Where you stand effects what you see

Where you stand effects what you see. And I suppose when you stand in a place of comfort, the way that you see the bible, the way that you see your faith is very much through that lens. And so i guess the challenge for me has been to stand in some different places and particularly some more challenging places, and alongside some people who are facing some particular challenges and see how very much different the bible looks from those vantage points.

One day i realised that I believed all the things i was supposed to, and it made absolutely no difference to the way that i lived. I was no different to the person next to me. My wife challenged both of us "If we really believed all the things we say about God - it would actually radically change the way we live." And so I guess our challenge since then has been to bridge that gap between what we say we believe and the way that we live.

Those quotes are from Rev Simon Moyle in an interview on ABC's Sunday Nights when asked about his upbringing in 'middle class, Sunday morning comfort'.

When Jesus says that he's come to bring life, what he doesn't mean is just the white picket fence with a house in the suburbs. He's actually saying something much greater.

It's good to get this kind a challenge from time to time. Often as a church we retreat from the world and focus on ourselves. Too much of this means our faith suffers (through a narrow perspective) and our actions become less like Jesus. This is not good for us, and not good the neighbours we are called to love.

Kingdom Of God

What did Jesus mean by the "Kingdom of God" and how is it relevant today? That was the topic for discussion on the Palm Sunday episode on ABC Sunday Nights.


Suggestions included "a different way of living" and "letting God be in charge for a change". Part of the discussion was how church itself (as a rich institution) is often an obstacle to living out godly values. (Side note: I was recently sent this picture by a friend)

"What other organisation in Australia has people gathering every week in every community across the nation? Why cannot we be a very strong voice for an alternative way of living? We just seem to freak away from it."

One guest, Prof Richard Burridge, asked "To what extent does the church and its teaching follow Jesus?" and gave money and war as two examples of the church historically acting contrary to the gospel. He also lamented the current trend to refer to a "biblical" lifestyle, based on "one or two areas of sexuality" and completely missing Jesus' radical challenge to society operates.

He thinks that "far too often we're reading it (the bible) in terms of a mirror and using it to reflect back our previous prejudices." Rev Ray Cleary agreed, saying "every Christian ought to be up in arms about our treatment of asylum seekers".

Perhaps the most telling remark came right at the end. "Those who want to follow the path of the crucified, have got to look out for thorns." Often, i'm not sure we're ready for that kind of discomfort.

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Soft music and candles

Occasionally, i talk about the ways in which church culture repels men. One of the main ways is by presenting faith in very romantic terms. This is dubious enough on its own, but heard through the ears of a man (given that Jesus is also male) it becomes doubly weird.

I found an example in my email. A church friend pitches a pre-Easter event like this:

We're opening the church up from 6pm-8pm, where it'll be candle-lit with soft music playing in the background. [..] an opportunity to quietly prepare our hearts [..] this is a great place to be stilling your heart before God and listening to His still small voice.

Seriously, that was in the invite. And people wonder why men are disappearing from church!

Aussies OK with Jesus

That was an article headline this Easter weekend by Perth's Sunday Times. The lead stat is that 8 in 10 people accept Jesus died on the cross. But there's more to it than that.


Why is this news? Most likely because it's a surprising stat in an environment of decreasing attendance at (or interest in) churches. The survey reported 1 in 13 people (6%) attending church regularly.

Often as church, we blame low attendance on a supposed predominantly secular society, but that view is "not accurate" according to the research. So why do only 6% attend church if 80% believe Jesus died on the cross?

"The research shows people are fine with Jesus, but they have issues with the church. They like the product but they don't like the retail outlet." - Mark McCrindle (researcher).

There are a few questions that spring to mind:

• Isn't there something wrong when church's image is so different to that of Jesus?
• Should we ask ourselves why church turns off 74 of 80 Jesus-believers?
• Will there be a time when we move beyond the 'bums on seats' mentality? (Both as a way of measuring someone's faith, and as our only way of reaching people)

What do you think? I think it's a classic example of black box theory.

[Links: news article]

Turning Off Spiritual Seekers

A facebook friend of mine is looking at Buddhism. He posted some comments on facebook about the things that he liked about it - along with some short summaries of other religions (or at least their followers). He had this to say about Christians:

Christian - Do as I say or go to hell. Read this one book, it tells you everything. Pity those who don't know, try and save them.

I guess there are two questions for us.
1. Does this describe me, or my fellow Christians?
2. If not, then is this opinion an indication that we are spending too much time in those 'holy huddles' and not interacting with the rest of society?

(Also, it reminds me of some of the stuff in unChristian.)

Ash Wednesday Anyone?

In church-land we're currently in the middle of Lent. A few weeks ago a church near me had this on their sign. "Ash Wed 5.30".


How many of the drviers going past (eg the taxi driver, the guy with the ute) do you think would even know of the existence of ash wednesday? Let alone what wednesday it falls on.

"Is it this Wednesday? Or next? Or is it the one just before Good Friday?" i can imagine them wondering.

Seriously, would you invite a friend to your house by saying "Hey Tony, i'm having a party at house - it's on St Albans Day"? And expect him to figure out when on earth that is? Of course not, but that's what we do as church.

Last time i posted a quote suggesting that the church's tendency to repel outsiders is based on selfishness. I don't think that's the whole story though. Clearly there's also a lack of thought, and an element of cluelessness about the people who live outside the boundaries of churchland.
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UPDATE: The same church has done the same thing again for "Palm Sunday".

Insiders Trump Outsiders

Regular readers are familar with my Black Box Theory.

I saw the same thing being described in on the american lutheran website.

My theory is that mainline churches have ceased to be relevant to the culture because insiders trump outsiders every time. All decisions, even little ones, are made for the benefit of those inside the church. Insiders trump outsiders.

Take hymns, for example. Musical decisions aren't made considering what will attract spiritually hungry outsiders but what will please the card-carrying, bill-paying membership.

Time and time again church leaders receive heat from insiders upset about this or that because they are trying to re-create a childhood church experience or simply have a rigid idea of church. Leaders cave in to these insiders because they control the purse strings.

Insiders are inherently change-averse. People don't like change, especially those who have status in the church.