For some reason I get really excited about Church History. In fact, my favorite class thus far in school has been Restoration History. Currently, I am in Church History and it is once again exciting. It's hard not to be excited with a teacher like Doug Foster.
So many students try to opt out of Church History because it is hard or seemingly boring. This is definitely a mistake. We must learn from our pasts and learn why we do what we do today. Too many youngsters don't know the reasons why we do the things we do and this can only lead to bad things. Either we will drop our valuable traditions or we will continue on in needless traditions for the sake of tradition alone. History is a vital study and a needed spiritual discipline in our lives.
You can expect to hear quite a bit about this subject this semester because I know it will get me excited and frustrated with our past. However, it is exciting that despite the good and bad in our past, God continues to use the church, his beloved, as his hands and feet in the world. I agree with Hybels, "The local church is the hope of the world," and this can only be so if we let Jesus be the head of it. Our conversation toward a post-modern, post-Christian church must not just look to the future. It must take into account our shameful and rich past. May our memories serve as springboards to our bright future!
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