ACCOUNTABILITY

by Ted Schroder
November 15, 2009

It is impossible to appreciate, let alone understand, the teaching of St. Paul if you do not believe that you are accountable to God for your life. Many of our contemporaries feel that they are accountable only to themselves. They are the center of their world, and their goal is to fulfill themselves. They have no obligation to God (if he exists), or to others. They relate to others only to further their own self-realization. In our therapeutic culture suffering is never my fault, for I am the victim. Power comes from blaming others for my problems. "Whoever can claim the status of victim with greater authority wins, because that status projects an image of innocence over against which all others are somehow guilty." (L.G. Jones, Embodying Forgiveness, 46)

THE POWER OF GRACE

by Ted Schroder
October 25, 2009

Hugh Hefner once said to an interviewer: "If Christ were here today and had to choose between being on the staff of one of the joy-killing, pleasure-denying churches, he would, of course, immediately join us. We reject any philosophy that holds that a man must deny himself for others." The playboy cult holds that every man ought to love himself pre-eminently and pursue his own pleasure constantly. Hugh Hefner tells us to get all we can in order to be happy. Jesus gives us all that we need so that we will find joy in giving.

One of the strengths of the Chapel is its financial support of Outreach ministries. What motivates us to be unselfish, to respond to the needs of others, to feel compassion, to be generous in giving to worthy causes? It is not just to receive a tax deduction, nor is it to receive a heavenly reward, nor is it merely out of duty or guilt, or to feel good, or to look good in the eyes of our peers.

BEING PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE

by Ted Schroder,
November 30, 2008

The four Sundays before Christmas Day constitute the season of Advent, which marks the beginning of the Christian year. Advent means 'arrival'. It refers to the coming of Christ: his first coming in humility at Bethlehem, and his second coming in glory at the end of history. During this season, we remember the Old Testament prophets who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. Also the significant figures who prepared the way for his coming: Mary, Joseph and John the Baptist.

But it is also the season in which we are reminded to prepare for his second coming. Jesus warned us, "Be on guard. Be alert. You do not know when that time will come....keep watch." (Mark 13:33) The world in which we live is facing great changes. The future is uncertain. Many of us have been unprepared for the economic and political changes. To be unprepared is to court disaster. To be unprepared is to be at the mercy of events. To be unprepared is to feel defenseless. To be unprepared is to be irresponsible. Jesus warns us that life will not stay the same. There is no guarantee that the future will be smooth sailing. Change is inevitable. So Jesus warns us to be prepared for what will happen. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

WHY WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT GOD IS CRUCIAL

Ted Schroder
May 22, 2005

George Weigel in The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God (Basic Books 2005), makes the case that Europe in the twentieth century went through a civilizational crisis of two world wars and the Cold War, because the God of the Bible was rejected in the name of human liberation and nationalistic ambitions. This claim, whether it can be proved or not, raises the issue of the importance of belief in God for our culture and civilization. How does what we believe about God affect what we believe about ourselves, the way we govern ourselves, our politics, our morality, and our laws?