This week we look at peer-reviewed science, Pink Floyd, euthanasia, Covid in China, Burkino Faso, a detransitoner being banned, the collapse of Stonewall, Gegi the non-binary Unicorn, Tim Hawkins on weddings, the decline of the Southern Baptists, Jo Biden and abortion, Jordan Peterson’s wife, a Kenyan atheist converts, Chelsea, Dundee and booing, resurrecting dead footballers, and Shane and Shane.
Thanks for posting the Peterson video there were one or two things that were interesting to me in it. Wiht Peterson talking about his wife and her faith with her not attending church but “associating with people who are formally religious” and what he calls “the missing praxis in western Christianity… you should go to church but that’s not enough” and “there’s no escaping the questions of the ultimate meaning of life”.
So again this touches on a point where before we seem to have been in disagreement David about what is posited in Steve Aisthorpe’s book “The Invisible Church: Learning from the Experiences of Churchless Christians” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Church-Aisthorpe/dp/0861539168. That being of occasion where there may be legitimate reason for non-attendance at church in there being a need to do so in order to be authentic in practice in following Jesus, perhaps with the precedence set by him of instructions to disciples to let their peace rest on on a home they enter and if not welcomed or listened to take their peace back and leave.
Now, some may argue that this applies to a “non-Christian” environment but not to a Christian one i.e. church and would advocate Spurgeon’s metaphor of a coal being removed form a fire not burning as brightly as it would when in the fire surrounded by other coals. OK – it’s quite a common perspective that is posited. However, the only “Christian” environment at the time was among the disciples wiht the physical presence of Jesus. If a church doesn’t have Christ present in Spirt, can it be called a church in the true meaning of the word “ekklesia”, of gathering centred on Christ? I seem to remember Amos having one or two things about the so – called “worship” he encountered, not least of which “away with your noise”. There’s nothing new under the sun!
As far as I am concerned “church” is where 2 or three (or more) are gathered centred on Christ whether that be in a building on a Sunday or at any other time. I think Peterson has valid point about “missing praxis in western Christianity” – faith without works is dead faith! And perhaps a key element in the secularisation of society is the church in the West not infrequently merely reflecting the same sicknesses of the surrounding culture and being limited in its witness about Jesus because of that. Perhaps there is a corporate responsibility of the Western church to be taking the plank out of it’s own eye in this time as a focus if this trend of secularisation is to be reversed?
– Mark Prince also believes in the resurrection as a man of faith. He has a powerful testimony, particularly his struggle to forgive his son’s killer and leave justice to the Lord.
– The deep fake technology was not simply to keep Kiyan’s memory alive. It was not done to reach middle aged folk like us. It was done to reach urban youth, tempted to carry knives. It is one of a number of creative ideas that the Kiyan Prince Foundation has been doing in London. I for one, am grateful for his work in our community. The Prison authorities, Met Police, Education system seem to agree.
Because of sensible Chinese Govt intervention ( legally mandated cooling off period for hasty divorced – inclined couples) , the rate of family breakdown has decreased.
I know that Christians do not care about this welcome development for reasons which are obvious.
Christians should relax and applaud this institutional moral victory instead of pretending to fret about how many Chinese will go to Heaven. no ?
Thanks for posting the Peterson video there were one or two things that were interesting to me in it. Wiht Peterson talking about his wife and her faith with her not attending church but “associating with people who are formally religious” and what he calls “the missing praxis in western Christianity… you should go to church but that’s not enough” and “there’s no escaping the questions of the ultimate meaning of life”.
So again this touches on a point where before we seem to have been in disagreement David about what is posited in Steve Aisthorpe’s book “The Invisible Church: Learning from the Experiences of Churchless Christians” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Church-Aisthorpe/dp/0861539168. That being of occasion where there may be legitimate reason for non-attendance at church in there being a need to do so in order to be authentic in practice in following Jesus, perhaps with the precedence set by him of instructions to disciples to let their peace rest on on a home they enter and if not welcomed or listened to take their peace back and leave.
Now, some may argue that this applies to a “non-Christian” environment but not to a Christian one i.e. church and would advocate Spurgeon’s metaphor of a coal being removed form a fire not burning as brightly as it would when in the fire surrounded by other coals. OK – it’s quite a common perspective that is posited. However, the only “Christian” environment at the time was among the disciples wiht the physical presence of Jesus. If a church doesn’t have Christ present in Spirt, can it be called a church in the true meaning of the word “ekklesia”, of gathering centred on Christ? I seem to remember Amos having one or two things about the so – called “worship” he encountered, not least of which “away with your noise”. There’s nothing new under the sun!
As far as I am concerned “church” is where 2 or three (or more) are gathered centred on Christ whether that be in a building on a Sunday or at any other time. I think Peterson has valid point about “missing praxis in western Christianity” – faith without works is dead faith! And perhaps a key element in the secularisation of society is the church in the West not infrequently merely reflecting the same sicknesses of the surrounding culture and being limited in its witness about Jesus because of that. Perhaps there is a corporate responsibility of the Western church to be taking the plank out of it’s own eye in this time as a focus if this trend of secularisation is to be reversed?
Just a suggestion.
Re: the deep fake technology with Kiyan Prince.
– Mark Prince also believes in the resurrection as a man of faith. He has a powerful testimony, particularly his struggle to forgive his son’s killer and leave justice to the Lord.
– The deep fake technology was not simply to keep Kiyan’s memory alive. It was not done to reach middle aged folk like us. It was done to reach urban youth, tempted to carry knives. It is one of a number of creative ideas that the Kiyan Prince Foundation has been doing in London. I for one, am grateful for his work in our community. The Prison authorities, Met Police, Education system seem to agree.
Many thanks for that info….very helpful perspective.
The News from China is good .
Because of sensible Chinese Govt intervention ( legally mandated cooling off period for hasty divorced – inclined couples) , the rate of family breakdown has decreased.
I know that Christians do not care about this welcome development for reasons which are obvious.
Christians should relax and applaud this institutional moral victory instead of pretending to fret about how many Chinese will go to Heaven. no ?