Hello folks,
My old mentor and friend John Jensen has begun blogging again. I encourage you to visit his blog: reverendjohn.blogspot.com. He has a fascinating story and is actively trying to share his faith as a Christian anarchist and emerging church planter. He is passionate and has a thorough and critical mind, so go and check out his blog and join in the festivities.
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Hi faithful blogger. I want to share something of a burden for me. I am tired of Christianity! Does this mean I am tired of Jesus? I don't think so but I am constantly struggling to come to terms with something that I have believed since I began my journey of faith...the Church and the Bible simply don't equate. I have heard so many times that our faith should not be influenced by people, people make mistakes etc etc etc BUT this subculture of people is just plain awful. the back biting, the bullying, the manipulating. Where is the joy, the community the YOU GUESSED IT....LOVE!!! I almost laugh when I say this because my mind immediately jumps to the song but the song should be the Churches national anthem. I mean what are we congregating for I ask myself as I look around. I hear worship whispered back to me. Really, worship of who? Before I became a Christian I was a member of many different subcultures seeking community and I can honestly state that I have seen perhaps some of the most ugliest behaviour, perhaps compounded by the fact that they are cloaked in Holy Spirit power. Perhaps I should return to my roots, no congregating, just the bible and me, just Jesus and me.
ReplyDeleteI would love a comment on this comment:
ReplyDeleteThomas Merton writes:
Free will is not given to us merely as a firewrok to be shot off into the air. There are some people who seem to think their acts are freer in proportion as they are without purpose, as if a rational purpose imposed some kind of limitation upon us. That is like saying that one is richer if he throws money out the window than if he spends it.
the whole subject of free will interests me greatly. How often we hand our will over to another, misuse our gift or wait for a sign. if our free will is one of the greatest gifts given to us by God then wouldn't God expect us to reverently make decisions for ourselves? Rock
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI think free will is fascinating because we often confuse it with freedom. But the truth is that we can be enslaved (hopefully not, although the issue of slavery is a terrible indictment on our so called modern world) and still have free will. Often people think that free will means doing whatever they want to do and stuff anybody else. I think this is an over reaction to freedom and is not in fact free will. We can put ourselves under the leadership or guidance or framework of another and not have given over our free will. If I joined the military, I would be constrained by certain aspects of its autocracy. My freedom would be restricted. But if they ordered me to kill women and children (not that they would) and I refused I would be exercising free will. There may be consequences for that, expulsion from that army, being sacked, being ostracised and sometimes being killed. But to act against my conscience and do what they asked me to do with the excuse that I had no choice is when I have given over my free will and part of my humanity. Our lives and futures are within our control to decide who we follow and what we believe. I think that is the essence of free will.