Seasons

 

 

             People in priority place.     

 

Chris Hunter's account of his time in Iraq as a bomb disposal expert ('Eight Lives Down') is a story of adrenalin rushing danger, powerful team bonding, and the toll on his marriage and family. It was also a reminder to me that too often we consider life in terms of issues or politics or economics rather than people, and end up with a distorted view. I have to admit - most of my thinking about Iraq has been with this political centred approach, and Chris's book reminded me that most Iraqis are people like me with hopes like me and not terrorists, and that soldiers in Iraq are not just servants of some imperial power (?) but are seeking to save lives as they grapple with threats to their own.

 

People and politics - kept together with great difficulty, and with self interest or grand convictions easily sliding to the political. But Jesus, the gospels make clear - people are to be the priority.

Our priority:     the struggling neighbour rather than politics.

                        the indebted individual rather than economics.

                        the displaced family rather than immigration policies.

                        the sinner rather than the sin.

 

   

   re-forming church::

I wonder whether we have been too taken with the Exodus metaphor for the church: we've left the land of slavery (Egypt), and now we're in another land of plenty and safety (Israel). How easy to become a separated people, while having an open door at church and 'welcome all' to our programmes. In contrast the dominant metaphor for the early church was salt and leaven: being in the world (staying in Egypt) so kingdom salt and leaven can do its work. God's community in stealth operations in enemy territory - infiltrating culture, infecting culture.  

 

Sure, we spend most of our time as individuals 'in the world' - work, school, neighbourhood etc. The challenge is to work out how we as a community can be salt and leaven in culture? How can we work as kingdom teams, deliberately infiltrating sub-groups of culture to be and bring good news?  

 

The future is salt and leaven.

 

   sorry, you can't beat this -

            Verse: Whether he was a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see. John 9:25

 

The unshakable testimony of the man whom Jesus healed.

We may not be too hot on hermeneutics, eschatology and doctrines of the atonement.

But the truth of our experience of grace is rock solid. Of that, we're certain.

 

            Prayer:

                        Hallelujah Lord! My testimony of you is true;

                        Yours and mine together,

                        Simple and clear,

                        Profound and growing,

                        This much I know.

 

                        And yours and mine to give away.

                        Amen Lord.

                       

    sunday@ Discovery:               The stupendous affirmations of Romans 3:21-26

    sunday@ Oaks:            Fully Persuaded, based on Romans 4:18-25

            See you there.

 

     sign off -

Pity the Pope! Just when he get matters concerning Irish church leaders sorted, his brother is reported as hitting children. More damage control needed. Then we have to cope with Destiny Church flak. Sisters and brothers, let's stay on the 'narrow way'. Kingdom work is hard enough without having to deal with our own disasters.

Following Jesus with Jesus - Yes!

Garry

 

End Quote: 'I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment, and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.'  Gilda Radner

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