How church can be decoupled

The sermon this evening was great. On 1 Peter and the increasing anti-christianism of our society with its pollution by paganism and Neo-marxism (in the guise of critical theory, so-called).

The call, therefore? To be bold. The implication? Be informed, learn conversational tactics, know their world-view better than they do. If this is too much. Just understand your own convictions and be able to chat about them in ordinary language from your own experience.

Then came the prayers: not for boldness in proclaiming the gospel, not for wisdom and knowledge (from our hard work) to properly so proclaim, but for money, medicine and oxygen for India. No mention of the Corona circus playing out there, but that was the reason. The prayer then asked for blessing on 'our brothers and sisters in the Sikh temple nearby!! and a vague prayer for the Indian diapora.

I get the picture.

The prayer got the wrong picture.

• gospel opportunities that might come from this crisis?
• Indians might be shaken from the Hindu/Muslim fatalism?
• The diaspora might include Christians who can take Christ to their relatives in India?
• Indian brothers and sisters (our fellow believers) might be encouraged and enabled to boldly, wisely, compassionately and compellingly proclaim the gospel or witness to the Spirit through their kindness, calmness and confidence in Christ?

India could do with help, but the biggest help it needs is the gospel to destroy the powers and principalities in Hinduism, its dreadful caste system, its 'what will be will be' monism and the demon courting of its cultus.

Boldness. We never pray for it.

Paul always prayed for it.

But the new carpet for the church building will have recycled plastic bottle backing. That got a cheer from the young people and some murmurs of gratitude from some enviro-deluded olders. Man. Like this is 'on-mission' but prayer for the gospel is a nullity.