"Three Cups of Tea"

The summer reading book for all incoming Freshmen at Appalachian State this year is the #1 NY Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Since I am teaching a First Year Seminar in the Fall ("Discourse in Politics and Religion"), I will be incorporating this into my class. It looks like it will be a great resource for discussing politics and religion. In the introduction, Relin describes Mortenson as a man who had "become a humanitarian who'd found a meaningful path to follow for the rest of his life" (p. 2). Besides the wonderful things that Mortenson has accomplished, I believe the reason that this book has captured the attention of so many readers is because we are drawn to passionate people who are consumed with a meaningful, charitable call in life. Unfortunately, one of the reasons we are drawn to such people is that so many of us do not possess our own meaningful paths. It is my conviction that God has designed us all for such fulfilling, others-centered purposes. Have you found yours?

Conclusion on Church Elders' Authority

Here is a link to the conclusion of my dissertation, The Authority of Church Elders in the NT. Aside from the readers on the committee at school, I have not received much in the way of critical feedback. I am anxious for my conclusions to be challenged and improved. I also pray that where ever I have accurately understood the Scripture, this will be an encouragement and challenge to others. I have only uploaded the conclusion. I can also make available the chapters that discuss each relevant passage individually if there are further thoughts or questions.