Robert C. Frank
Christ’s Team: A 21st Century View of Christianity
By Robert C. Frank
Space exploration has shown us that planet Earth is currently a poorly managed space colony in a vast and awesome universe. Two thousand years ago Jesus Christ came to teach humans how to work together, care for each other, and manage our planet. The Apostle Paul called the followers who continued his work, the Body of Christ. Today we would call them Christ’s Team. In the intervening years the Team has grown from a small number to two billion, but for many the clutter of our complex world is beginning to obscure their vision, leaving many sitting on the sidelines with the work unfinished.
The new eBook, Christ’s Team: A 21st Century View of Christianity, provides a window through which the Team’s efforts can be observed and a fresh vision gained. After reading the book, the reader will understand that our purpose in life is to be God’s assistants with creation in the human realm and the weekly worship service plays an important role in that effort.
As a research physicist, teacher, writer, and active participant in Christianity, I have been studying God’s continuing creation most of my life. Christ’s Team: A 21st Century View of Christianity is a summary of what I have learned. I received my undergraduate education at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and completed my master’s and doctoral work in physics at Wayne State University in Detroit. Visits to the Holy Land and European countries increased my understanding of the history of Christianity.
After ten years as a research scientist for General Motors, I became head of the physics department at Augustana, a Lutheran college in Rock Island, Illinois. There I continued to practice my skill at sifting out essential information and teaching it to others. After retiring from teaching, I pursued my lifelong interest, studying and writing about Christianity. I have always been a lay leader in the Lutheran churches that I attended, but enjoy working with members of other denominations.
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
1. The Continuing Flow of Creation – This chapter begins with a short description of the biblical and scientific views of early creation, but then moves on to creation among humans. Jesus Christ, the human expression of their loving God, came into a fear-filled world to teach humans how to work together and care for each other. His role in creation is discussed in some detail. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit continued to guide the effort to form a team to continue creation in the human realm. Humans are challenged to be God’s assistants in producing a mature civilization.
2. The Christianity-Science Relationship – The immediate goal of continuing creation is to help all humans lead productive lives, so the chapter begins with an attempt to determine the attributes of such lives. Christianity and science have cooperated in efforts to supply the requirements for those lives. Samples of specific contributions of Christianity and science are briefly noted, followed by an analysis of their dependence on each other for success in their efforts. The limitations of language and images as means of communication are discussed and it is noted that there have been remarkable achievements in spite of those limitations.
3. The Rules of Life – Rules are required to maximize each individual’s participation in continuing creation. Christianity’s rules consist of the Ten Commandments and the two commandments advocated by Jesus. They are intended to make humans function optimally as team members. There are cases, however, where the assistance of science has been needed to clarify the rules. Failure to obey the rules occurs in many different ways and punishment consists of lives of lesser quality. No one ever achieves perfection, and forgiveness obtained through the sacrifice of Jesus makes possible the healing of human relations, a vital part of productive lives.
4. Communication with God – We may still be in the early stages of understanding communication with God. Prayers in the form of petitions for favors are gradually being replaced by prayers that express gratitude and seek wisdom, guidance, courage, and forgiveness from God. The success of prayers for healing is difficult to judge because healing is very complicated. The effect of meditation on human health, however, is easier to test by scientific methods. Prayer opens each individual to an awareness of the presence of God. It quiets the emotional storms, softens the days of depression, and provides hope during periods when life is severely restricted.
5. A Spiritual Oasis Every Seven Days – The ancient Hebrews set aside every seventh day for rest and spiritual renewal, a practice continued by Christians with Sunday the chosen day. The worship services have different forms for different denominations and cultures, but there are common threads. The weekly gathering still plays an important role in modern life because every seven days it restores purpose and inspiration to lives that tend to become chaotic. It also surrounds those who attend with loving companions who can aid them in their struggles. Historically, science has provided assistance for those gatherings and continues to play an important part in adaptation of worship services to modern life.
6. The Family Team – Human life is a precious chain to which new links must continually be added if there is to be a future. Each individual must be trained to become a valuable member of the creation team. In order for this to be successful, each family must provide a nurturing environment while the new members are maturing. Modern families are very complicated and require the assistance of both Christianity and science in order to be successful. Advancements in science have made it possible for humans to learn at an ever increasing rate and the team concept, when successfully applied in families, facilitates the maturing process.
7. Caring for Strangers – Jesus emphasized that every human being was important, including the sick and poor who must receive special care. As a result, his followers have been leaders in the history of assistance to those who are ill or underprivileged and have been aided by science in their efforts. In the modern world, Christians have used their powers of advocacy to convince governments to develop ways of aiding those with special needs. When natural disasters occur, providing assistance is gradually becoming a world view and science has been used to produce the tools needed for carrying it out.
8. The Future – The future is difficult to predict because creation among humans is always accelerating, rapidly increasing in complexity. If Jesus does not physically return for another hundred or a thousand years, he will remain the spiritual coach of an extraordinary team for continuing creation. Efforts to develop a space station have helped humans realize that Earth is currently a poorly managed space colony in an awesome universe. However, the followers of Jesus, with the help of science, will continue their efforts to assist humans to become better managers. With continued improvement, human life on Earth will eventually become a civilization far superior to the one that exists today.