Check out my Swedish friend's excellent article. It is guys like Daniel (Pastor Astor) that make me hope that there will be a revival of a better, purer stream of Christianity in the postmodern West.
http://www.trotank.se/blog/index.php?/archives/519-Answer-to-McArthurs-attack-on-the-EC.html
here is a teaser:
"Had we focused instead on being a body of believers acting out the love of God in this world, I believe our situation would look much different. We would be a place for everyone, including homosexuals, to encounter God.
People seek God. Many die in despair, not having found him. When they come to us, we slap them over the face with our ethics.
“You are wrong” is so easy to say - it demands nothing of us.
“You are loved” is much harder, since we are called to present and represent that love. "
Inlagd av Daniel Astgård i Kyrkan kl 23:51 Kommentarer (15)
Friday, January 26, 2007
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7 comments:
This is awesome... so amazingly true. Perhaps it's why I have never fit very well into the hardcore "Christian" groups... they've forgotten (or never knew) what it was like to be on the "outside."
Hi Gillian;
great to have you visiting.
If you had a chance to read some of the other posts you will see that you have hit on one of my great concerns.
The tryannny of normalcy makes community very difficult. We demand conformity when what we need is the freedom to accept one another as we are.
As the Being Peace meditation in the video section teaches;
'the best thing a tree can do is be a real tree
the best thing a human being can do is to be a real human being'.
Authentic lives and open and real comunication are foundations of all successful relationships.
Too often those conditions can not be enjoyed under the 'old story' teaching given in our churches.
I take heart in the fact that Jesus is always at the margins. The insiders have substitued pride and power for the lowly and meek saviour.
We need to look to those who are rejected and we will find a love that is both needed and powerfully expressed. It can become our community of trials and love.
Jesus is the eternal outsider, he was taken outsdie the walls to be crucified, we need to go to him there.
God Bless
I have read many of your posts, and I trust we have similar views on those on the fringes, living in a sort of liminal space. :) Keep on bringing this good stuff to us.
len...thanks for pointing us to this article. The Pastor is quite the thinker, huh? Great article!
Hi Gillian:
thanks for the support
glad to know that there are others out there who know where Jesus lives.
hi Frank
pastor astor is a very interesting fella. I have really enjoyed getting to know him as a friend and fellow traveller. I discoverd him thru your blog and have been doubly blessed in Paradoxum and Tro&Tank.
How did the first session of Element go yesterday?
I wish (and pray) a great future for your work there.
LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!! You made a viking blush! Now I will have to go chop some wood...
I should get my battleaxe out and knock a few trees down too to get the steam bath stoked.(just kidding, all my enviro-friendly chums.)
Our temperatures are well below normal here.
Global warming is an important issue but I don't think we will have to close down our saunas just yet.
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