In Ian Randall's article about early baptists in the UK he gives five points that characterised them, with point 5 being about telling the story. He explains how the gospel story and how the story of each believer aligned with it was a key focus of their shared life together as Christian disciples.
Ian calls for imaginative ways of telling the story, with which I thoroughly concur. Story-telling amongst other things seems to have universal power across cultures and ages - it is a tool we ignore at our peril. The Bible is full of story, in Old and New Testaments. God, it seems, chooses to reveal himself through the ongoing outworking of story.
As we seek to re-herald Gospel truths in today's culture it seems to me that we would do well to find, as Ian suggests, vivid ways of telling the story.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Let God be God
There are many peculiarities in the book of Job, much to ponder. But the one that has struck me is Job's final response to God's words to him. In other words, chapter 42 verses 1 to 6.
Thats my point! Just 6 verses of response! After all the pages and pages, different things said by Job, other people, and then by God - many of them being multi-chapter lectures - Job responds with just 6 verses. In fact one of those is telling us that it is Job's response, so in reality it is only 5.
And even those 5 don't really say much. Kind of 'okay God, you have indeed spoken. So now I repent. End of.'
Notice how quickly things can then move on after just those few words. All the arguments, the counter-arguments, the twisting and turning, is resolved and made good now Job effectively says 'Let God be God'. In fact he can immediately be involved in other people's restoration (see v8-9) as well as going on to receive his own.
How much can happen, how much progress be made, when we cut our words short and let God be God ...
Thats my point! Just 6 verses of response! After all the pages and pages, different things said by Job, other people, and then by God - many of them being multi-chapter lectures - Job responds with just 6 verses. In fact one of those is telling us that it is Job's response, so in reality it is only 5.
And even those 5 don't really say much. Kind of 'okay God, you have indeed spoken. So now I repent. End of.'
Notice how quickly things can then move on after just those few words. All the arguments, the counter-arguments, the twisting and turning, is resolved and made good now Job effectively says 'Let God be God'. In fact he can immediately be involved in other people's restoration (see v8-9) as well as going on to receive his own.
How much can happen, how much progress be made, when we cut our words short and let God be God ...
Friday, 27 January 2012
Love Affairs
How much can the first few chapters of Proverbs be considered to be about the Holy Spirit (i.e. equating 'wisdom' with the Spirit)? If they can, then should chapters 5 to 9 be read symbolically. In other words are they describing a life that seeks God and His Spirit against a life that goes off with foreign gods?
The warnings against adultery would then align with the illustrations used in the prophets, where Israel's attention to foreign gods is described as blatant adultery. That therefore makes sense. What is more interesting is then is the latter part of chapter 5 which uses quite sexually explicit language. Can this be (symbolically) referring to a life lived with God, the wife of Israel's youth?
If so then our life with and seeking after God can be described legitimately as a beautiful love affair; one that leads to blessing, to truth and right ways of living.
The warnings against adultery would then align with the illustrations used in the prophets, where Israel's attention to foreign gods is described as blatant adultery. That therefore makes sense. What is more interesting is then is the latter part of chapter 5 which uses quite sexually explicit language. Can this be (symbolically) referring to a life lived with God, the wife of Israel's youth?
If so then our life with and seeking after God can be described legitimately as a beautiful love affair; one that leads to blessing, to truth and right ways of living.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Religio-tainment?
Before Christmas we decided to go to a carol service at a Cathedral not so far away. It was packed out. The choir was in good form, leading us in the familiar congregational carols as well as singing other special pieces for us. It was somewhat high brow for me, to be honest not really my thing, but I have to say done very well done all round.
Last summer we went to a regular Hillsong service in London which was also well attended. The music style was obviously different (and more to my taste), a very inefficient sermon (words to real content ratio) but with all the flashing lights and other razzmattaz I would say it was also very well done.
Yet during the Cathedral service I realised something that I believe connects the two. In their own respective ways is there not a big danger that they are both 'religio-tainment' - entertaining the crowds with the best that their styles can offer?
For one the style dates from two or three centuries back, the other represents the contemporary worship set full on. I'm sure back in its day the Cathedral style was the bees knees of worship for people who could get there to attend, currently Hillsong fits that bill for us.
The New Testament doesn't give us that much to go on in terms of format for a worship service, but 1 Corinthians 14 does suggest most or all bringing something they can contribute. That might sound like a recipe for chaos - well yes, hence the need for Paul to write that chapter to find some order! The point for me is that there was clearly interaction across and between members of the body. It clearly wasn't simply religio-tainment professionally led from the front.
Last summer we went to a regular Hillsong service in London which was also well attended. The music style was obviously different (and more to my taste), a very inefficient sermon (words to real content ratio) but with all the flashing lights and other razzmattaz I would say it was also very well done.
Yet during the Cathedral service I realised something that I believe connects the two. In their own respective ways is there not a big danger that they are both 'religio-tainment' - entertaining the crowds with the best that their styles can offer?
For one the style dates from two or three centuries back, the other represents the contemporary worship set full on. I'm sure back in its day the Cathedral style was the bees knees of worship for people who could get there to attend, currently Hillsong fits that bill for us.
The New Testament doesn't give us that much to go on in terms of format for a worship service, but 1 Corinthians 14 does suggest most or all bringing something they can contribute. That might sound like a recipe for chaos - well yes, hence the need for Paul to write that chapter to find some order! The point for me is that there was clearly interaction across and between members of the body. It clearly wasn't simply religio-tainment professionally led from the front.
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