Jewish Schools Teach About God

Last week an article in the paper caught my attention, namely that Jewish day schools are beginning to train teachers to talk about God in their classrooms. Religious education in these schools "usually covers areas such as holidays, rituals, and liturgical or modern Hebrew." (Lawrence Ziffer, executive VP of the Center For Jewish Education) The article goes on to say that Judaism does not require adherence to specific doctrines, rather actions are important. (Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, San Francisco) He says further that God is "ultimately, utterly unknowable."
As an evangelical Christian I couldn't help but wonder how it is possible to talk about being Jewish or teaching Jewish traditions and history without mentioning the God who called and made them a people? While I have no objection to teaching behavior and ethics from a spiritual perspective, whatever happened to the God of Israel and the challenge from the prophets to "seek and worship God."

Lest I become too critical of these of a different religious faith, I also need to look inward and see what Christianity is teaching, or more specifically, what we are communicating to the world.
Question 1: Is it better to live and act and speak good things with little attention paid to God or to acknowledge God and live and act and speak as if He were not? In other words, is it better to be a Christian by faith but continue to be self-centered and live with no sense of integrity in your daily life or to have little faith but dedicate your life to the cause of justice, righteousness, and service to your fellow man?
Obviously the answer is both-and. If I have faith and desire to honor God, I WILL live my life with integrity, morality, and seeking the betterment of all mankind, without setting God aside.
Question 2: Is it more Godly to point out the sins of others and denounce what we consider "evil" or to love the "sinners" of the world who support things we consider evil and speak positively on behalf of the gospel?
Again obviously, the answer is to love all people, even those opposed to what I believe and think is right.
Perhaps if the Christian church would spend more time loving and affirming the good and less time comdemning the bad, we might get a hearing from the world. And if we participate in good things in our community, live out the command of the gospel to love, perhaps we will also be able to talk about the God whom we serve.

It is a surprise to me that a Jewish school would not teach about God.
May it not be a surprise to the world that Christians stand not only for the right but also for God who came in Jesus Christ.

What do you think?

Charlie

Episcopal Trials - Brothers in Conflict

I continue to read (and weep a little) at the trials and tribulations within the Episcopal Communion of the United States. It is a little like watching good friends argue or a husband and wife in conflict. You want to reach out and bring them together in a peaceful solution.
Believing as I do that God is Lord of His church no matter how much humans mess it up, I ask what is God going to accomplish by this tragedy?
The Church of Jesus Christ has encountered controversy, division, heresy, false doctrine and false teachers since the very beginning. And, of course, it depends on where you stand as to how one defines false doctrine. (The Gnostics believed the "orthodox" churches were wrong.) But if we return to the Biblical base for things we believe, perhaps we can learn how good can come from this, and understand that in the midst of it all, the goal is always the same, to lift up and proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and His gospel to the world.
While the issue out front is homosexuality, and in particular, homosexual persons serving as priests and bishops, there is obviously a deeper and more basic dissatisfaction between members of the Episcopal communion. Sometimes it is too easy to make the specific "injury" the "cause," while the deeper wound/sickness remains unhealed. So I suspect that underneath the bluster about homosexuality, these churches in question really have a deeper problem. As one in the Church of Christ who has seen churches divide and animosities expressed over unimportant things, I know the Episcopal church needs to look deeper.
Don't many of our "divisive issues" really come down to a fear of being wrong? If what I believe (and maybe have believed my whole life) is shown to be in error, my ego and sense of self-worth may be challenged. I may have to examine everything. I may have to say that my past teachers and leaders were wrong as well. How can I handle that? You see where I am going with this? It all comes down to ME! What I believe. What I think is true! Me! Me! Me!
Maybe I need to learn humility. Maybe I am not always right. Maybe God has things to teach me yet.
It may also mean I need to take another hard look at scripture. Am I, are we, being so influenced by the secular thoughts of the day that in order to be relevant and accepting we fail to examine worldly ideas as over against the scripture.
Brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Church. We will pray for you, that you may humble yourself before the hand of God and seek His direction. And I would also say, even if the division must occur for conscience sake, please, for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ accept one another as brothers/sisters and let love continue to prevail. (Did you hear that, Church of Christ?)
Charlie