Hullo all,
On 4th August, 2004, Darren Wright wrote (in part):
I wonder if our (c)hurches and our (C)hurch is willing to die for what it believes in. <snip>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? <snip>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.
Basically, I agree with the thrust of what you are saying (though
I hate Helvetica as a font!). Your approach is an uncomfortable one
but that, in itself, makes me ask whether it is uncomfortable to me
just because it is intrinsically uncomfortable or whether it is
uncomfortable because the Holy Spirit is stirring and prodding me
through your words. Thank you for the challenge!
However, discussions are not made up of perpetual agreements and
I do find myself being unhappy about some of what you wrote.
I am the minister of a congregation which is NOT made up of young
people (indeed we have nobody between the ages of 10 and 30 and very
few younger than 10 and between 30 and 50) and would probably be
judged by many as one of those dying congregations that -- even though
it does not have vast acreage of land or property -- needs a chaplain
to take care of them while it dies. Such an assessment is very far
from the truth. It is a tiny rural congregation but is very active
(sometimes exhaustingly so!) and has a deliberate and vigorous
relationship with the surrounding community -- itself made up largely
of retired people.
There is a tendency for vocal people in the church (and I am not
putting Darren into this category unless he wishes to put himself
there) to assume that the only form of church that is alive is made up
of young people -- or at least a majority of young people.
The church generally and the Uniting Church in particular has a
responsibility to care for people of all ages and, appropriately for
each age group, engage them in mission -- or even martyrdom.
Cheers!
-- Tom.
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Tom Pardy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Coopernook Web site: <http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pardy>
AUSTRALIA
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