When Mr. Katz came, I was intrigued by his personality. He was funny, outgoing, and open about his stances that align with the Bible but are still somewhat unorthodox. I spoke and ate with him frequently. We discussed many different topics, but we primarily focused on worship. He spoke to us about liturgy, different forms of worship, and how we praise and glorify God through worship. He also taught about political issues, problems within the church, and aspects of the early church that we should seek to recreate. One night, we had a worship service instead of class. We sang both new and old songs and recited liturgies. He then preached briefly, and he ended with more worship.
He spoke also on the love Jesus showed to sinners. He explained why and how we must show that love to sinners in our lives, and he expressed that we may be called sinners for showing love to sinners. I have learned a lot from Mr. Katz, and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to hear and learn from him.
What stood out to me the most about his time here was his stance on outreaching to nonbelievers. He thinks we should strive to not be offensive by changing aspects of ourselves that are biblically and morally neutral in order to be more tolerable to others to lead them to faith. I did not and still do not agree with him on this, but regardless, he articulated his point incredibly well. He was willing to discuss difficult subjects such as abortion, racism, and more. Mr. Katz took time to answer our questions and permitted us to go on rabbit trails to help us learn the most from his time here. He gave us real examples from his life to show us how he is not solely lecturing us but that he practices what he preaches. Another aspect of Mr. Katz I liked was his openness. He encouraged us to question and respectfully disagree and debate with his statements. We discussed the immorality of abortion, but simultaneously we discussed possible replacements for it such as adoption.
Overall, I highly enjoyed the time I had with Mr. Gregg Katz. I learned to appreciate worship more, especially in regard to liturgy. Before Mr. Katz, possibly before Summit Semester, I viewed liturgy as an empty religious ritual. Now I realize it is so much more.
Emmanuel Lizardo is an 18-year-old from Miami, Florida. He enjoys soccer, kickboxing, and physics. He is currently planning on attending Bob Jones University this coming spring, where he plans to study electrical and mechanical engineering along with theology. He hopes to join the Navy afterward, and he believes God is calling him into church planting.