Trevor wrote: ISTM that the real problem for the Church is how to present a believable message which is the complete reverse of the culture of the day. How does the Church present messages like "take up your cross and follow me" or "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die" to a society which is bombarded from all directions by messages of self-fulfillment, a society which is being filled with expectations of entitlement? How does an apparently weakening Church swim against such a tide, a tide powered by the major political and commercial forces in society, a tide which is constantly reinforced by a compliant (and self-interested) media?
Me: I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and have decided that the only way we can ['swim against such a tide'] is to rid our church/es of 1. nostalgia [for the 'good old days'], 2. triumphalism and prosperity gospel, and 3. the expectation that things [as far as the church is concerned] are going to get much better this side of eternity. I think we have to take Paul's teachings on weakness and suffering on behalf of others seriously, as well as his gospel message of life in the resurrected Christ. I think perhaps we waste too much time waiting for our external [church] circumstances to change, when we should be 'taking up our crosses' and embracing our weakness. I think all the significant things that are happening in Christian circles are happening amidst great suffering and pain. We shouldn't be surprised that there is also a supernatural joy there too. I think with these understandings we can engage with society effectively and demonstrate what Christianity is - just as graphically as Hosea demonstrated God's love and forbearance for Israel by marrying a prostitute. I mean, we will actually be demonstrating Christ's death and resurrection, so our lives will match our message. Integrity is still valued today! Sue Sue Bolton Sydney, Australia ------------------------------------------------------ - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/insights-l-information.htm ------------------------------------------------------
