tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post2966374157486596811..comments2024-03-28T08:30:20.260+01:00Comments on The Ugley Vicar: Challenging our Culture: What you need is hopeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-54737305217781236752014-04-01T01:38:58.966+01:002014-04-01T01:38:58.966+01:00Sadly John has died on the 31st March 2014 from br...Sadly John has died on the 31st March 2014 from brain cancer. Prayers for his family and friends. AmenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-12564629328779590292010-01-10T23:37:49.008+01:002010-01-10T23:37:49.008+01:00Sorry I didn't see this back in Advent. Anoth...Sorry I didn't see this back in Advent. Another blog linked to it so here I am a season late.<br /><br />Today I had the people take a look at Psalm 88:12, which is exactly the issue you pose: can there be anything after the time runs out? And the Psalmist bellows it at God from a poem of unrelenting despair.<br /><br />How blessedly amazing it is that God breathed these words into Scripture. What terrible agony he must have allowed to "inspire" the Psalmist to such words, yet here they are as God's Word written.<br /><br />They cause us to butt up against the reality that the church is too much about divvying up the satisfied and attractive, when the body of Christ really should be walking around in "the grave and place of destruction," preaching Jesus to the people there - the people so marginal or crushed that time continuing is just as bad as time running out.<br /><br />Like many clergy, I was not "bred" to walk into that place, and so in many ways I retard the growth of Christ's body. It is as though I must find a way of repentance which lets me respond to Psalm 88:12 with, "Here I am! Send me!" I need the coal to touch my lips. <br /><br />Thank you, as always, for your struggling and sharing.TLF+https://www.blogger.com/profile/01650010433581488888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-56669733449457701102009-12-15T22:51:31.043+01:002009-12-15T22:51:31.043+01:00I'd say nothing at all, which is why I chose t...I'd say nothing at all, which is why I chose to reject ChristianityMerseymikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07231364271812168188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-16629098795831549562009-12-11T20:28:51.259+01:002009-12-11T20:28:51.259+01:00how odd - I have just written a very similar artic...how odd - I have just written a very similar article for New Directions! Read it in Jan! Spooky.....Ed Tomlinsonhttp://www.sbarnabas.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-64304812196120845432009-12-10T19:11:36.639+01:002009-12-10T19:11:36.639+01:00Thanks, John. I appreciate you taking the time to...Thanks, John. I appreciate you taking the time to expound on the Alpha issue (and I concur with your concern).An Anxious Anglicanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16630532668798784975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-27655599390249257782009-12-10T15:04:09.434+01:002009-12-10T15:04:09.434+01:00John
I don't get too involved in the old eart...John<br /><br />I don't get too involved in the old earth/young earth issues. Even if I was convinced of a young earth absolutely your point about entropy remains true.<br /><br />As someone simply reading the bible I can see how Genesis 1-3 could be interpreted in non-literal ways. My problem lies with texts beyond these first three chapters.<br /><br />What are we to make of Ex 20:11 for in six days God made the heavens and earth and sea and all that is in them...<br /><br />Or Jesus comment in the divorce discussion, 'in the beginning it was not so' which seems to suggest that Adam and Eve were created at the beginning of creation. (I'm assuming here a literal Adam and Eve).<br /><br />It is how the rest of Scripture understands Gen 1-3 that draws me to a young earth.<br /><br />Any comments?John Thomsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-9140480869350801012009-12-10T14:59:02.353+01:002009-12-10T14:59:02.353+01:00Ro- I heard of that paper from Garry Williams, but...Ro- I heard of that paper from Garry Williams, but I've never been able to track down a copy. Where do we get one?<br /><br />Stephen Walton<br />MarburyStephen Waltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18442509405293891085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-18028679675624701502009-12-10T12:47:05.962+01:002009-12-10T12:47:05.962+01:00John,
I imagine you have read Michael Watts "...John,<br /><br />I imagine you have read Michael Watts "Why did the English stop going to Church?" (Dr.Williams Library, 1995). Watts argued that the main reason for church decline is the decline in belief and preaching on hell and judgement. Would be good to have your thoughts on Watts's thesis.<br /><br />Ro Mody.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-20693798763779991322009-12-10T10:26:12.372+01:002009-12-10T10:26:12.372+01:00First Anonymous,
Sorry not to reply sooner. I thi...First Anonymous,<br /><br />Sorry not to reply sooner. I think a lot of Christians believe Alpha is 'the' answer, and there is no denying it has had a certain effectiveness - though I think not as great on the ground in conversions as in the churches in Alpha groups.<br /><br />The relevance to the theme is in the issue of Christian experience. What should this experience be? It is often touted as a more fulfilled life or indeed, as in UK Focus, often as an outwardly more enjoyable life.<br /><br />In the Bible, by contrast, I see 'trials and tribulations' for all concerned. Such trials can include illness, loss of earnings, hatred from your own family, marriage breakup (see 1 Cor 7) etc. But over all this there is <i>hope</i> - and hope has a vital effect on the here and now. Without hope life is unbearable. With hope, anything is bearable.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-59717289956155883672009-12-09T22:13:07.727+01:002009-12-09T22:13:07.727+01:00Iconoclast, after a trip round one particular east...Iconoclast, after a trip round one particular east London cemetery, I decided I'd have, "Not Resting, Just Dead."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-86318745580004461522009-12-09T22:09:03.731+01:002009-12-09T22:09:03.731+01:00Excellent blog. Though, in reference to a previou...Excellent blog. Though, in reference to a previous blog, I might say that if any other music than Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos is to be heard in heaven I should like it to be that of Jackson Browne. However, given his lyrics, this is extremely and tragically unlikely.John Thomsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-70832664862197947212009-12-09T20:33:09.427+01:002009-12-09T20:33:09.427+01:00When I die I would like
"To be Continued&quo...When I die I would like<br /><br />"To be Continued"<br /><br />on my gravestoneIconoclasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116458600394816212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-80492780437256025272009-12-09T18:00:03.109+01:002009-12-09T18:00:03.109+01:00Anonymous, even if I were a young-earth Creationis...Anonymous, even if I were a young-earth Creationist, which I am not, I would still be looking for links between what the 'person in the cafe' thinks about life and what the gospel has to say. I don't think the most important thing at this point is whether the earth is very old or just old, but rather that we should all agree it is coming to an end. I think the approach is comparable to that used by Paul in Athens, quoting 'pagan' poets to make a Christian point.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-19428229243525676532009-12-09T17:55:11.154+01:002009-12-09T17:55:11.154+01:00The "current model" for the age of the e...The "current model" for the age of the earth is fairly clearly set out by God in his little book about His world, it is called the Bible I believe.<br /><br />The age given there is approximately 7-9,000 years. And the 'end point' is also defined there as being when God chooses it to be.<br /><br />Do you as an 'evangelical' choose not to believe what He tells you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-1755023641072774512009-12-09T15:06:07.388+01:002009-12-09T15:06:07.388+01:00Great post, and a timely Advent message! One digr...Great post, and a timely Advent message! One digression comes to mind, though: I live in a parish that is, shall we say, very, very enthusiastic about the Alpha model, and it has permeated from an outreach/evangelistic tool to discipleship device, as well, using small groups. I feel uncomfortable with all this, and was wondering why you thought that your "non-endorsement" of Alpha was relevant to your larger theme.An Anxious (but hopeful) Anglicannoreply@blogger.com