Our MCN Dispatch — March 15, 2026
Hello Missional Friends,
A scripture for our reflection:
“But test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
John Lennox on the Creation Account
Given struggles that many Christians have with interpreting the Genesis accounts, John Lennox speaks eloquently, again, to the truth of Genesis as he sees it.
The address is given to a Confident Christianity event sponsored by the Solas missional outreach ministry in Britain. We see it fitting beautifully within our MCN theme on Integration of Reason and Faith.
Confidence in Genesis Lecture by John Lennox 2012 Solas Conference [54 min]
We look forward to sharing thoughts and reactions on this message in the future, but for now:
- What message of Genesis does Lennox focus on?
- Within the tradition of Christian hermeneutics, would this be the emphasis that the writer of Genesis would most likely want to communicate to the people of the time? [edited for clarity]
- What “stumbling blocks to faith” might Lennox be avoiding here?
Introducing the Solas Organization
Our focus on Missional Christianity is a commitment to [effective] outreach into the larger secular community in ways that are both attractive and meaningful.
We are impressed by the Solas organization in Scotland. Their choice of topics, public meetings, and speakers is very impressive.
Culturally, Britain and Europe have become more secularized than N America. As a consequence it appears that youth in Europe may now be more inquisitive of Christian faith than in our part of the world. Solas seems especially poised to take advantage of this interest.
Please explore here both the content and evangelistic strategy of the Solas group. (Solas, in Latin, means Light, hence their attempt to illuminate and attract others to the Gospel.)
The Solas missional intent:
- Persuasively communicating Christ into today’s culture
- Equipping Christians for evangelism practically
Resource Updates on Government and Politics
Recently, an inner-circle discussion group has been exploring how we, as Christians, should relate to Government and Politics.
I’ve just updated a section of our website with resources of some relevance. In the first link below, the following relevant scriptures are cited: Romans 13:1-7, I Peter 2:13-17, Matt 22:15-22, Acts 5:29, plus I Samuel 8. But also included below are a host of online resources.
Please note that “QS” designates Quick Search documents generated by Microsoft’s Copilot system. There has been no attempt to edit or select from the resources found through this way. We use Copilot as we traditionally would have used a library card system.
On Government and Politics
QS — Christian Views on the Role of Government
QS — Terminology relating to Diversity of Thought on Governance
David Brooks on Virtue, Changing Values, and Donald Trump
QS — A Christian ethical perspective on Might Is Right
QS — Christian Commitment to Service vs Interest in Gaining Power
QS — Christian rationale for a Just War
[For our full list of topics and resources, please see: MCN Topics and Themes (Resources) ]
Arnie Berg Reflections on Francis and Frank Schaeffer
I connected recently with Arnie Berg, a Saskatoon-based Evangelical writer and Substack publisher. While his interests and writings are eclectic, I sense his keen interest in many of the topics of relevance to our Missional Church Network.
While my initial interest was to get a copy of the book Arnie published on Faith and Science back in 2011, I was quickly drawn to his current Substack publishing, and especially his exploration of the Abortion issue.
Whether you agree with Arnie’s analysis or not, I value his style of analysis. He does not simply report and attempt to defend a prevailing view of his Christian community. Rather, he chooses to search out scripture to identify support, or non-support, for the different perspectives that some of us hold as “gospel-truth.” He does engage in “interpretation,” of course… as theologians often attempt to do with much care. But he goes further, too, to explore the conceptual frameworks that are “out there” and that we need to understand as we choose to communicate what we believe to be the scriptural truth appropriate for our audience.
I share these segments with you as an example of in-depth reflection, careful analysis, and formation of a rationale for addressing issues of keen concern to Christians as they project their faith into the Public Square. Again, if you might feel uncomfortable with some of Arnie’s analysis and suggested implications, would you be able to structure a similar path to other conclusions that you think have strong foundation in a biblical faith?
Our emphasis on a Reasonable Faith is a focus on process as much as outcome. Even though we may differ at times in our theological stances, do we arrive at them through careful study and reflection? Can we give a “reason for the hope (and ethical positions)” that define our Christian views before the world?
Arnie starts his analysis on Abortion with excerpts of two books published by the Schaeffer duo of father (Francis) and son (Frank) as follows: Faith, Authority, and Evangelical Collapse
The Great Evangelical Disaster
Francis Schaeffer (1984, 192 pp.)
Schaeffer warns that evangelical accommodation to modern culture has hollowed out its moral and theological core.
Sex, Mom, and God: How the Bible’s Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics–and How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway
Frank Schaeffer (2012, 320 pp.)
A son’s reckoning with how distorted sexual ethics and moral plotting fueled evangelical political radicalization.
The above is from: [Notes] and “Quotes” for February 2026
From here, he published three follow-up articles, as follows:
Notable Quote from February 2026: The Kick Inside (Part I)
Notable Quote from February 2026: The Kick Inside (Part II)
Notable Quote from February 2026: The Kick Inside (Part III)
With permission of the author, we are preparing PDF versions of these articles for personal or small-group study.
MCN will be pleased to receive your reactions.
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