Lent 30
mylodon was asking how her vicar could make the story of Lazarus boring - and it does seem at first sight as if it ought to be difficult to do so - but she went on to summarise how sometimes the church seems to have already lined up the definitions by which others may be judged.
I think in a sense the hard times the church has here in terms of finding its role in both the multi faith context and the secular context of our country at present do have a disconcerting tendency to throw people on the defensive - we have indeed much = historically and presently = to apologise for but seeking to show what happens when we experience love and its potential to transform is not one of them.
So we get pronouncents and the saying of 'No ' and 'Don't' and 'Don't even think about ' while at the same time many ordinary Christians live their faith more privately than ever.By which I Am not advocating we bear down upon people and lecture them or preach at them but that we allow ourselves to live as if it isn't any different iin our own life. Love is absent from our bearing towards others, we privatise our joy and then wonder why it feels stifled.
As the Gary Barlow song (which I have on the brain for some reason) puts it
If you found God and he gave you hope
Would you tell the world or save your soul
If you found God, would you take him home
Would you open the curtains or keep them closed
If you found God, if you found God
would it be your secret?
I think in a sense the hard times the church has here in terms of finding its role in both the multi faith context and the secular context of our country at present do have a disconcerting tendency to throw people on the defensive - we have indeed much = historically and presently = to apologise for but seeking to show what happens when we experience love and its potential to transform is not one of them.
So we get pronouncents and the saying of 'No ' and 'Don't' and 'Don't even think about ' while at the same time many ordinary Christians live their faith more privately than ever.By which I Am not advocating we bear down upon people and lecture them or preach at them but that we allow ourselves to live as if it isn't any different iin our own life. Love is absent from our bearing towards others, we privatise our joy and then wonder why it feels stifled.
As the Gary Barlow song (which I have on the brain for some reason) puts it
If you found God and he gave you hope
Would you tell the world or save your soul
If you found God, would you take him home
Would you open the curtains or keep them closed
If you found God, if you found God
would it be your secret?