Christianity and its flaws?

Kid's ministry

Notes from our Kid's ministry meeting. Sorry about the handwriting unclarity!

Lewis hits the big time

Great example of quietly maintaining a Christian voice, in a university alumni magazine.

"Worship"

I know that following popular US churchianity, we like to call our singing in church congregations "worship", despite Romans 12:1, but here's a thought, from Robert Heinlein's book Stranger in a Strange Land:

Of course, he omits the Scriptures on our connection with God as a familial one, but then, few Christians bother to proclaim this as the core of the gospel: created in love, fallen, redeemed...for? Eternal joy in fellowship with our Creator; and so the circle closes neatly.

Accountability

I've only called this post 'accountability' because it might be a word searched for, and, who knows, this post might turn up.

We are into the final chapter of Frosts book on the magic 5, and the topic of 'accountabilty' is taken out for a run in this chapter.

My hope is that it runs away.

'Accountability' is an idea that belongs in business and formal organisation structures. Not in the church (aside from formal roles where one having taken a role is accountable to the church as a whole or the nominating committee on the basis of what one has promised to do, but that's another matter).

It is also an idea that finds a home in legalism and flourishes in cults.

But how do Christians relate to each other?

• Encourage one another: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13
• Bear one another's burdens: Galatians 6: 1-2
• Show the fruit of the spirit: Galatians 5:22-23
• Not under compulsion: 1 Peter 5:2
• Don't judge within the church: 1 Corinthians 5:12
• Hope all things: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I don't get a flavour of 'accountable' anywhere here!

Christian Education

I am rather excited by the prospect of  a meeting next week of our church to discuss the curriculum for children and young people's Christian education.

The convenor of this ministry wants to ensure that parents are involved in the design of the curriculum.

Wonderful.

I'll be there promoting my thoughts.

Religion? Optional?

I saw a sign at my local shopping centre about our recent census debacle (brought to you by debacle central - the Australian Public Service - with assistance from IBM.

The census invited us to tell which of about a dozen 'religions' we adhered to. It was optional to answer.

The sign urged those with no express religious affiliation to mark 'no religion', rather than repeat a remembered family or parental affiliation.

Fair enough.

Then I reflected on my own answer on the by then operative website. First I marked an affiliation. Then pondered. Heck, I don't want the government knowing something so personal and so irrelevant to government about  me. I want to un click the box I'd clicked. No could do. I had to now click something else. So I did 'other' and described my 'other' as 'optional'.

Worked for me, and none of their business.

Wretched

Small groups 'unpacked'?

Great satire, but hits the mark on 'accountability'.