Comments on: At worship in the church of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

By: Aidan

Aidan — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 12:19:36 +0000

These are exactly my thoughts on Christmas.

By: Joshua Goss

Joshua Goss — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:13:44 +0000

Yes! This is so good…

Thank you to both of you. Rev Rog and Mike Frost.

One of the interesting things about Christianity is that Christ both founded a religion and yet signalled the end of all religions. Jesus said there will come a time when we worship in spirit and in truth rather than on one mountain or another.

From what I can tell your both right. In Christianity, we need both the priest and the prophet. If religion loses the prophet, it can become prideful and arrogant. If it loses the priest, then you end up with nothing but silence. Christ can thus be seen as founding an irreligious religion, a religion that critiques the idea of religion, a religion without religion.

By: Michael Frost

Michael Frost — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:37:39 +0000

In reply to Aaron Cantrell. Certainly, if you were there you have a very important opinion. But not being there (and not being from Manchester) doesn't stop us from interpreting the event and the spirituality it presents.

By: Reinhold Scharnowski

Reinhold Scharnowski — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:02:06 +0000

Interesting to follow the comments. I think Mike´s thoughts have some prophetic quality, and looking at society in general, I wholeheartedly agree. Another point of view is the “sheperd´s” perspective, e.g. expressed in Roger Sutton´s response. When you are close and with people, you might see things differently.
Point is: we need both perspectives, even when they are in tension to one another. And problem is, that in today´s postmodern culture, “feeling with people” is what most see as genuine Christian, while stepping back and trying to discern (which Michael does) is regarded with distrust. However, we really must struggle to keep a horizontal and a vertical view together.

By: Gemmel

Gemmel — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 15:55:46 +0000

Our heart go out in love to the people of Manchester and London affected by people whose heart is void of God’s love. May people affected by these senseless acts know personally love that is genuine through Jesus Christ. His death speaks a better word for all mankind in that God’s love is poured out for those willing to accept. The only way to stop terror is for people to know Jesus personally. YES the world needs love and it has been given, waiting for people to be open to receive. Repent and turn for Jesus has all authority and is waiting for you.
Jesus said ” Repent for the Kingdom of God is near” How near is it to you today?

By: Aaron Cantrell

Aaron Cantrell — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:06:43 +0000

In reply to Rev Roger Sutton.

Wow! Thank you Rev Roger Sutton for sharing that! It is often easy to look at an event like that from the outside and write an opinion. It is another thing to be right there where it happened.

I believe this very strongly illustrates the idea that it is easy to teach topics from observing life in the news or in books, and easy to make mistakes when we teach, and possibly reproduce those mistakes. It is much more difficult, yet preferable, to teach through imitation and immersion.

You were there, Rev Sutton. You should be the one to teach us about the church’s response and participation in events like what happened in Manchester.

Just my opinion.

By: Rev Roger Sutton

Rev Roger Sutton — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:37:17 +0000

Interesting thoughts by Mike. However I think you miss a few aspects of the event. This was an expression of grief, compassion, shock and anxiety. I am a pastor and community leader in the city and someone who led a secular vigil 5 days before the concert for nearly 1.000 people including many Muslims, just next to the venue where the convert was held.
The church has been very involved at all levels following the bombing, not I think wanting ‘to be heard’ in a secular society, but simply weeping with those who weep and sharing Christs love.
We don’t stand outside our city looking in observing its rituals and its responses, we are our city, we are the people, we are grieved and shocked and we sing the Manc song “Don’t look back in anger”
I have waited many times outside the same venue the bomber chose to greet my daughter after a concert. I like many parents and young people feel deeply affected.
This is incarnation, being in, among, with, alongside not standing outside observing.
We are deeply proud of our city, with its non judgmental reaction and rejection of hate. That was what the concert was about, we shall stand and sing and cry and cheer. It was a ritual that expressed some of the deepest values of the kingdom of God, we see our role in affirming and being part of that response and not offering a critique.

By: John Airey

John Airey — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 22:38:51 +0000

I find it sad that you took the time to criticise this event. People are sheep without a shepherd and whatever you think about the publicity helping the stars involved going to a concert and getting back safely would help those traumatised by the concert bombing. I was pleased by what Justin Bieber said, not just because it received a cheer because I believe that people will seek God as a result.

Perhaps this will be the way that this nation comes back to God, quite the opposite effect that the terrorists had in mind.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 18:57:07 +0000

Numbing grief with celebrity performance is what the secular society does and has always done in one way or another. I am skeptical of these events as I tend to see them for what they ultimately are…major publicity exposure for celebrities. They don’t need the money so it’s no sacrifice for them to do a benefit concert from time to time. The good PR that comes from the event will pay off big time later.

Last summer, one of the teens in my church community died suddenly while serving at a summer camp. The church responded with a gathering to do one thing – grieve and lament together. For 2 hours we cried, sang songs of lament, read Bible passages of lament, and simply sat in quietness. Everyone left exhausted yet full.

I agree with you that the church should be willing to participate in such public rituals like OLM, joining our voices with those of the grieving and the fearful in places like Manchester, London, and Melbourne. But I’ll take our churches lament gathering over a star-studded benefit concert any day.

By: Donny

Donny — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 18:17:31 +0000

I wonder if Isis sees Justin Beiber and Miley Cyrus as representatives of the Christian West