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I've been thinking lately... I wonder if our (c)hurches and our (C)hurch is willing to die for what it believes in. With the economic rationalism of today's society and the apparent Palliative Care of not only our individual congregations but also of our Presbyteries and Synods how we'd consider being a martyr for our God... I also wonder what would happen if we - stopped preaching the story of the sending out of the 70 as a story about 70 individuals leaving behind their purses and sandles and; started preaching it as a church that was told leave everything behind for the sake of eating and drinking with people and sharing the good news that Jesus was preaching. How willing are we as Churches, Presbyteries, Synods and as the whole UCA to give up our life for the spreading of the good news that Jesus preached? New forms of churches screaming out for funding are being told (inter)nationally that we do not have the funds to put into them, because we're busy looking after the other churches that are operating. New and young leaders being told to spend 5 years in study before they can preach the good news. Old, dying congregations holding onto vast sums of land so that they can afford to have a minister be chaplain to them until the congregation dies. Presbyteries afraid of making huge decisions in order to maintain some presence of a norm. Synods and Assembly diversifying job tasks due to lack of finances. Assembly as a whole being torn by the question of how we keep everyone "happy" in discussions about sexuality. I wonder sometimes if we, not as individuals, but as the Church, as the UCA and beyond are willing to die for what we believe in, if we are willing to leave our purses behind and walk barefoot among the people? That Jesus came to preach the good news that God loves everyone, that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that the first shall be last, the meek shall inherit the earth, that there is good news for the poor... We talk about mission, but I wonder if what we should be talking about is martyrdom. Anyone have any thoughts? Shalom -- Darren Wright Fool Youth and Family Worker UCA NSW Synod Presbytery of Canberra Region GPO Box 221. Canberra. ACT. 2601. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02 6248 9311 (office) "The Gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address, because the recipient is repeatedly changing place of residence." - Helmut Thielicke |
