Only two religions

 There are but two religions: worship of the creation, and worship of the creator.

The first step is to figure out what you are worshipping. Then establish the grounds for worship of the creator instead of the creation or creature.

And worship? Simply turning to the one worshiped as the orienting ground of your life and thought. The choice in simple terms: dust (the creation) or mind (the living creator).

 But here's the issue with worship of the creature/creation: it is seeking a resolution of the dilemma of the human condition from within the domain that hosts that condition. Like trying to lift yourself by your boot straps. No. The resolution has to come from outside the grand system of corruption that we are in: thus the Creator enters the creation, taking on human nature to overcome the corruption, demonstrated in the resurrection. And as tangible as our life and the creation itself: within the stream of history that we are also in.

Rescue comes really, and only from outside the sinking ship; not by moving its deck-chairs.

The church to join?

 How do you find a church to join?

Here's a tip: look for one like the one in this letter from a minister to his church as it looks to the year ahead.

This is a small country church in a large enough town.

The congregational committee started to meet for this year.  The committee members are A, B, C, D and F (names obscured, of course), and they will look after rosters, music and training readers.

We have four adult Bible classes for first half-year:

The Rector                   Practical Discipleship

Rector's warden           Genesis

Bishop Jones (ret'd)    The Psalms of Messiah

Deaconess Smith        Minor Prophets

There are five home groups this year. Joe Flynn will be the secretary to organize them with the groups being hosted by: Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Yoshio Yoda, Jane Dulo and Lisa Seagram.

Our year started with a thanksgiving prayer meeting in which 20 participated.

Following on from this in February we held our Home Group Launch to which 78 people come (pot-luck lunch and very enjoyable).

Men's Mountain is back after a successful year last year. This year we have some great dinners lined up with speakers from far and near, including Bishop Jones talking about his adventures in the bush with Leon Morris all those years ago.

The Men's Mountain project this year is to help St Eric's at Junee with their first steps towards prison ministry. We'll be staying on a wheat farm! St Eric, as you man know, is the patron saint of Law.

The first of our community seminars was for our older folk, or those with older parents and dealt with aged care options and legal concerns.Brad and Janet organized it.

Our next community seminar will be on managing the work-life-kids-rest-hobbies balance. It will be in May, details to come later.

This year our sermon pattern will be each month:

1st Sunday: OT

2nd Sunday: NT

3rd Sunday: Theology

4th Sunday: Society, that is apologetic and social issues with a biblical critique.

The 5th Sunday,  when it occurs will be on an aspect of church history.

Of course the names have been obscured (with the cast of McHale's Navy), but you get the drift. It's  a little church that you've got to love!