Seasons
Reaching out inner idiot
Talk about a blitz! We're
bombarded every day with 1000s of advertisements with their insidious drive to
create dissatisfaction, false need and imagined benefit. Oh the wonders of
photoshop and airbrushing, the persuasiveness of music, the power of sex, and the
striking images to feed our desires. Needless to say we Christians are immersed
in this culture, often captured by it, and easily able to justify our latest purchases
of gadgets and fashions.
Time for a reality check. Two
quotations recently grabbed my attention. The first by Associate Professor of
Screen and Media Studies at Waikato University commenting on an advertisement's
inaccuracy.
'Advertising is nothing about reality
anyway.' Geoff Lealaw (Waikato Times 20.2.10)
And what about this:
'Advertising does not aim at our better
selves, but our inner idiot.' Kathleen
Norris
We are working with our better
selves are we not?
Here's a possibility - using the
season of Lent for fasting.
Fasting
from advertisements.
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re-forming church:
One of the remarkable trends of
the last few decades has been an growing openness to learn from Christians in other
traditions of the church. This is a significant outworking of the Spirit of God
re-forming the church. With increasing respect and understanding there has been
a melding of insights and practices that is enriching the life and mission of
Christians. Contributions are flowing from Roman Catholics, Protestants, Quakers,
Orthodox believers, Pentecostals, Anabaptists, those experimenting with a new
monasticism, third world Christians, .....
Let's celebrate this move. We
face significant challenges in mission, and we have barely begun surmounting
them. So we dare not isolate ourselves or imagine that the presence of God's
Spirit means we do not need what he has revealed to others. In the midst of all
our divisions and independence God is showing us our need of each other and our
need for a united witness in the world. There may be much to value in our tradition,
but we dare not let it limit us or enslave us.
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searching:
The picture above is of the 11th
Century St Peters Church, Cambridge, UK. Countless generations and individuals have
entered here - searching for God, seeking comfort, and trying to make sense of
life. This was probably especially so during the period of Lent, leading up to
Easter. Today we come to different
places and go through different doors, but the searching, the seeking is the
same. We want to discover more of Jesus, and more to life. Let's not waste this
season of the year.
Prayer:
'We seek thee Lord Jesus, we seek thy blessed face;
To know thee, Lord Jesus, ands to know thy
saving grace.'
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sunday@Discovery: Reflecting
about Romans 1:18-32 'Some Surprises
about Sin'
sunday@Oaks: Also reflecting about Romans 1:18-32
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sign off:
Not all of life can be explained! I came
across a man today taking his dog for a 'walk' in a pram. I was tempted to
joke, I was tempted to ask why, but in the end I left it. Sometime silence is
enough. We're aiming to be very certain about the Lord, and in that certainty
to live with the mysteries of life.
Blessings for the journey
Garry
End quote: 'church' is what happens when people encounter
the risen Christ and commit themselves to sustaining and deepening that encounter
in their encounter with each other.' Rowan Williams
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