Comments on: nickels, dimes, America, & Jesus http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164 David Hayward is an artist trapped inside a pastor's body. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:12:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: BrianM http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-876 Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:48:58 +0000 http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-876 We live in a land that has made the accumulation of stuff a divine right AND a divine attribute surrounded by a consumer culture that has 'shoved us into it's mold' while we weren't looking. We've got a Church that is more concerned about our kids reading Harry Potter books than they are about the average amount the kids are spending on everything from fast food to video games. I'm not anti-stuff but I think the points made here are well taken and the church in North America needs to start paying attention to - that means me. We can't become "all about" economic equality but we can care more about the lives of the people around us and reclaim the value Jesus placed on feeding, clothing, visiting and inviting in. The 'revival meeting' is a powerful metaphor for a segment of the church that has pursued a 'spiritual experience' contained in a meeting or series of meetings for the biblical/Jesus spiritual experience of laying our lives down for each other and taking care of widows and orphans. There's a whole other segment that's traded 'spiritual experience' for political power and the exercising of our 'rights' in exchange for the exercise of our gifts and sharing the love of Christ. How ironic that the one force that could make someone love me who hates me has been set aside for the pursuit of the power of the law to make you like me. Sorry all, I'm cranky today. I just sent my son and one of my best friends off to Northern Ireland. We live in a land that has made the accumulation of stuff a divine right AND a divine attribute surrounded by a consumer culture that has ’shoved us into it’s mold’ while we weren’t looking. We’ve got a Church that is more concerned about our kids reading Harry Potter books than they are about the average amount the kids are spending on everything from fast food to video games.

I’m not anti-stuff but I think the points made here are well taken and the church in North America needs to start paying attention to - that means me. We can’t become “all about” economic equality but we can care more about the lives of the people around us and reclaim the value Jesus placed on feeding, clothing, visiting and inviting in.

The ‘revival meeting’ is a powerful metaphor for a segment of the church that has pursued a ’spiritual experience’ contained in a meeting or series of meetings for the biblical/Jesus spiritual experience of laying our lives down for each other and taking care of widows and orphans.

There’s a whole other segment that’s traded ’spiritual experience’ for political power and the exercising of our ‘rights’ in exchange for the exercise of our gifts and sharing the love of Christ. How ironic that the one force that could make someone love me who hates me has been set aside for the pursuit of the power of the law to make you like me.

Sorry all, I’m cranky today. I just sent my son and one of my best friends off to Northern Ireland.

]]> by: Richard http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-871 Thu, 21 Sep 2006 03:20:01 +0000 http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-871 It can be argued that the church gave up much of it's duties to government. The very poor are very often assisted. We only have to go to the poor in some other countries to understand what "poor" really means. No money to buy food. No money for pencils and paper for an otherwise free education, hence, no school. No money, no doctor or too sick to get there. The list could go on. Yet, with all we have here, there are so many that miss our attention. When I say "our", I mean me and the Christian Church. Some think it enough to do a meal around Christmas and that is it. It has been said that if we have food on the plate, clothes on our back, a roof and change in our pocket, we are in the top 8% of the world's population. I really wonder what Jesus is going to say. It can be argued that the church gave up much of it’s duties to government. The very poor are very often assisted. We only have to go to the poor in some other countries to understand what “poor” really means. No money to buy food. No money for pencils and paper for an otherwise free education, hence, no school. No money, no doctor or too sick to get there. The list could go on. Yet, with all we have here, there are so many that miss our attention. When I say “our”, I mean me and the Christian Church. Some think it enough to do a meal around Christmas and that is it. It has been said that if we have food on the plate, clothes on our back, a roof and change in our pocket, we are in the top 8% of the world’s population. I really wonder what Jesus is going to say.

]]> by: David Hayward http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-867 Thu, 21 Sep 2006 01:53:49 +0000 http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-867 thanks richard... i'll loan you the book if you want to read it thanks richard… i’ll loan you the book if you want to read it

]]> by: Richard Mullin http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-866 Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:13:35 +0000 http://nakedpastor.com/archives/164#comment-866 Wow - great quote. I often wonder what Jesus or the apostle Paul would think of what most North American Christians call Chrisitianity. It seems that spiritual people who have a passion for justice issues, poverty, equality, etc. are somehow branded "liberals" or leftists. Our "burdens" as followers of Christ should reflect both the Crucifiction & the Resurection of Jesus -- the pain and the prosperity -- the bad and the good -- helping the needy and rejoicing with those who have just had a need met. Regarding this book I think Canada (with its social safety net) is probably a better place to be poor than the US -- even though people say we are not a "Christian Nation" anymore -- I'd say our overall Government services are more "Christian" than the USA's "every man for him(her)self system. Wow - great quote. I often wonder what Jesus or the apostle Paul would think of what most North American Christians call Chrisitianity. It seems that spiritual people who have a passion for justice issues, poverty, equality, etc. are somehow branded “liberals” or leftists. Our “burdens” as followers of Christ should reflect both the Crucifiction & the Resurection of Jesus — the pain and the prosperity — the bad and the good — helping the needy and rejoicing with those who have just had a need met.
Regarding this book I think Canada (with its social safety net) is probably a better place to be poor than the US — even though people say we are not a “Christian Nation” anymore — I’d say our overall Government services are more “Christian” than the USA’s “every man for him(her)self system.

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