tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post3414311476160442131..comments2024-03-28T08:30:20.260+01:00Comments on The Ugley Vicar: It's official - not 'five marks of mission', but oneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-71087689621327669312012-02-06T15:17:12.212+01:002012-02-06T15:17:12.212+01:00Revd John: we may differ on several key issues but...Revd John: we may differ on several key issues but here you made my heart rejoice: 'My experience within conservative evangelical circles is that there are many areas of life - for example to do with business, ambition, class, culture, etc - where we do not give nearly enough attention to the implications of the gospel.'<br /><br />I used to work for a fairly well known (in the South East at least) faith based charity that provides residential, nursing and housing care for disabled people. The charity then had 22 homes, with 22 respective managers – of which only two where regular, communicant church members. As one of these I was asked by the PR/Fund-raising department to do an interview on Premier Radio about the ‘Witness’ of the charity. The picture being painted was that the homes were staffed by committed Christians and that there was a tangible expression of Christianity in the day to day work of the homes. I pointed out that this wasn’t true and that the vast majority of staff weren’t practicing Christians – moreover when you’re charging the taxpayer the top end of the market rate for the care provided, it is difficult to say the work is the ‘fruit of Christian charity’. The net result is that I was dropped from the interview and a tame Evangelical priest was used who just said what he was told to say. I pointed out that this was bearing false witness – I was told that in the real world, Christians would hear this and donate money and that was the point of the exercise – no one needed to know about the ‘truth’ of faith based residential care. The woman who said this was in fact a member of a well known London Evangelical Anglican church, yet she saw no conflict with her beliefs and her practice. I presume she deluded herself by use of the ‘greater good’ argument. <br /><br />I give this as an example the issue you highlight. If I chose to look at the Anglicanmainstream or Christian Institute websites, will I see evidence of this need for a ‘many areas of life’ approach? No, in the main there is a disproportionate interest in matters sexual. This is highly damaging both within and without the Church – there seems to be the facile belief that all you need do to be a card carrying Evangelical is put your hands in the air to Shine Jesus Shine, have a penchant for gingham and tow the line when it comes to how the matter of other people’s sexuality should be viewed. There is a good deal of straining gnats and swallowing camels... And if churches are to be salt and light, then the cost has to be a little higher than just jawing on it comes to homosexuality!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-24192977824213269082012-01-26T18:16:46.273+01:002012-01-26T18:16:46.273+01:00Emm - good stuff.Emm - good stuff.Rev R Marszalekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01831340057673771787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-24230492468804000282012-01-24T09:05:21.549+01:002012-01-24T09:05:21.549+01:00Thanks John+, good article.Thanks John+, good article.MichaelAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-60693623376412027732012-01-24T00:12:25.925+01:002012-01-24T00:12:25.925+01:00Hi Dan. My experience within conservative evangeli...Hi Dan. My experience within conservative evangelical circles is that there are many areas of life - for example to do with business, ambition, class, culture, etc - where we do not give nearly enough attention to the implications of the gospel. We are good on a narrow range of things, but we have yet to achieve anything like the breadth of application of our forebears.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03590979027426082714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031852996869768738.post-235487120172451372012-01-23T23:42:11.103+01:002012-01-23T23:42:11.103+01:00"And his lordship must extend into every area..."And his lordship must extend into every area of the lives of those whom he saves. There is a challenge here for the more conservative evangelical."<br /><br />Sorry, why?<br /><br />Dan Baynes<br />Barton SeagraveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com