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If Grace Is True . . . Report First-Plymouth
Congregational Church
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Presenters Philip Gulley & James Mulholland, featured speakers |
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Philip Gulley & James Mulholland sign books and greet participants following the Friday, Feb. 11th. lecture. |
Philip Gulley & James Mulholland presenting “What’s so Controversial about believing God will Save Every Person.” |
Former Lieutenant Governor Kim Robak served as the moderator. |
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Tammy Alvis, Event Planner Nearly 700 people gathered to hear controversial Christian authors and pastors Philip Gulley and James Mulholland on February 11th at an event sponsored by, First-Plymouth Church, United Church of Christ, Saint Paul United Methodist Church and Lee Booksellers. The event held at First-Plymouth Church, 20th and D Streets in Lincoln attracted people from three states and people from a variety of religious backgrounds. It proved to be an evening of challenging theology leavened with wit, humor, and laughter. The Quakers pastors Gulley and Mulholland are the authors of the books If Grace is True...Why God will Save Every Person and If God is Love...Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World. In their books and at the lecture they shared their great passion of ultimate salvation of all people. It took three and a half years of struggle for the men to write their book because both had been taught that the other was going to hell. Then they began to realize that a theology of fear was working in them. Although Mulholland grew up in a warm, gracious church, from his earliest days, he said, he was taught to fear God. "Adam and Eve make one mistake and are kicked out." He contrasted this teaching with I John 4 4:18 There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear. Knowing God is the reward, is the blessing he concluded. We are freed to love others and in loving others they are no longer our enemy, he said.
While some people left the lecture content to have their beliefs confirmed, others thought the speakers were too conservative, yet others thought they were too inclusive. All in all the evening proved to be thought provoking and will certainly lead to many more discussions in local churches. |
In a question and
answer period, Gulley, Mulholland and panelists Dr. Don Dickerson,
Doane College, The Rev. Dr. Otis Young, First-Plymouth Church, Dr.
Rita Lester, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and The Rev. Lauren D.
Ekdahl, Trinity United Methodist Church, brought out several other
points.|
One Book – One Church Home email: Tammy Alvis |
02/25/06 |
