Volume 2 Issue 6

If you sincerely pray to experience God’s presence into your life, it will come. The universe abhors a vacuum; if you create an opening, God will answer you. And remember, what you hear is the God within you, your own self. It’s been waiting for the invitation. –Barbara De Angelis
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A Pagels Update: On Sunday, May 25, 2003, (that’s today!) Dr. Elaine Pagels, one of the most well known religious historians, uncovers the hidden truths of Christianity on “The Forum at Grace Cathedral”, a unique live and broadcast talk show bringing people and ideas together on a community level. The Forum is dedicated to open conversation on critical issues. Listen live or on-demand at www.GraceCathedral.org
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I am so grateful for the thoughtful response Mary has made to last week’s question. You’ll find it on the Bulletin Board, and I hope that many more of you will follow her example. The purpose is not to come up with the “right” answer, but to display the rich diversity of thought which composes this virtual congregation. Take the opportunity to reply to previous questions, or maybe you’ll have some thoughts about this week’s question: What significantly influences your feelings about religion?
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If you are visiting our website for the first time, welcome! You are invited to “sign up” for the weekly newsletter (you may unsubscribe at any time) and consider yourself a part of our growing virtual community of faith. Take a moment to peruse the postings on the Bulletin Board, and feel free to respond with your own thoughts and opinions. The voice of God grows louder with each one who chooses to participate in this theological forum. Our ongoing prayer is that Growing in Christ will inspire you to share this ministry with those you know and love.
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Until next week…….Shalom!

Volume 2 Issue 5

If you are visiting our website for the first time, welcome! You are invited to “sign up” for the weekly newsletter (you may unsubscribe at any time) and consider yourself a part of our growing virtual community of faith. Take a moment to peruse the postings on the Bulletin Board, and feel free to respond with your own thoughts and opinions. The voice of God grows louder with each one who chooses to participate in this theological forum. Our ongoing prayer is that Growing in Christ will inspire you to share this ministry with those you know and love.
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Thanks to all of you who took the time to let me know that you would like to see this site continue for another year. It is gratifying to learn that GiC is filling a need, and it will be my privilege to “carry on” (only with the excellent technical assistance that Matt Piper of WebICX continues to provide). As always, suggestions for how this cyber-ministry might be made more useful and meaningful are welcome.
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Another milestone in the Hanna household will be marked on Friday as Mary and I observe our thirty-second wedding anniversary. I’ve made many changes since 1971, and Mary has patiently and lovingly abided each one. I am grateful for this opportunity to publicly thank her for remaining my best friend “for better and for worse,” and to let her know that after lo these many years I continue to feel the luckiest man on earth!
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There have been a couple of responses to last week’s question which I think will make it worth your while to visit the Bulletin Board. By knowing that there is no such thing as a “correct” answer, I hope that you will feel more inclined to post your own reply to this week’s question: How would Jesus propose that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved?
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Until seeing her this week on Bill Moyers’ NOW, I wasn’t aware that Elaine Pagels has written a new book, “Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas”. Regular GiC readers know that I refer often to “The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus” which contains, in addition to the Scholars Version translation, the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. Having read Pagels’ earlier books that focus on the Gnostic texts, I am eager to read her latest work and feel confident in commending her scholarship to those of you who are interested in learning more about this fascinating subject. “Beyond Belief” is available in hardcover for $17.47 from: www.amazon.com
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Until next week…….Shalom!

Volume 2 Issue 4

If you are visiting our website for the first time, welcome! You are invited to “sign up” for the weekly newsletter (you may unsubscribe at any time) and consider yourself a part of our growing virtual community of faith. Take a moment to peruse the postings on the Bulletin Board, and feel free to respond with your own thoughts and opinions. The voice of God grows louder with each one who chooses to participate in this theological forum. Our ongoing prayer is that Growing in Christ will inspire you to share this ministry with those you know and love.
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Happy Mother’s Day to all who are so instrumental to the miracle called “life!” Praise be to God for the womb in which new life is conceived, and for the inexplicable gracious love that nurtures it from the cradle on. May this be a day on which those to whom the gift of motherhood has been bestowed will be blessed by the love and gratitude of their children.
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Dad (Earl Hanna) has posted a thought-provoking article, “Trojan Horses!” to the Bulletin Board. Take the time to read it, and then feel free to respond (he’s thick-skinned and can take it!). You’ll probably catch yourself perusing the other postings while you’re there. Remember that the Bulletin Board is also available as a place to ask questions, offer opinions, and to engage our virtual community of faith. To that end, a “Question of the Week” is being asked for the first time today to further stimulate our theological dialogue: Is President George W. Bush a Christian? Our collective answers will hopefully cause us to rethink just exactly what we mean when we use that term to describe anyone. Let the discussion begin!
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The time has come for www.growinginchrist.net to renew its domain name and annual contract with its host server. The costs are nominal, and that is why there has never been any charge associated with this site (that, and the humbling realization that I couldn’t even give this stuff away). Nevertheless, I need to “hear” from our readers whether or not there is a desire for this cyber-ministry to continue for another year. Just a simple “yes” or “no” before May 18 to RevMAH@aol.com will be sufficient, and I’ll act accordingly.
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Until next week…….Shalom!

Volume 2 Issue 3

If you are visiting our website for the first time, welcome! You are invited to “sign up” for the weekly newsletter (you may unsubscribe at any time) and consider yourself a part of our growing virtual community of faith. Take a moment to peruse the postings on the Bulletin Board, and feel free to respond with your own thoughts and opinions. The voice of God grows louder with each one who chooses to participate in this theological forum. Our ongoing prayer is that Growing in Christ will inspire you to share this ministry with those you know and love.
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Thanks to this miraculous technology, I am gazing upon the San Francisco Peaks as this edition comes to you from Flagstaff, Arizona! Rachel is moving into her studio apartment this weekend (it’s very hard to believe that her freshman year is over already!) and one of the perks of a cyber-ministry is the freedom to “preach” from virtually anywhere in the world. I’m sure that she will welcome your greetings and best wishes as she takes yet another step into adulthood: XCherryQTX@aol.com
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With Matt Piper’s help, I’ve come up with an expanded use of the Bulletin Board. I’m “hearing” that some of you have questions about theology, scriptural interpretation, spirituality, etc. For anyone willing to post such questions on the board, I will offer to reply with my “answer” in a timely fashion. More importantly, though, will be the opportunity for others to reply to the question as well, creating a forum for a variety of thoughts and opinions. I want to thank Matt once again for the “user friendly” format, and I’m excited at the prospect of this new dimension of the Growing in Christ experiment in faith development.
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The Bush Administration cautions against thinking that the Iraqi matter is over. For once, we are in complete agreement. I don’t think that we can even begin to comprehend the long-term consequences of what has been done, and this is already being evidenced by some of the “surprises” that have occurred in the brief aftermath. For as often as the President and his cabinet invoke God’s blessing of their actions, I continue to believe that an intelligent exploration of contemporary theology is crucial to maintaining any sense of integrity. As always, I hope that you, too, are increasingly inclined to participate in this “ultimate quest.”
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Until next week…….Shalom!