{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Christ Covenant Church","title":"Six Shiny Words For Easter","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4212,"description":"Act 17:22-31\nThese verses represent Paul’s Mars Hill (Areopagus) address to the Athenians. In it we find six “shiny” words to think/talk about when you spend time after the sermon stuffing your face and fellowshipping for Easter.\nWhy I refer to them as “shiny” = They are words that (in their context) evoke the kinds of conversations we need to be having with the people in our world today. They (I believe) are the conversations that bring the most needed forms of light to our dark and confused world. The song, Shiny Happy People (by R.E.M.) has also been playing in my head.\n (22) \"Religious\" = Possessing a system of morality (right and wrong). That is all the word “religion/religious refers to: a person’s moral beliefs. As humans, we are moral creatures by nature (creatures concerned with right and wrong). This is what makes us different than the animals.\n1.1. What therefore Paul says to the Athenians is true about all humans. We are all very religious. This includes people who would claim they are “not religious.” Do they not practice some form of morality (rules of right and wrong)? Do they not believe certain things to right and others to be wrong?\n1.2.Whatever determines that person’s moral beliefs (what determines what is right and what is wrong) is that person’s religion irrespective of whether it has a formal name (bob relies on Bob to determine right and wrong. Bob therefore follows the religion/cult of Bob).\n1.3. What religion do you follow? Who/what determines right and wrong for you?\n (23) \"Ignorance\" (\"unknown\") = The “altar… to the unknown (or ignorant) god” was most likely created by the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who invited Paul to speak (16-21).\n2.1. Like many people today, the Epicureans and the Stoics were atheists. They believed that whatever created the universe (including them) was not only “unknown” but unable to know what it had created. Put in modern terms, what created the universe was eternal matter (lifeless, unintelligent,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UXGjftzm8Yw--IISwUKe6A6-CX1YtARptisfLmFJFoI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81Zjc4/MmNmNTMxZjNmOTgw/YjA1NWRhYmMxMTNl/YmE1Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}