“Faith, Values, & the Public Square” begins Sept. 11

"Faith, Values, & the Public Square" begins Sept. 11
by
August 09, 2024

My sabbatical is winding down and I will be back in the office next week. This time has been both restful and productive for me. Dr. Greg Jones, President of Belmont University and long time Dean of Duke Divinity School, will bring the final message this Sunday in our “What the World Needs Now…” series. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing all of these messages this summer. I will begin a new sermon series on August 18th, Homecoming Sunday, titled “Jesus’ Parables & the Moral Life.” We will look at some of Jesus’ timeless teachings found in Luke’s gospel and ask how they inspire us to live morally, compassionately, and intentionally in our lives. This is also when we officially kick off fall programming.

This fall, we have an incredible lineup of speakers coming on Wednesday night. Starting on September 11th, dinner will be served in Drowota Hall at 5:30 and the programs will begin in Carpenter Chapel at 6:15. The title of the series is, “Faith, Values, & the Public Square.” One of the unique traits of Woodmont is our ability to hold people of differing political views and ideologies together through the love of Christ. This is what the Christian Church has always been about. Rather than seeing political diversity as something to be feared, we embrace it and utilize it as an opportunity for education and open dialogue. Of course, this is not always easy, but I believe it is worth it. Our nation remains polarized, full of outrage and very strong opinions. We can’t be afraid to discuss the issues that matter as we rapidly approach another presidential election. Mike Slaughter, Charles Gutenson, and Robert Jones published a fascinating book a few years back titled Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide saying “Why is it, then, that we have allowed political partisanship to enter so deeply into our churches? And, perhaps more importantly, how is it that we have allowed those differences to divide us, to create obstacles among us, and to have created an environment in which one or the other can be somehow considered less a ‘follower of Jesus’ simply on the basis of one being the supporter of a particular party or ideology?”

I have invited some good friends of mine to come have a dialogue and share their experience, perspectives, & expertise. Here’s the lineup:

Wednesday, Sept. 11 – Jim Nantz – CBS Broadcaster and Voice of the Masters – “Remembering 9/11, What Changed, & How Sports Can Unite Americans”

Wednesday, Sept. 18 – Samar Ali, Research Professor at Vanderbilt University – “Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, & America’s Involvement in the World”

Wednesday, Sept. 25 – Dr. John Sides, Political Science Professor at Vanderbilt University – “Civility, American Politics, & the 2024 Election”

Wednesday, Oct. 2 – Senator Bill Frist, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader – “Life After the Senate: Priorities that Matter to All Americans”

Wednesday, Oct. 9 – Dr. John Geer, Political Science Professor at Vanderbilt – “Democracy, Ideology, & Our Quest for Truth”

I am very excited about this series. It is meant to be informative, thought-provoking, and enlightening. I hope you will make plans to attend!

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