Post No.2 (slowly getting warmed up)
Ahhh, already it feels better to have had the nasty first post under my belt. One of the habits I would like to get into is to post something at least weekly, if not more regulary. Now of course no one wants to know the insignificant details of my life, so I am going to try not to bore everyone with nothing posts. And if you do like that sort of stuff; just watch Big Brother or prowl around beebo.
But I love great conversation, wrestling with the real issues, having constructive dialogue. For example my mate Dave had some points of difference to an article I had written. We sparred on email for a while before he posted his response. It was great dialogue, and sparked some good discussion for myself, and some of my mates. The issue is if we stayed here. What really bugs me is when those sorts of discussions become the destination, rather than just a discussion on the journey. And when they become the a big deal. When really there is a lot of stuff that we should be way more agitated about if we really follow Jesus. Like this stuff.
Im hoping that this blog will be a healthy outlet for me with some of the stuff rolling round my head, as well as a place where people can violently disagree with me without fear of my incredibly muscular ninja body kicking their ass.
Coz it the end of the day there is a lot that really drives me up the wall, but I am realizing more and more that I don't have all the answers I once thought I did. There are some weird people that call themselves "Christians" out there, and I want to be someone that as much as possible reflects my understanding of who Jesus is, and what it means to follow Him. Even though that is going to look wierd to a lot of people!
Somehow I don't think the photo below quite reflects what I know of Jesus. Jesus didn't alienate people. He did say some pretty hard things from time to time, but I love the way that for the most part it was the religious people that bugged Jesus the most, those were the ones he had the most problem with. And the broken, munted, outcast people on the fringes were the ones he just loved hanging out with, and were the ones most attracted to Jesus.
But I love great conversation, wrestling with the real issues, having constructive dialogue. For example my mate Dave had some points of difference to an article I had written. We sparred on email for a while before he posted his response. It was great dialogue, and sparked some good discussion for myself, and some of my mates. The issue is if we stayed here. What really bugs me is when those sorts of discussions become the destination, rather than just a discussion on the journey. And when they become the a big deal. When really there is a lot of stuff that we should be way more agitated about if we really follow Jesus. Like this stuff.
Im hoping that this blog will be a healthy outlet for me with some of the stuff rolling round my head, as well as a place where people can violently disagree with me without fear of my incredibly muscular ninja body kicking their ass.
Coz it the end of the day there is a lot that really drives me up the wall, but I am realizing more and more that I don't have all the answers I once thought I did. There are some weird people that call themselves "Christians" out there, and I want to be someone that as much as possible reflects my understanding of who Jesus is, and what it means to follow Him. Even though that is going to look wierd to a lot of people!
Somehow I don't think the photo below quite reflects what I know of Jesus. Jesus didn't alienate people. He did say some pretty hard things from time to time, but I love the way that for the most part it was the religious people that bugged Jesus the most, those were the ones he had the most problem with. And the broken, munted, outcast people on the fringes were the ones he just loved hanging out with, and were the ones most attracted to Jesus.
This entry was posted by Sam, on
Tuesday, September 05, 2006.
You can leave your response.
7 September 2006 at 8:21:00 am NZST
Your in-context linking is very impressive.
I have other friends in the wider Church who take a similar line, wanting to distance themselves from the Christians who give us all (and Jesus) a bad name.
I personally call myself Christian and hope to change perceptions through my lifestyle (no need to laugh). But as Dan Kimble told us recently, "Jesus is cool, church is not." I need to be careful that I express my faith and my Jesus-centredness, not my religion and my denomination.
7 September 2006 at 8:21:00 am NZST
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7 September 2006 at 10:30:00 am NZST
reply to gareth...hmmmm religion and denomination arent they the things that have started most of the wars in this world?
7 September 2006 at 12:55:00 pm NZST
Yes, that's why Jesus must be the priority, not that stuff that distracts us and causes conflict (like pews).
7 September 2006 at 9:08:00 pm NZST
dan, that's a terribly naive and unnecessarily provocative thing to say. wars are started by hubris, religion is employed as an opiate to mobilise, war is a human production. but for the life of me i cannot accept that Jesus simple phrase, "love God, Love people" is a recipe for war.
(and the 1st Testament is a curly one on this, but I think you'd be hard pressed to see that it's prescriptive of the Christian lifestyle!)
8 September 2006 at 3:59:00 pm NZST
Mate for what its worth I think that people who start defending terms like 'christian' are missing the point. Who give a rats arse! Its not the creed. Its a term we have used that may not work anymore! Lets get a different one. Remember that when we attack the system, and the language of it, the system will strike back with its high priests saying its all ok...we just need to adjust slightly. Keep it up mate.
Darryl