G.K. Chesterson Saint Francis of Assisi

 

This was a short little book, so I downed it. In many ways I'm fascinated just as much by the author as Assisi. I started to notice Chesterson after reading Brian Mclarens a generous Othodoxy. It seemed as if many of Brian's referencing came from Chesterson. Then only recently after reading Paul Ham I was quite disappointed to find he was in the pro war camp of 1914

Anyway Assisi, I read and felt that I really didn't know Assisi. Most of Chesterson's writing was in the grid of nearly 100 years ago. When there was the British Empire and the only religion was Christianity. Most of Assisi's deeds where seen though this colonial view. I would like to read Assisi without this baggage.

He did have a few quotes such as "Christ came before Christianity" or something like that. It just reinforced to me that this puts into perspective the importance of differentiating Christ And Christianty. Reinforcing how difficult it is to find the historical Jesus.

2/5

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Election of a Pope, how foreign it all is...

 

You can't help read the news without seeing something about the election of a new Pope.

I've looked through the candidates and can't help reflect that they will be all following the last Pope John Paul's, conservative roots. Celibacy, no condoms, no women ordination, etc etc.

I reflect on this while watching them, cardinals brightly dressed in red, old men. They appear completely out of place. I wonder if they have twitter, facebook accounts? Know what the latest music the young people are listening to where they live? Have an reflection on a current movie? I watch these elders shuffling along thinking of Nick Caves song "God is in the house" and wonder where?

I can't help thinking that the Catholic Church will continue to loose its way regarding relevancy. Its a shame Catholicism has a lot to offer, I love its mysticism, it's depth of theology,it's breathing with seasons.

But the Church appears uninspiring with the leaders it is putting forward.

Eat Pray Love, by Eliszabeth Gilbert

I've just started on Eat Pray and Love, and in the third chapter. The main character writes about her understanding of God and Christianity::

"Culturally, though not theologically, I'm a Christian. I was born a Protestant of the white Anglao-Saxon persuasion. And while I do love the great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can't swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christi is the only path to God. Strictly speaking then, I cannot call myself a Christian"

I think this is pretty much spot on for the majority of white Anglo-Saxon's. It could easily be a definition for those in the 'Post Church' category. It is one of the huge hurdles which is getting wider which Christianity main denominations need to face.

 

Facebook the new antichrist?

It had to happen. A pastor in America has banned facebook with his congregation. From Out of Ur blog ::

Reverend Cedric Miller of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in New Jersey has banned Facebook. He's ordered about 50 married church officials to delete their accounts or resign and has called on married people in his 1,100-member congregation to delete their Facebook accounts. The problem isn't productivity lost to Farmville—it's adultery.
Miller said 20 couples from his church have had marital problems in the last six months after a spouse reconnected with an old flame on Facebook. "What happens is someone from yesterday surfaces, it leads to conversations, and there have been physical meet-ups. The temptation is just too great."

Its pretty sad that once again 'laws' are implemented in Church. I wonder if there could have been any other way around this for the Rev'd Miller. Such as some sort of accountability group, or discussion group on 'wise choices' for facebook.

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How big is your God?

Image via Wikipedia

I had a interesting conversation the other day. Talking to a person who goes to a Church down my way. I asked what the preaching was about this Sunday. (I think you can often remember how well a speaker is by what is remembered.)
There reply was that it was about the 'Greens' and how they are out to wreck everything Christian.
I replied that I didn't think this was true that many of the greens policy's where similar to Jesus actions. Such as looking out for the disadvantaged, renewal of the earth etc etc.
Then they laid out what they thought was their winning hand.
"But Bob Brown is a homosexual".

In many ways I'm glad I've moved on from Charismatic / Evangelical Church. The theology for me is just barrier to loving people.

I found this interesting transcript of Bob Brown when he had a meeting with the "Exclusive Brethern" regarding his senate enqurie

ON GAY RELATIONSHIPS
Bob Brown: As you probably know, I'm gay and I have a same-sex partner and that's a loving relationship.
David Thomas: But that's against, that's against — we repel it because it's against God's word.
BB: God is love, you know. It may be against a written scripture, but you know there is a lot in the scripture that would be horrified if it were brought into reality and were carried out in its literal word.
DT: We don't want to debate it … I'm just saying my reaction to it when you read Romans 1, I mean it's what happens. People get themselves so perverted and they just can't think morally.
BB: My thinking may have been like that many, many years ago. But I've realised that God has created a very diverse world in which love is a big key and hate is a very big foe. But we get ourselves into trouble when we think we can define where the boundaries are where love should be cut short.
Richard Garrett: We've got to discern, we're mixing up love and lust. Now you referred to yourself personally, it certainly wasn't my, I mean I didn't intend to bring it up at all. You're happy to, I appreciate that. My concern is when policies like that, same-sex marriages, are being put forward as it's becoming law. Government making provision for same-sex marriages, now that is completely and utterly wrong. It's against God.
BB: My view is that it is completely and utterly right and it's part of God's creation.

 Also I find it interesting his description of been a "lapsed Presbyterian" .

I would be genuinely interested in Bob Browns understanding of God. His story of been a Presbyterian then becoming a homosexual then to the leader of the 'Greens'. I'm sure that for many his story would be helpful. Especially for those Christians who because of there gender orientation have had to walk away. Often with very painful experiences.

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Transgender and Christianity

My good friend over at Un-sync-able Scott/Ellie has posted some more thoughts on being transgendered and Christianity. I found it amazing his wife's Lisa's perspective.

AND FINALLY SOME THOUGHTS FROM LISA AND WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING MARRIED TO A TG:
Hi from Lisa, Ellie Whites wife. Just want to let people know having married this beautiful person as a man 18 years ago and then only 6 years ago discovering why s/he had felt so out of place in this world all of hir (his/her in tg terms) life. There was heartache stress and trauma for me yes but after a lot of self soul searching realized that s/he was still the same person that I had spent my adult life with and had 4 beautiful children with. I now realise that just because he looks like a man (although not for very much longer) he really does think, act and feel like a woman. {More so than me sometimes} God did not make a mistake, s/he is the most caring, giving, loving 'wife' and parent anyone could wish for. I see the hourly struggle, anxiety, pain and suffering s/he goes through in just trying to survive in hir own misfitted body and the rejection, isolation and misunderstanding s/he faces from many others.

And it is true the suicide rate is far too high in this group of beautiful but too often unacceptable people. Ellie has been so close on a few occassions and that is difficult for me to deal with. S/he has felt so much guilt about what myself and hir kids suffer that I have been close to it at times too. Because I then feel guilt cos I don't feel I am being as supportive loving or accepting as I could be. We absolutely love each other but it doesn't mean we don't struggle with it constantly. This is not a 'normal' situation and no-one really understands so please anyone out there who calls themselves a christian and loves Jesus, remember every second of every day that in this society #particularly christian circles# we struggle with peoples uneducated fundamental views and that hurts us to the core. All we ask is to be shown grace, love and understanding.

I can't believe how brave she is. Their journey has been incredibly tough. I'm so glad they are sharing it so that at least for me I can understand some of there pain.
The other thing that I conclude reading their story is that Jesus would be among them, sharing their pain. Not judging weighing up wrong and right. Just being with them.
I've concluded that people do not choose this path, it is one of to much pain. Yet it is fate which these guys have been given; I can only support them and try my best as I think Jesus would do.

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Ann Rice and what most Christians want to do.

I've never read any books by Ann Rice but recently on her facebook page she put up the following:

For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.

Its something that a lot of Christians would like to do. Walk away from the dogma and just follow Christ.

I don't think you can do it. You need to be sharpened and cared for, share stories. The only place I know is the Church, and within some home group/cell/house church.

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Cannibalism and Christianity...

Reading Triumph of the Nomads by Geoffery Blainy and came accross this:

In that century (18th Century) cannibalism was often regarded as the antithesis of civilization, and so viewed even by many who regularly took Holy Communion and believed they were thereby eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ. In fact, may aboriginals ate human flesh in the same spirit, believing that they thus acquired some of the strength of those who had died.

It is interesting that this ancient people had this belief; that in a strange way some similarity to Christianity...

Faith, hope and doubt

One late, late night shift, I was having a conversation about Christianity and its claims of 'no other way than Jesus'. I find it easy to talk about the existence of God, but the argument of an exclusiveness of Christianity is flawed. It is a loosing battle.

The issues is one of history, archeology and culture. All three reveal religions that are much older than Christianity, with just as much validity in the eyes of the secular.

Christianity also relies on history, archeology and culture, but its main foundation is the 'Bible'. The Bible has an amazing story, of how it came to be collated and surprisingly its final composition is relatively recent. 

It is interesting the Wikipedia's definition of fundamentalism::

Fundamentalism refers to a belief in a strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often religious in nature), sometimes as a reaction to perceived doctrinal compromises with modern social and political life.

^{Richard Dawkins from the same article goes on to include::}

...clinging to a stubborn, entrenched position that defies reasoned argument or contradictory evidence.

^{One argument which I see as disturbing is the correlation between violence and fundamentalism. Supermarket Monkey quotes a 'Dr Becks'}

If statistics are to be believed, a great deal of the violence in the world is due to ideology. True believers are dangerous. Doubters, by contrast, tend to be pretty peaceable. Their self-suspicions tend to throw cold water on the violent impulses inherent in ideology and belief. Doubters will have softer more empathic hearts because the answers they seek are not yet within their possession. The answers are still "out there" to some extent. Thus, the doubter leans into the world with a hopeful expectation.

For me doubt comes easily. But then again so does hope. It is hope the engine room for my faith. It is hope which drives my belief of the narrative of the Christian story. It is hope which pushes aside the hard questions of belief and the ugly side of doctrine. Yet tempered with doubt....

Jesus is my Hot Rod

Last weekend saw a tidal wave of Hot Rods in Cowes. They were all lined up along the Esplanade with there owners having a proud twinkle in there eyes.
I don't particularly like cars. They are more of a necessity than anything else. So I tried to imagine why you would be so enthusiastic about a car.
Power :: How much horse power.
Speed:: Over a quarter of a mile?
Asthetics:: Beauty, color, style
Head turner:: The ability of these attributes to turn someone like me to have a look!
All of these produce a passion with there owners.

I wondered what attributes that a male would like about God?

For me there are aesthetics, in nature,
There is power,
There is the quest to search and understand God, through a number of thing (the nature of evil, the beauty in restoration etc)

As in my previous post I want to write about the great commandment that Jesus gave in Mathew 22. The message also uses the word 'intellegence' as well as 'passion.' Important verbs to describe 'love'.

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.

I think the Hot Rod owners by intuition have an understanding to 'love', holistically with their cars more so than we do with our understanding of Jesus.
Christian worship I would say has polarized our view of God, 'Jesus is my boy friend', has narrowed our understanding of the attributes of God to the Eros. The prominence of Eros has meant that, just as a teenage lover. We disengage our brain. We feel for the moment.
In my own denomination the Vineyard. 'Intimacy' is often equated with the first commandment. That 'presence' has been equated with the 'Eros' of intimacy. To the exclusion of the other meaning of love.
It is no wonder, that males are the minority within Church today....
Photo agknowlegement :bengt-re's photostream

Christian Marketing

One of my favorite blogs 'Seth Godin's Blog' has written a post 'Think like me agree with me", while it is fundamentally a marketing blog there are numerous implications for Christians....

When you're trying to sell your idea, it's natural to assume that the people you're selling to think the way you do. If you can only show them the facts and stories that led you to believe what you believe, then of course they'll end up where you are... believing

The problem, of course, is that people don't always think like you.

Yep this is the same as Christians who do evangelism or mission. They don't realize that the world has moved on to looking at all things in a pluralistic manner including spirituality.

Seth goes on to give two work a rounds, the first is::

The challenge doesn't lie in getting them to know what you know. It won't help. The challenge lies in helping them see your idea through their lens, not yours. If you study the way religions and political movements spread, you can see that this is exactly how it works. Marketers of successful ideas rarely market the facts. Instead, they market stories that match the worldview of the people being marketed to.

This is a hard option because it involves incarnational mission. Really understanding who you are reaching, through their eyes.

And the second::

[There's an alternative, one that you might want to think hard about: perhaps you should only market your idea to people who already think the way you do. After all, you're not running for president, you don't need a majority. Screen people by their behavior (what they read, what they buy, how they act) and only tell your story to the people who will embrace it. That's a lot easier to do that than it's ever been before.]

I think this is where Christianity is currently stuck. Its easier to market your church and brand of Christianity to Christians. It is easier to sell to existing Christians than do the hard work converting new followers in a pluralistic society. What happens is sheep stealing. The majority of church growth comes from existing churches.

Sheep photo credits brew ha ha's

No preacher man for us!

Georgie Pilcher from the Herald Sun, has written an article which describes how couples would rather a civil ceremony rather than a Church ceremony.

Some of the reasons ::

"The idea of a god blessing their relationship isn't relevant to them," she said.

"People are saying 'it is up to us, we are committing to each other and not to God'."

Dosn't surprise me really the article. Its just another indication of how religion mainly Christianity is loosing its standing in society. Yes folks we are living in Post-Christendom.