
This lecture series is delivered by Dr. Tim Mackie when he was a teaching Pastor at Door of Hope Church in Portland, Oregon. Tim is a Professor of Biblical Studies at Western Seminary and co-founder of The Bible Project where he is a theologian, writer and creative director.
This series explores who God is and what this means for us as Chrisitans. This highly fun, highly informative series will give us a deeper understanding of who God is in the Christian tradition and well as touch on a number of theological areas.
Lecture 1: Video - Communion of Love - I Am Who I Am - Tim Mackie from The Bible Project
Lecture 2: Video - Yahweh is Our God - I Am Who I Am - Tim Mackie from The Bible Project
Lecture 3: Video - Yahweh Our Gracious Judge - I Am Who I Am - Tim Mackie from The Bible Project
HOME | STUDY OPTIONS | ADMINISTRATION | POLICIES | ENQUIRIES
📖 UGF3: INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 📖
Tutor: Ecclestia
To enrol in the unit, telegram Ecclestia.
This unit, which is 1 of the school's 4 foundation units, will provide you with an overview of the Holy Spirit in the Christian context. It will explore the theology of the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments, look at how different faith traditions understand the Holy Spirit and the impact of the theology of the Holy Spirit on the Church and Christians today. This unit is organised into a series of 6 modules with 3 assessments.
Questions
Submit the questions to your academic tutor
1. What made you choose this unit?
2. What are you hoping to learn from this unit?
ASSESSMENT
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after you have completed Modules 1 & 2.
- You should submit this assignment by sending the answers to your tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
- Answer the following quz by sending the answers to your tutor. Questions 1 and 4 are worth 3 points, all others are worth 2 per correct answer.
Q. 1 What is the best description of the Hebrew word 'ruakh' other than 'spirit'?
a) Person
b) Gift
c) Body
d) Breath
Q.2 Who was the first prophet in the Bible who was empowered by the Holy Spirit?
a) Abraham
b) Joseph
c) Elijah
d) Ruth
Q.3 At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like...
a) A Dove
b) The Divine Council
c) The Angels
d) The fruits of the spirit
Q.4 Which 3 are all fruits of the spirit?
a) Joy, prosperity & gentleness
b) Love, kindness, wisdom
c) Faithfullness, self-control & peace
d) Forebearance, power & goodness
Q.5 True of False. God's spirit is teh giver of life and breath...
a) True
b) False
Q.6 Tim Mackie presents the spirit as God's personal ____?
a) Presence
b) Authority
c) Knowledge
d) Understanding
Q.7 In Exodus 31:1-3, who was filled with the Spirit of God?
a) Moses
b) Uri
c) Bezalel
d) Aaron
Q.8 How is the 'spirit of God' presented at teh beginning of the creation narrative?
a) Hovering
b) Shaping
c) Breathing
d) Empowering
Q.9 Upon his resurection, Jesus poured out his spirit on...
a) A select few apostles
b) All his disciples
c) The writers of the gospels
d) The Jerusalem Church
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after reviewing the content of Modules 3 & 4.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Modules 3 & 4 both contain readings on the Holy Spirit in Old and New Testaments.
Instructions
For this task, you are required to write a short response of no less than 300 words analysing the arguments made in one reading from either Module 3 or Module 4.
In the response you should focus on the way in which the author presents the Holy Spirit. How similar or different is it to other views you’ve seen throughout the course? Do you feel the author’s interpretation is based on strong evidence or do you believe they have missed something or that their reasoning isn’t based on strong foundations. Inversely, you may also like to discuss how the insight form the reading has challenged and contributed to your perspective on the Holy Spirit.
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after reviewing the content of both modules.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
Choose 1 of the questions below to write a extended response with a minimum of 500 words. The response should include a short introduction, body/argument and a short conclusion. There is no right or wrong to this response and you are strongly encourage to be analytical however your assertions must be backed up with biblical, academic and/or reputable evidence.
Q.1 The Spirit of God is present in both the Old and New Testaments however there has been a lot of discussion on how the spirit is represented in each.
What are the similarities and differences of how the Holy Spirit is represented between the Old and New Testaments and what are the implications of these?
Q.2 Whilst the Holy Spirit is recognised as a foundational part of the Christian faith, there is large debate in regards to the nature of the spirit and its operation, with a particular focus on the ‘gifts of the spirit’.
With reference to scripture and other appropriate sources, what is your informed understanding of the nature and operation of the Holy Spirit and has this view changed to any extent over the course of this subject?
MODULE 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Estimated time to complete module: 30mins
This introduction gives an overview of the holy spirit, including a look at how it is represented in passages in the old and new testaments.
Resource 1 - Video - 'Holy Spirit' - The Bible Project
Resource 2 - Bible Reading - Genesis 1:1-2 - Shows the role of the spirit in the creation narrative.
Resource 3 - Bible Reading - Exodus 31:1-3 - This is an example of God filling people with his spirit in the old testament.
Resource 4 - Bible Reading - Psalm 34 - Luke 3:21-22 - At Jesus' baptism, the spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.
Resource 5 - Bible Reading - Galatians 5:13-26 - Paul describes life by the spirit.
MODULE 2 - FOUNDATIONS: WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT
Estimated time to complete module: 1hr
This talk was given by Ps Tim Mackie when he was Pastor of Door of Hope Church in Portland, OR.
This talk looks at what we mean as Christians when we say 'God's spirit' or the 'Holy Spirit'. This talk takes us through the origins of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and builds a theological foundation for us to study the rest of this subject.
Lecture 1: Video - Spirit as Life Giver - I Am Who I Am - Tim Mackie from The Bible Project
This video is 59 minutes long.
MODULE 3 - THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Resource 1 - Academic Article - The Holy Spirit's Work in the old Testament - John de Hoog - Reformed Theological College
MODULE 4 - THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Bible Project's animated video describing Acts Ch. 1-7.
The Holy Spirit features prominently in the first part of Acts which this video demonstrates.
Resource 1 - Video - 'Acts Ch. 1-7' - The Bible Project
This paper takes us through a comprehensive overview of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament with comprehensive references to scripture. The paper looks the spirit in 3 main periods including the gospels, the Holy Spirit in Acts and the Holy Spirit in the Epistles and Revelation.
The paper also includes an appendix on whether or not speaking in tounges, which has been viewed as a miraculous gift of the Spirit. This appendix argues a cessationist view of speaking in tounges. In later modules will explore the Charismatic and Pentecostal views of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Note: You may write Assignment 2 on this Reading.
Resource 1 - Academic Article - The Holy Spirit in the New Testament - Gregory Smith - Liberty University
MODULE 5 - THE PENTECOSTAL AND CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT
The discussion about whether the miraculous gifts of the spirit are active today has been a large feature of 20th & 21st century christianity. There are a range of debates as to the validity of the claims of both sides of the Cessationist/Charismatic debate.
Resource 1 - Bible Reading - 1 Corinthians 12 - Paul describes the miraculous gifts of the spirit and how they work/worked in the church setting.
Resource 2 - Bible Reading - 1 Corinthians 13 - This passage is used as a proof text by cessationists as biblical evidence for why the miraculous gifts aren't operative today.
This talk was given by Dr Lynn Moresi is a Lecturer at Whitley Baptist College and a pentecostal minister based in Melbourne, Australia. She is an incredibly effective communicator and engaging speaker with a broad understanding of Christian theology from a range of different perspectives.
In this video, Lynn discusses the theology of baptism by the Holy Spirit as well as the Pentecostal view of the operation of the 'gifts of the spiri't, in particular speaking in tounges. Alongside the Pentecostal view, Lynn provides an overview of other theological perspectives including cessationism, oneness pentecostalism & the charismatic views.
Lecture: Video - Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Power for Living - Dr. Lynn Moresi
This video is 49 minutes long.
MODULE 6 - THE SPIRIT AS THE TEMPLE
Resource 1 - Bible Reading - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Paul speakes about our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit.
Resource 2 - Bible Reading - Romas 8:1-17 - Paul speakes about the spirit being in believers.
This talk was given by Dr Tim Mackie when he was Pastor of Door of Hope Church in Portland, OR.
This talk looks at the idea of the 'Spirit as the Temple'. In Judaism, the temple in Jerusalem was the place where God's Spirit was present and was only accessible to the High Priests. This talk sheds a new light on the theology of the spirit. Tim explains how through our baptism in the spirit as new believers in Christ, we become part of the temple of God.
Lecture: Video - The Spirit and the Temple - I Am Who I Am - Dr. Tim Mackie
This lecture goes for 53 minutes
HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE
If you're not able to attend church or wanting some more spiritual nourishment, the NationStates Christian Community Church has a range of great resources including books, talks and sites along with a worship service.
You can check it out here:
The NationStates Christian Community Church (NSCCC) is a community of Christians brought together by a common faith in Jesus Christ! We are a non-denominational online church aiming to connect everyone to Jesus and the Word of God. We are an extension of the NationStates Region Union of Christian Nations and welcome everyone to join us for our services and become a member of the church.
At the NSCCC you can check out our worship service, consider becoming a member, scroll through a range of fun bible resources, view our Statement of Faith and take a course to deepen your theological understanding at the UCN School of Theology (supported by the Union of Christian Nations and the NSCCC.
Find out more info by clicking on the links in the header above.
GENERAL RESOURCES
Online Bible
The Bible Project
Great Christian Talks & Lectures
BOOKS
Check out these Great Christian Books
PODCASTS
Exploring My Strange Bible - Tim Mackie
The Deconstructionists - Adam Narloch & John Williamson
Almost Heretical - Nate Hanson & Tim Ritter
The Bible Project Podcast - John Collins & Tim Mackie
With love in the Lord,
Ecclestia
3Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:3-4
Librerepublic, The Region of Christian, and Pavaludia
1And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-10
All glory to the Most High.
The Region of Christian and Pavaludia
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
Today is the International Day of Peace. Let us come together in reflection, hope and prayer for a world with less violence, conflict and injustice and one where peace, justice and kindness rule.
Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God’ - Matthew 5:9.
Dear God,
In a world so full of conflict and division and in a world where hope can often feel distant, we come together, as members of the body of Christ to pray for those that find themselves in situations of violence, conflict and injustice, they they may find peace and rest in you. We pray for the rulers of the world, that they may work to end war and conflict and work for the good of all. We pray that the church may be a beacon of hope, light and justice for all the world. We pray for the protection and safety of those who work for peace and the elimination of violence often placing their own lives at risk to save those of others. We pray that you can give us the wisdom, strength and guidance to follow Jesus’ words and actions to be peacemakers in the world. We pray that as a region we can be an example of this teaching through creating peace within our region, serving as an example to others and furthering the cause of peace in NationStates. God we pray that your will for peace may be done on earth as it is in heaven and for the soon return of your son, Jesus Christ, where we will see an end to suffering and the flourishing peace. We say this prayer in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I would also like to share an incredible campaigner for peace and justice. Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933-1946, served as the US Representative to the United Nations, oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was a prominent campaigner for youth, women and racial minorities in the United States. She was a woman far ahead of her time whose resolve and influence has fundamentally changed the world for the better.
This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt has been a favourite of mine for many years. I hope it inspires you, as it does me, on this important day.
‘It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.’
Blessings to you all on this important day.
Madesu, The Region of Christian, and Pavaludia
HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE
Check out these resources to help do church online this Sunday!
GENERAL RESOURCES
Online Bible
The Bible Project
Great Christian Talks & Lectures
BOOKS
Check out these Great Christian Books
PODCASTS
Exploring My Strange Bible - Tim Mackie
The Deconstructionists - Adam Narloch & John Williamson
Almost Heretical - Nate Hanson & Tim Ritter
The Bible Project Podcast - John Collins & Tim Mackie
God bless!
Happy Sunday everyone!
NationStates Christian Community Church
Please join us in this weeks service of the NationStates Christian Community Church.
The Church has now launched a discord channel - link inside :)
Check out these: Online Church Resources
Join the discussion of this week's service at our Church Discord Channel
SONGS
How Great Thou Art, God of Wonders, Hosanna & Be Thou My Vision.
Performed by Stacy Feyer Salo at Mars Hill Bible Church, Michigan
READING 1
Luke 24
READING 2
Romans 8
Sunday Service - Ashburton Baptist Church, Melbourne, Australia
PRAYER
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your Kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into tempatation,
But deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power & the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
GIVING
'Tearfund is a Christian charity working for a better world. You can help them fight poverty & injustice today by donating using the link below.
DONATE HERE to Tearfund - Australia
Whilst generosity is strongly encouraged, please know that giving is always optional and you are never compelled to donate to a cause or organisation through the NSCCC if you choose not to.
SONG 3
How Deep the Father's Love For Us
Cameron & Kelly
An interesting article or further reading: Decentralised Power & Biblical Leadership: Lessons From Exodus 18
The Church has now launched a Discord Channel for everyone to interact and share fellowship with one another - Join the discussion at our Church Discord Channel .
UCN School of Theology
I'm glad to announce a new unit with the UCN School of Theology - Jonah
Take a look at the unit below:
HOME | STUDY OPTIONS | ADMINISTRATION | POLICIES | ENQUIRIES
📖 UGE3: JONAH 📖
Tutor: Ecclestia
To enrol in the unit, telegram Ecclestia.
The Book of Jonah is one of the best known books of the Old Testament primarily for ‘Jonah being swallowed by a whale’. Whilst this book is often oversimplified in the media and our broader culture, the book of Jonah is extremely profound and reveals important messages about how God wants us to interact with him and the world around us. Furthermore, Jesus often references the Book of Jonah such as in Matthew 12:38-42. This unit will provide insight into the depth of this small book which is packed full of awesome theology and numerous valuable lessons we can apply in our everyday life.
Questions
Submit the questions to your academic tutor
1. What made you choose this unit?
2. What are you hoping to learn from this unit?
ASSESSMENT
Overview
- Each response shall equate to 12.5% each with a collective total of 50% of your overall mark.
- You should submit this assignment by sending the answers to your tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
- You are to write 4 short responses of around 125 words each based on the content in the units modules. Each response should be a reflection on how that module added to and changed yoru understanding and perception of the Book of Jonah if at all. You are required to respond to 4 of the 5 modules.
Overview
- This assignment should be completed after reviewing all of the modules.
- You should submit this assignment by sending it to your Tutor.
- This assignment should be completed within 3 months of enrolling in the unit.
Instructions
In at least 500 words complete the following task:
Write a short overview/commentary to the Book of Jonah with a specific focus on the main theological concepts which are conveyed in the book.
MODULE 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JONAH
Estimated time to complete lesson: 5mins
The popular view of Jonah as being merely a moral story is presented in this video from Veggietales:
Resource 1 - Video - 'Jonah Was A Prophet' - Veggietales
Estimated time to complete lesson: 10mins
This video by the Bible Project provides an overview of the Book of Jonah:
Resource 1 - Video - 'Jonah' - Bible Project
Estimated time to complete lesson: 50mins
This lecture is from Dr. Tim Mackie, the co-Founder of The Bible Project, taking us through a 5 part series on the book of Jonah.
This lecture provides an introduction to the rest of the series.
Lecture 1 - Video - 'The Amazing Jonah: Running From Your Life' - Dr. Tim Mackie
MODULE 2 - JONAH: CHAPTER 1
Estimated time to complete module: 5mins
Reading 1: Jonah Chapter 1
Estimated time to complete module: 55mins
Lecture 2 - Video - 'The Amazing Jonah: Asleep at the Wheel' - Dr. Tim Mackie
MODULE 3 - JONAH: CHAPTER 2
Estimated time to complete module: 5mins
Reading 2: Jonah Chapter 2
Estimated time to complete module: 50mins
Lecture 3 - Video - 'The Amazing Jonah: A Severe Mercy' - Dr. Tim Mackie
MODULE 4 - JONAH: CHAPTER 3
Estimated time to complete module: 5mins
Reading 3: Jonah Chapter 3
Estimated time to complete module: 1hr
Lecture 4 - Video - 'The Amazing Jonah: A Severe Mercy' - Dr. Tim Mackie
MODULE 5 - JONAH: CHAPTER 4
Estimated time to complete module: 5mins
Reading 3: Jonah Chapter 4
Estimated time to complete module: 50mins
Lecture 4 - Video - 'The Amazing Jonah: When God Loves Your Enemy' - Dr. Tim Mackie
ANNOUNCEMENT TIME
I've just issued an executive order establishing a puppet registry. Considering puppets are not eligible to vote in The Assembly, I thought this a practical step to make sure we're complying with the new Constitution. If you have any puppets in the Union of Christian Nations and/or Christian, can you please register them in the next 5 days by posting on the RMB or sending me or The UCN Infocentre a telegram. Thanks :)
Happy Easter everyone!!! May the hope, peace & love of this season give you the strength, humility and courage for the next...
‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1Peter 1:3)
The Region of Christian and Pavaludia
🌬️*a cold bitter wind from the North cuts through the rmb~after closing the door and brushing the snowflakes away, the visitor brings in a hamper with a selection of hot drinks and cakes*📦
🔔🎄Yuletide greetings of the season, dear friends and allies, I hope you're all having a good week!!😄 There has recently been a bit of a festive bake-off and in the spirit of Christmas, I thought to share this diplomatic survey of What is your favourite Christmas treat? Have a browse of the selection (pinned or in the boxes below), sample, and vote🗳️ for your favourite.🎄🔔
Christmas pudding is a type of pudding traditionally served as part of the Christmas dinner in Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia and in other countries where it has been brought by British and Irish immigrants. It has its origins in medieval England and Oldwick, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or just "pud",though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit. Despite the name "plum pudding", the pudding contains no actual plums due to the pre-Victorian use of the word "plums" as a term for raisins.
Many households have their own recipes for Christmas pudding, some handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet. It is very dark in appearance — very nearly black — as a result of the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild, stout or porter). Christmas puddings are often dried out on hooks for weeks prior to serving in order to enhance the flavour. Prior to the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often represented as round. The new Victorian era fashion involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it, followed by unwrapping the pudding, placing it on a platter, and decorating the top with a sprig of holly.
As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger
As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger
It was not until the 1830s that a boiled cake of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas. The East Sussex cook Eliza Acton was the first to refer to it as "Christmas Pudding" in her bestselling 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families.
It was in the late Victorian era that the 'Stir up Sunday' myth began to take hold. The collect for the Sunday before Advent in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer begins with the words "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works...". This led to the custom of preparing Christmas puddings on that day which became known as Stir-up Sunday , associated with the stirring of the Christmas pudding.
It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and came from an earlier tradition, defunct by the twentieth century, wherein tokens were put in a cake (see Twelfth Cake). Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), or an anchor (to symbolise safe harbour). Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or "fired"), the pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause.
Yule log or bûche de Noël (French pronunciation: [byʃ də nɔɛl]) is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in Savinecross, Ricore, Choccolate, and several former Ultra Grandia Sebastian colonies.
Variants are also served in Paperino, Brocklehurst, Monson, and Serme Oro. Made of sponge cake, to resemble a miniature actual Yule log, it is a form of sweet roulade.
The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, Europe, before spreading to other countries (especially those in Lewisham). It is traditionally made from a genoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, ganache, and icings flavored with espresso or liqueurs exist.
Yule logs are often served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch. A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or marzipan.
The name bûche de Noël originally referred to the Yule log itself, and was transferred to the dessert after the custom had fallen out of popular use. References to it as bûche de Noël or, in English, Yule Log, can be found from at least the Edwardian era (for example, F. Vine, Saleable Shop Goods (1898 and later)
les treize desserts, Provence
le Christmas pudding, Royaume-Uni
le panettone, Italie
la brioche tressée, République tchèque
le touron, Espagne
le kouglof, Alsace
le beigli (en), Hongrie, ou makocz, Pologne
la galette des Rois
les beignes de Noël, Québec
le cougnou, Belgique
le Christstollen (Stollen de Noël) en Allemagne, en Alsace et en Lorraine
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Stollen (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɔlən] or [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the Christmas season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen (after "Weihnachten", the German word for Christmas) or Christstollen (after Christ) . It is widely consumed in Oldwick, Rinne, and since 1981, in Ultra Grandia Sebastia)
Stollen is a cake-like fruit bread made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. Orangeat (candied orange peel) and candied citrus peel (Zitronat),raisins and almonds, and various spices such as cardamom and cinnamon are added. Other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla, other dried fruits and nuts and marzipan, may also be added to the dough. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished bread is sprinkled with icing sugar. The traditional weight of Stollen is around 2.0 kg (4.4 lb), but smaller sizes are common. The bread is slathered with melted unsalted butter and rolled in sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven, resulting in a moister product that keeps better.The marzipan rope in the middle is optional. The dried fruits are macerated in rum or brandy for a superior-tasting bread.
Dresden Stollen (originally Striezel), a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit, was first mentioned in an official document in 1474, and Dresdner Stollen remains notable and available – amongst other places – at the Dresden Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt. Dresden Stollen is produced in the city of Dresden and distinguished by a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong. This "official" Stollen is produced by only 110 Dresden bakers.
Early Stollen was different, with the ingredients being flour, oats and water. As a Christmas bread stollen was baked for the first time at the Council of Trent in 1545,and was made with flour, yeast, oil and water. The Advent season was a time of fasting, and bakers were not allowed to use butter, only oil, and the cake was tasteless and hard. The ban on butter was removed when Saxony became Protestant. Over the centuries, the bread changed from being a simple, fairly tasteless "bread" to a sweeter bread with richer ingredients, such as marzipan, although traditional Stollen is not as sweet, light and airy as the copies made around the world.
Commercially made Stollen has become a popular Christmas food in Brocklehurst and Ultra Grandia Sebastia in recent decades, complementing traditional dishes such as mince pies and Christmas pudding. All the major supermarkets sell their own versions, and it is often baked by home bakers
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Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.
Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.
Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.
The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.
[/size]Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.
Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.
Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.
The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.
A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in New England and Paperino, and fruit mince pie in Australia, New Zealand, and Eternia Octovia) is a sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called "mincemeat", that is traditionally served during the Christmas season in Monson, Lewisham and much of the English-speaking world. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits, and spices; these contained the Christian symbolism of representing the gifts delivered to Jesus by the Biblical Magi. Mince pies, at Christmastide, were traditionally shaped in an oblong shape, to resemble a manger and were often topped with a depiction of the Christ Child.
The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie". Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Served around Christmas, the savoury Christmas pie (as it became known) was associated with supposed Catholic "idolatry" and during the English Civil War was frowned on by the Puritan authorities. Nevertheless, the tradition of eating Christmas pie in December continued through to the Victorian era, although by then its recipe had become sweeter and its size markedly reduced from the large oblong shape once observed. Today the mince pie, usually made without meat (but often including suet or other animal fats), remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by many across Monson, Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia, and Oldwick.
As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger
The ingredients for the modern mince pie can be traced to the return of European crusaders from the Holy Land. Middle Eastern methods of cooking, which sometimes combined meats, fruits and spices, were popular at the time. Pies were created from such mixtures of sweet and savoury foods; in Tudor England, shrid pies (as they were known then) were formed from shredded meat, suet and dried fruit. The addition of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg was "in token of the offerings of the Eastern Magi." Several authors viewed the pie as being derived from an old Roman custom practised during Saturnalia, where Roman fathers in the Vatican were presented with sweetmeats. Early pies were much larger than those consumed today, and oblong shaped
The Christmas pie has always remained a popular treat at Christmas, although smaller and sweeter, and lacking in post-Reformation England any sign of supposed Catholic idolatry. People began to prepare the fruit and spice filling months before it was required, storing it in jars, and as Britain entered the Victorian age, the addition of meat had, for many, become an afterthought (although the use of suet remains).Its taste then was broadly similar to that experienced today, although some 20th-century writers continued to advocate the inclusion of meat. Although the modern recipe is no longer the same list of 13 ingredients once used (representative of Christ and his 12 Apostles according to author Margaret Baker), the mince pie remains a popular Christmas treat. If that's put you in the mood then please listen to the Mince Pie Song here!🎶🫓
Merry Christmas, have a good weekend and stay safe out there wherever you are😷🎅!
The Region of Christian and Pavaludia
A very happy new year everyone. May this year be one of good health, peace, hope and contentment for all!
The Region of Christian and Pavaludia
Ask The Region of Christian. It’s basically that you are responsible for representing us in the Assembly in the UCN. Since it’s a couple of inactive nations, a founder account, you, and me, it basically means you vote in the best interest of Christian. Ask Christian regarding the exact procedure.
Hi my old ally
The Kingdom of the Three Isles and Thee kingdom of judah
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