Apologetics Paper HBJ2:

This was done for the Bible Study Groups at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and contained panels from vaious comic strips.

Starting a Christian Spiritual Journey From Ground Zero.

Some thoughts on how a person even begins the Christian spiritual life in the first place. Not everyone follows these in this order. Those of us attending the Bible Study Groups at LLNL have compared personal notes over the years and these are some of the things we have noticed on how it all begins. I hope you find these notes helpful.

"The universe is a little too darned orderly."

- young scientist in 'Bloom County' comic strip

- Observations of the universally common laws of right and wrong.

- Observations of aesthetic beauty and destructive power of natural systems.

- Observations of order in random chaotic systems.

- The decision point to believe God exists; is loving; and is just.

"...He who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." - Hebrews 11:6

"We have met the enemy, and he is us."

- Pogo in 'Pogo' comic strip

- Observations of historicity of previously mythologized Biblical texts (warts and all).

- Observations that biblical stories are unembellished and startlingly honest (the warts).

- Observations of human frailty, fickleness, and capability to really foul things up.

- The uncomfortable realization that we are capable of the worst that we deplore in others.

- The decision point to test the Christian hypothesis that God is his own solution for our inability to be consistent in moral standards, much less the ideals posed by God.

"There is none righteous, no, not one, ..." - Romans 3:10 quoting Psalms 53:1-3

"I've always believed in you... hypocrite that I am."

- Lucy in 'Peanuts' comic strip

- The decision point that the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth has significant consequences and implications.

- The decision point to learn about Jesus and to accept his forgiveness for our sins.

- The decision point to let Jesus enable us via God's Holy Spirit to live a godly life despite the dubious, unpromising, raw material that we present to him.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God..." - John 3:3

"Let him who cannot be alone, beware of community ... Let him who is not in community, beware of being alone."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "Life Together", 1938.

- Observations that, in the private Christian spiritual journey, God is at hand.

- Observations that Bible study within a group validates, prays for, and gives helpful reality checks to our varied life experiences, research, logic, and conclusions.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you..." - James 4:8

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