Not recorded in the book of Face

Scribbles on the second Genesis creation account

2012-02-22T22:23:00.000Z

The second Genesis account does not contradict the first, but takes the definition of humanity to a different (higher) level. Rather than just saying that we are made in the image of God and thus capable of having a relationship with him/reflecting/conversing/enjoying the Trinity, it actually defines what life is. It tells us that you are a being made of matter and that you have an aesthetic sense and an appetite for food. And that you are capable, and are given a task to work, you can do things. It says many positive things about humanity. Also that you are able to have relationships - intimate relationships with those who are the same yet other (relations between man and woman). All those things are dealt with brilliantly, in this account; far more properties of 'life' are defined here, than in other philosophies that I have come across.

"What is the highest thing in life? It a relationship with God that is morally defined." (Professor John Lennox, Oxford)

God spoke, "eat but do not eat": giving us the capacity to choose, which actually means we have the capacity to 'love'. A robot cannot love.

God has given us the possibility of saying "no" to God, which opens up to us the possibility of love towards him, which opens up the Scriptures big story (meta-narrative): the relationship of people to God, or the relationship of God to people.

Can we really trust God's word? That is the first attack. He spoke the universe into existence with a word, then Satan asks "Did God really say?" So can we trust him? Look at the story of Joseph and Judah...

Children's talk #1; Preach #1

2012-02-21T17:26:00.002Z

Children's talk #1 (used: 15th Jan AM; HWEC)
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Making an egg edible. (The curate's egg part ii)
God will put you in a pan of hot water to make you edible. Tasty to him and others (think aroma of Christ). Removing the unhealthy bacteria. Killing the germs.
Likewise, with some food we have to cook, or boil to make healthy. Or some we have to sift to make purer.
Take for example an egg. (Illustration recipe: two eggs [one uncooked, one hard-boiled], a pan of boiling water, and some interested children, health and safety blindness).
God doesn't believe in 'health and safety': I will refine you with fire, says the Lord. I will remove the dross and shew forth the image of my Son in you.
The refiner's fire is not to be spurned but embraced.
This week I urge you to embrace what ever comes your way, by the grace of God, knowing that "his grace is enough" to see you through the deepest, darkest problems, pains and perplexities of this life, fitting you, preparing you, for future service here on this present earth, and in the life to come.

Preach #1 (?)
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Text: Psalm 39:6-7a [NIV11]:
“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
in vain they rush about,
heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."
1) Watching 'The Phantom of the Opera'?
2) We are all rushing about and 'chasing after the wind'
3) We all ignore and are ignorant of the Messiah
4) Time for me to turn to God
5) Everyone else needs to do this!

Is Facebook like a brothel? Yes.

2011-12-26T14:40:00.005Z

brothel |ˈbräTHəl, ˈbrôTHəl|noun a house where men can visit prostitutes.ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (originally brothel-house): from late Middle English brothel ‘worthless man, prostitute,’ related to Old English brēothan ‘degenerate, deteriorate.’

A.
'Is Facebook good for us?': can it be sanctified by the word of God and prayer? Is it a gift of God, which can be received with thanks and used in a God honouring way, or is the 'community structure' intrinsically evil as is, perhaps, the 'community structure' of a brothel or that of a cult? Is Facebook good for us?

The problem.
What is Facebook? Facebook is a social networking platform. What is a cult? A cult is a social networking platform. What is a brothel? A brothel is a social networking platform. What is the world? The world is a social networking platform.

Fundamentally, what should the Christian's pose be with respect to the world? Connected Christianity or disconnected diaspora? For the Christian to answer this question, we must enter the Holy of Holies and listen into the intra-Trinitarian conversation found in the John (the apostle of love) good news account.

The Scripture (John 17:13-19 [NIV11]).
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

The exposition.

The application/appropriate behavioural response.

References.

Twenty-three year input of Ronald L T and Ruth M Hollands.
"The medium shapes the message." Marshall McLuhan.
"Connected Christianity." Art Azurdia III.
"True spirituality." Vaughan Roberts.
"The next story." Tim Challies.
"The Good God: Enjoying Father, Son and Spirit." Michael Reeves. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1842277448/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwtheology00-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1842277448)

'Is Facebook good for us?'

2011-12-24T14:30:00.000Z

So I've listened to L'abri ideas library: 'Is Facebook good for us?' by Danny Burbeck for the second time in eighteen months and I haven't responded in the same way as I did last time. Last time, I, almost instantly, deactivated my Facebook account. This time, I didn't.

What does this mean for me? What has changed? How have I changed? I'm going to mull this one over a bit for Christmas so I can give a more comprehensive critique.