A “domestic disturbance” at 4am
– the impersonality of the term
belies the shocking human rawness of the reality
of slamming doors and broken glass, shrieks and crashes and, eventually, police
and loud wailing cries splitting the stillness of the night
Oh, our street needs Jesus
This ugly underbelly of suburban life, briefly and embarrassingly revealed
So out of place in genteel Surrey Hills
where well-bred folks stifle their sobs into pillows
and grief and rage is concealed behind Laura Ashley facades
We keep our tombs very well whitewashed.
Yes, our street needs Jesus...
Saturday 25 October 2008
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Grace to the Self-Centred
If a person persists in being manipulative, abusive and destructive, how do we love them in a way that honors God? What does it mean to show grace to such a person? These are not rhetorical questions. I would love your input.
God hates sin, went to a lot of trouble to get us out of trouble and helps us escape his condemnation. Shouldn't we then be in one accord, keeping the Judgment Day in mind?
Give them chances to change
Repentance starts with identifying a problem. That may mean "having words" with them, which may not be a pleasant conversation (see Nehemiah's acts of 'persuasion'.) In Ezekiel 3, if the prophet failed to warn the wicked, God will hold him accountable for their blood.
It may (or may not) mean seeing them through the phases of acceptance / denial, working through the problem and relapse.
Offering other means of help (counseling, changes in lifestyle).
Remind them of the Day of Judgment, and help them work out whether they are storing up wrath or good works in heaven on their current course.
Take away chances for them to do more damage
Ultimately, one's actions are not anyone else's responsibility but one's own.
But you could help them by setting up appropriate boundaries with the person to help them act on that responsibility. (I saw an ad for self-defense once: "Learn how to stop your brother from sinning against you!")
It may also mean limiting harm done to others (tricky...)
Both of these might stop them incurring more of God's condemnation.
Do not sin yourself
It's easy to act like a victim if you feel victimised. It's easy to slander, to be bitter, to hate, to take revenge. But vengeance is the Lord's.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) says this about putting away falsehood and speaking truth, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil."
See that? Be angry. It's a command (The NIV is obscures the command, by rendering it incidental: "In your anger..."). It's ok to get angry, especially at sin.* It's not ok to sin yourself.
Wait for God
Commit the person to prayer to recognise that it's all God's work. The only agent that can effect change is the powerful spirit of God, who awakens consciences, pierces hearts, humbles, grieves people for their sinfulness.
He is in control. He know what they were like before you did. He is in the spheres of their life that you have no access to. Plus, he is more powerful and cares more about this whole thing than any human.
He sees and remembers everything. And in the end he will reward each of us for our folly or wisdom.
That's all I got. Ideas?
* My friend who worked in Child Protection for 7 years says that getting angry is a good response to child abuse. She says the day that social workers stop getting angry is the day they should get out of the job. (7 years! What stamina)
God hates sin, went to a lot of trouble to get us out of trouble and helps us escape his condemnation. Shouldn't we then be in one accord, keeping the Judgment Day in mind?
Give them chances to change
Repentance starts with identifying a problem. That may mean "having words" with them, which may not be a pleasant conversation (see Nehemiah's acts of 'persuasion'.) In Ezekiel 3, if the prophet failed to warn the wicked, God will hold him accountable for their blood.
It may (or may not) mean seeing them through the phases of acceptance / denial, working through the problem and relapse.
Offering other means of help (counseling, changes in lifestyle).
Remind them of the Day of Judgment, and help them work out whether they are storing up wrath or good works in heaven on their current course.
Take away chances for them to do more damage
Ultimately, one's actions are not anyone else's responsibility but one's own.
But you could help them by setting up appropriate boundaries with the person to help them act on that responsibility. (I saw an ad for self-defense once: "Learn how to stop your brother from sinning against you!")
It may also mean limiting harm done to others (tricky...)
Both of these might stop them incurring more of God's condemnation.
Do not sin yourself
It's easy to act like a victim if you feel victimised. It's easy to slander, to be bitter, to hate, to take revenge. But vengeance is the Lord's.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) says this about putting away falsehood and speaking truth, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil."
See that? Be angry. It's a command (The NIV is obscures the command, by rendering it incidental: "In your anger..."). It's ok to get angry, especially at sin.* It's not ok to sin yourself.
Wait for God
Commit the person to prayer to recognise that it's all God's work. The only agent that can effect change is the powerful spirit of God, who awakens consciences, pierces hearts, humbles, grieves people for their sinfulness.
He is in control. He know what they were like before you did. He is in the spheres of their life that you have no access to. Plus, he is more powerful and cares more about this whole thing than any human.
He sees and remembers everything. And in the end he will reward each of us for our folly or wisdom.
That's all I got. Ideas?
* My friend who worked in Child Protection for 7 years says that getting angry is a good response to child abuse. She says the day that social workers stop getting angry is the day they should get out of the job. (7 years! What stamina)
Monday 13 October 2008
Really...?!
Anonymous quote:
Really...?
Really?!
You click with the people you are sexually attracted to.
Really...?
Yes, you don't know yourself!
Really?!
Friday 10 October 2008
Archie Quotes
1.
2.
The cross presupposes the fact that we’ve got broken circuits (for instance: envy, how men view women). We are all broken at the foot of the cross.
2.
It’s not that we need sex, but our marriages need sex. Our sexual desires do not need to be expressed, just because we have them.
Ephesians for teens
Ever heard of Rod and Karen Morris' spicy ideas for Bible studies? They are so keen on the Bible that they wrote a book on leading better Bible studies and have saved many a study from dying a slow and painful death by a thousand Q&As...
Last term's Ephesians studies were inspired by them... (studies were more or less divided according to chapter divisions)
Chapter 1 - Timeline (Before the foundation of the world -> Jesus on earth -> Our time -> End of this age)
Paul pulls out the Imax Camera to show how God planned all of history around Jesus, with the intention of blessing us. (Application ~ Who's at the centre of the universe / history / your life? Does that match God's view?)
Chapter 2 - Divides (lists of contrasts, working in pairs)
How we used to walk and what our new walk looks like (1-10).
Who's in, who's out? How do you get in? (11-22)
Chapter 3 - Play Detective (gather clues)
What's the mystery? (1-6)
What's Paul's job? (7-13)
What does this have to do with the Ephesians & us? (14-21)
Chapter 4 - Patterns (discussion)
One
Body language & Church (unity and diverty)
Old and New Self
[Game: take turns naming a body part, when you repeat / get stumped, sit down]
Chapter 5 Walking (describe the pairs of people)
- Walking around & fill in lists (pinned up around the room) of how people are to behave.
Walking = conduct / practice.
[Game: adverbs game - The group decides to behave in a particular a manner (crazily, shyly, theatrically). The guesser asks any one of the group to do any action and has to guess what the manner is.]
Chapter 6 - Fashion Parade
Make Armour of God out of newspaper (2 teams). Someone narrates the model as they walk down the 'runway'.
Last term's Ephesians studies were inspired by them... (studies were more or less divided according to chapter divisions)
Chapter 1 - Timeline (Before the foundation of the world -> Jesus on earth -> Our time -> End of this age)
Paul pulls out the Imax Camera to show how God planned all of history around Jesus, with the intention of blessing us. (Application ~ Who's at the centre of the universe / history / your life? Does that match God's view?)
Chapter 2 - Divides (lists of contrasts, working in pairs)
How we used to walk and what our new walk looks like (1-10).
Who's in, who's out? How do you get in? (11-22)
Chapter 3 - Play Detective (gather clues)
What's the mystery? (1-6)
What's Paul's job? (7-13)
What does this have to do with the Ephesians & us? (14-21)
Chapter 4 - Patterns (discussion)
One
Body language & Church (unity and diverty)
Old and New Self
[Game: take turns naming a body part, when you repeat / get stumped, sit down]
Chapter 5 Walking (describe the pairs of people)
- Walking around & fill in lists (pinned up around the room) of how people are to behave.
Walking = conduct / practice.
[Game: adverbs game - The group decides to behave in a particular a manner (crazily, shyly, theatrically). The guesser asks any one of the group to do any action and has to guess what the manner is.]
Chapter 6 - Fashion Parade
Make Armour of God out of newspaper (2 teams). Someone narrates the model as they walk down the 'runway'.
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