How Far Does Reconciliation Extend | Curtis Ivanoff
Sermon Title - Reconciliation: A Journey from Far to Near In this first of two Timothy Series chapel messages, Ivanoff spoke from his own journey of understanding about the pain experienced by his people (Alaskan Eskimo) at the hands of the US government and, surprisingly, American missionaries. The indigenous Alaskans discovered that to become a Christian was to become an American. Cloaked in the message of salvation was the idea that the “savages” must be “civilized” and conformed to the American expression of Christianity. Discipleship was replaced with assimilation, and the local languages, customs, and even surnames were changed in the name of America’s imperialistic brand of Christianity. It is a tragic story shared by countless other indigenous peoples. The idea that Christianity, the “white man’s religion,” decimates local peoples has to be rewired. Yet, is this not the hostility that the cross of Christ put to death (Ephesians 2)? Alaskan Eskimos were once “far away” – literally, on the other side of the world from Jesus’ Palestine. Yet the blood of Christ has brought them near. The reconciling work of Christ now enables forgiveness and restoration. Curtis Ivanoff (MA North Park University) serves as the Superintendent for the Evangelical Covenant Churches of Alaska. With more than a decade of vocational ministry experience as a pastor, college campus pastor, instructor and administrator, Curtis serves to advance the good news of Jesus in Alaska and the world. The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Watch the HCTU on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HenryCenter Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter