I suppose it's time to write about all the things that happened at assembly before I forget even more. I was part of the prayer team for the ACC, praying for the Uniting Church National Assembly that was held at UNSW. I thought it would be similar to the prayers that we have been having at home as part of the Sacred Season (the last two posts) but in many ways it was very different. God did some amazing things, but I also found it very challenging. Lots of things to think about.
I'll start with the things to praise God for. One of my friends from church was a National Assembly delegate, and this was her first time. She stirred up some animosity among some people because she was always dissenting and calling people back to biblical principles. Praise the Lord that he gave her words of wisdom and truth to speak. The really amazing thing is that at the end of the assembly, even after all the conflict, she was elected into the Uniting Church Standing Committee. This is the National Committee that is mainly made up of experienced church leaders. It is actually the first time in history that someone has gone to only one Assembly and been elected. This is a big praise point because she will be able to have a lot of influence in this position, and will be able to use this to push for biblical faithfulness.
Praise God that some members of our prayer team were able to pray with the President and General Secretary of the church. These church leaders received these prayers with no hostility. The opening sermon given by the President was verging on pluralism, addressing the 'God of the Cosmos', while, miraculously, the closing sermon was very Christ-centred, talking about Christ being the only way to the Father. Although some of the propositions that we were praying against were passed, God has left us with hope for the future of the church. There have been prophetic words coming out of this prayer time, talking about the Uniting Church being brought back to faithfulness, and even being used to lead other churches to greater faithfulness to God. There were also some words about the ACC youth which is starting up soon - that's what I'm going to be involved in.
One thing that was really challenging for me was processing things without my usual support network. My mum and some of my close friends were there also, but were involved in deep prayer or were delegates at the Assembly, so I didn't actually get to have conversations with them that much. I suppose this is God trying to teach me to be more dependent on him.
I believe that God is going to continue to do great things, particularly within the young people of the ACC in the near future. At the moment, I really want to draw nearer to God, to go to him first, worshipping him, reading his word and serving him.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bible study questions
An interesting issue that's arisen during Bible study. We were up to the part of Ephesians where it talks about children obeying parents and parents training their children in the Lord. This led to the question of whether adults still need to obey their parents, and if not, then when do children transition into adulthood. The passage does not explicitly answer these questions, which led to people giving their own answers which were largely based on cultural assumptions. So there were a few different opinions. I suggested the idea that when a person is no longer living in their parents house they are no longer bound to obey in the same way, although we are always called to honour them. I don't hold this to be a definite principle because I can't find biblical verses one way or the other (maybe they are there, but I'm still looking). Another person in the study, who is from the Tongan culture and who is about the same age as my parents, suggested that children are called to obey until their parents pass away. The conversation became quite heated!
I've been asking pretty much everyone that I see what they think about these questions. If anyone's reading this out there, I'd be interested in hearing what you think. Probably will have to post later once I've looked in to more of what the Bible says on this topic.
Cultural differences aren't necessarily a bad thing. The important thing is to translate biblical principles into whatever culture we are in, and to hold the Bible's truth above all traditional and cultural values. It's also important to remember the freedom that we have in Christ, and not to get legalistic about issues that are open to intepretation. It's a real learning experience to be in a Bible study with people that are all different ages, different cultures and different theological backgrounds. Considering what we've been learning about in Ephesians, though, it's been a great way to get practical about unity.
I've been asking pretty much everyone that I see what they think about these questions. If anyone's reading this out there, I'd be interested in hearing what you think. Probably will have to post later once I've looked in to more of what the Bible says on this topic.
Cultural differences aren't necessarily a bad thing. The important thing is to translate biblical principles into whatever culture we are in, and to hold the Bible's truth above all traditional and cultural values. It's also important to remember the freedom that we have in Christ, and not to get legalistic about issues that are open to intepretation. It's a real learning experience to be in a Bible study with people that are all different ages, different cultures and different theological backgrounds. Considering what we've been learning about in Ephesians, though, it's been a great way to get practical about unity.
Friday, July 10, 2009
A righteousness from God
Recently, I've been listening to podcasts of sermons from the Sydney Anglican website. Listening to these kind of sermons online is a great way for me to still get in depth Bible teaching even though I'm out teaching Sunday School during the sermon at church. I've been listening to a series from St. Thomas' Anglican that goes through the first five chapters of Romans. I've really been enjoying the depth and richness of doctrine that is found in the book of Romans. Lots of things to sink my teeth into intellectually, but it also engages my heart in thankfulness when I realise how sinful all humans are and how holy and faithful God is.
The sermon I was listening to yesterday was about Romans 3:21-32, which is a completely amazing passage. The book has just been talking about how not even one person is righteous, and that all people deserve God's judgement, and then the good news breaks through with 'But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify'. (Romans 3:21). We had absolutely no chance of being righteous before God, but God himself has provided our righteousness through Jesus Christ. This righteousness comes through faith in the one who gave us this gift, not through our own works.
The thing that really struck me in this sermon was thinking about the three things that Christ did for us through his death on the cross. They all result in bringing us to the Father, but they deal with different aspects of the problem. Firstly, Jesus justified us. Through trusting in his death, we are declared innocent even though we are guilty. Secondly, Jesus redeemed us. He paid the price to free us from sin and death. Thirdly, Jesus atoned for us. That lovely big word called 'propitiation'. Through Jesus dying in our place, the anger of God was satisfied. These things that Jesus has done for us mean that we no longer have to be separated from God. We can come close to God, and inherit eternal life in Heaven. Reflecting on the grace and love and glory of God as seen through the cross fills me with thankfulness and adoration.
The sermon I was listening to yesterday was about Romans 3:21-32, which is a completely amazing passage. The book has just been talking about how not even one person is righteous, and that all people deserve God's judgement, and then the good news breaks through with 'But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify'. (Romans 3:21). We had absolutely no chance of being righteous before God, but God himself has provided our righteousness through Jesus Christ. This righteousness comes through faith in the one who gave us this gift, not through our own works.
The thing that really struck me in this sermon was thinking about the three things that Christ did for us through his death on the cross. They all result in bringing us to the Father, but they deal with different aspects of the problem. Firstly, Jesus justified us. Through trusting in his death, we are declared innocent even though we are guilty. Secondly, Jesus redeemed us. He paid the price to free us from sin and death. Thirdly, Jesus atoned for us. That lovely big word called 'propitiation'. Through Jesus dying in our place, the anger of God was satisfied. These things that Jesus has done for us mean that we no longer have to be separated from God. We can come close to God, and inherit eternal life in Heaven. Reflecting on the grace and love and glory of God as seen through the cross fills me with thankfulness and adoration.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Sacred Season of Prayer and Fasting
My church is in a Sacred Season of Prayer and Fasting at the moment. We are joining with members of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations (http://www.confessingcongregations.com/) all over Australia, and are praying for the Uniting Church as a whole. Many parts of the Uniting Church are leaning towards liberal or progressive theology, and the authority of scripture and the centrality of Christ is being lost. It's pretty serious stuff and its spread widely throughout the denomination. That's why a 40 day period of prayer and fasting has been declared - we're up to day 26, just 14 to go! The Assembly of Confessing Congregations (ACC), of which my church is a part, is committed to confessing Jesus as Lord and staying faithful to the gospel that is proclaimed in the Bible. There is no other Lord than Jesus - salvation comes from no-one else but Jesus. God alone is worthy of our praise! These are foundational truths that need to be upheld.
I've been fasting from 6am to 6pm, so I have breakfast and I have dinner but I don't eat anything in between. It's been hard getting used to it, because I haven't really fasted before but it could be worse. Some people are doing a complete fast and only having liquids. One person that I know of is only having water for the whole 40 days. That's incredibly full on, but it shows the passion that people have for biblical faithfulness and Christ's centrality within the church. Fasting isn't commanded in the Bible, but there definitely are examples of it. For this situation, fasting is a way to come humbly before God, to mourn for the way our church has gone and to pray fervently.
I have been encouraged by the deepening sense of unity that has arisen in my church as a result of this sacred season. Each day has pretty much the same structure, and there are many opportunities throughout the day to meet with eachother and with God. I have really loved the focus on God and all the different ways available to do this. The day starts at 5:45 am (!) with a communion service. I don't go to this every morning, sometimes I need a sleep in, even though it is at my house. When I have gone to communion, it's been beautiful. A really gentle service with lots of sung responses and bible passages. It's just a small service but it's really worthwhile, when I can actually be motivated to get out of bed at that hour. I'm usually better if I have a shower before I go downstairs!
In the middle of the day are our Bible study and liturgy prayers. Mostly we have the same group of people coming each day, and I'm getting to know these people really well. I've been given the ongoing task of writing the Bible studies for the sacred season. Each day I lead a Bible study looking at a passage from Ephesians. It's an awesome book, so relevant and practical to what's going on at the moment. In the first few studies, people were pretty quiet and didn't come up with many ideas. Now, I can hardly get a word in! Everyone keeps on talking about the ideas, and asks deep questions about the passages, which is what a Bible study is supposed to be, in my opinion. It is wonderful to look at the Bible in such depth and to talk about it with other Christians.
The liturgy prayers are more formal, and follow the same pattern every day. We start with a call to worship and then have a selection of Bible readings. We also read a paragraph from the Uniting Church Basis of Union each day. This document is actually very theologically sound, so I suppose we do this to declare the truth that so much of the church has gone away from. We then read a prayer that is based on the Bible passages and the doctrines presented in the Basis of Union. It's very structured but I like it being structured and formal. There's also a prayer meeting each day, but I don't go to that. I went for a few times but the prayers were too long for me. We have some people who are incredibly powerful intercessors, and they can pray for hours! I found myself getting bored, and if that's what happens then its probably better to not go, but to let them pray for however long they need to. I pray at home, in my own room. Maybe that's something I need to grow in.
The National Assembly for the Uniting Church is coming up very soon, so our prayers are focused on that. It's a really big thing that's happening, but God is in control of it all, and God is good!!
I've been fasting from 6am to 6pm, so I have breakfast and I have dinner but I don't eat anything in between. It's been hard getting used to it, because I haven't really fasted before but it could be worse. Some people are doing a complete fast and only having liquids. One person that I know of is only having water for the whole 40 days. That's incredibly full on, but it shows the passion that people have for biblical faithfulness and Christ's centrality within the church. Fasting isn't commanded in the Bible, but there definitely are examples of it. For this situation, fasting is a way to come humbly before God, to mourn for the way our church has gone and to pray fervently.
I have been encouraged by the deepening sense of unity that has arisen in my church as a result of this sacred season. Each day has pretty much the same structure, and there are many opportunities throughout the day to meet with eachother and with God. I have really loved the focus on God and all the different ways available to do this. The day starts at 5:45 am (!) with a communion service. I don't go to this every morning, sometimes I need a sleep in, even though it is at my house. When I have gone to communion, it's been beautiful. A really gentle service with lots of sung responses and bible passages. It's just a small service but it's really worthwhile, when I can actually be motivated to get out of bed at that hour. I'm usually better if I have a shower before I go downstairs!
In the middle of the day are our Bible study and liturgy prayers. Mostly we have the same group of people coming each day, and I'm getting to know these people really well. I've been given the ongoing task of writing the Bible studies for the sacred season. Each day I lead a Bible study looking at a passage from Ephesians. It's an awesome book, so relevant and practical to what's going on at the moment. In the first few studies, people were pretty quiet and didn't come up with many ideas. Now, I can hardly get a word in! Everyone keeps on talking about the ideas, and asks deep questions about the passages, which is what a Bible study is supposed to be, in my opinion. It is wonderful to look at the Bible in such depth and to talk about it with other Christians.
The liturgy prayers are more formal, and follow the same pattern every day. We start with a call to worship and then have a selection of Bible readings. We also read a paragraph from the Uniting Church Basis of Union each day. This document is actually very theologically sound, so I suppose we do this to declare the truth that so much of the church has gone away from. We then read a prayer that is based on the Bible passages and the doctrines presented in the Basis of Union. It's very structured but I like it being structured and formal. There's also a prayer meeting each day, but I don't go to that. I went for a few times but the prayers were too long for me. We have some people who are incredibly powerful intercessors, and they can pray for hours! I found myself getting bored, and if that's what happens then its probably better to not go, but to let them pray for however long they need to. I pray at home, in my own room. Maybe that's something I need to grow in.
The National Assembly for the Uniting Church is coming up very soon, so our prayers are focused on that. It's a really big thing that's happening, but God is in control of it all, and God is good!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
The new chapter
I love thinking about God. I love getting into the word of God and sorting out theological issues. So it's been put on my heart to start up a new blog, not about the random things that happen in my life, but about God, about the Bible, about what's happening in my Christian walk and in my church.
It's been an interesting year in regards to being spiritually fed, very different to the last 6 years. This is my first year away from CU. It's right for me to thank God for all that CU gave to me, and then to move on to a new chapter of life, but I kind of miss it. For the last 6 years, I was getting very evangelical, Sydney-Anglican style teaching at CU and more gently charismatic stuff at church. I loved both, and I love being able to worship and serve God in different ways. One thing, though, in both places I sometimes felt slightly outside. A bit too charismatic for CU and a bit too evangelical for my church! But mostly I loved receiving the balance of both traditions. I was able to talk to people in both places about the theology or style of worship I was receiving elsewhere. The tensions between some of the theologies has worked for good as these tensions have given me a passion for getting straight to the Word and seeing what it says about things.
Now, I'm just at my church, which is evangelistic and Biblically-centred, but much more charismatic than the churches many of my friends go to. I've grown a lot in the charismatic tradition this year, developing a biblical understanding of lots of issues. I'm still definitely evangelical as well, and I'm really excited about the young adults Bible study that's started up this year at my church.
The verse for this blog is Psalm 119:105 - 'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path'. I think about lots of things, sometimes way too much. The only way to find real guidance and any real answer is to look in the Word of God. It has answers to so many things, and, most of all it has the ultimate answer: Jesus. Jesus is the answer for our biggest problem of separation from God. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus paid for my sins so now I have a relationship with the Father! I love to praise him with hands in the air jumping around. I love to worship him in quiet adoration. I love to get right in there and understand complex theology about my God.
It's been an interesting year in regards to being spiritually fed, very different to the last 6 years. This is my first year away from CU. It's right for me to thank God for all that CU gave to me, and then to move on to a new chapter of life, but I kind of miss it. For the last 6 years, I was getting very evangelical, Sydney-Anglican style teaching at CU and more gently charismatic stuff at church. I loved both, and I love being able to worship and serve God in different ways. One thing, though, in both places I sometimes felt slightly outside. A bit too charismatic for CU and a bit too evangelical for my church! But mostly I loved receiving the balance of both traditions. I was able to talk to people in both places about the theology or style of worship I was receiving elsewhere. The tensions between some of the theologies has worked for good as these tensions have given me a passion for getting straight to the Word and seeing what it says about things.
Now, I'm just at my church, which is evangelistic and Biblically-centred, but much more charismatic than the churches many of my friends go to. I've grown a lot in the charismatic tradition this year, developing a biblical understanding of lots of issues. I'm still definitely evangelical as well, and I'm really excited about the young adults Bible study that's started up this year at my church.
The verse for this blog is Psalm 119:105 - 'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path'. I think about lots of things, sometimes way too much. The only way to find real guidance and any real answer is to look in the Word of God. It has answers to so many things, and, most of all it has the ultimate answer: Jesus. Jesus is the answer for our biggest problem of separation from God. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus paid for my sins so now I have a relationship with the Father! I love to praise him with hands in the air jumping around. I love to worship him in quiet adoration. I love to get right in there and understand complex theology about my God.
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