the problem of good intentions
Posted on November 5, 2007 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Church | 3 Comments
One of the problems of being around churches, and in being someone who tries very hard to see the good in people is the way that bad things happen because of completely good and honourable intentions. Dealing with teenagers (but also in the wider world), there are some very fragile self-esteems involved, and it doesn’t take a lot to see a whole heap of damage done on the back of what starts as a “really nice idea”.
So something I really haven’t worked out yet though, is how to explain to people who have these lovely ideas that they are actually going to prove harmful for people, or are going to cause stagnation, or represent barriers to growth. Because ultimately, I know that if someone told me that my ideas were harmful - I’d want to whack them across the head. And I don’t know any way to approach it that would result in me having a different reaction.
if you can’t say something valuable…
Posted on November 2, 2007 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Links | 4 Comments
… then point out someone who is. So while I’m suffering a minor drought of theological inspiration (or at least complete-posts worth) I thought I’d send the loyal readership elsewhere in pursuit of theology and conversation.
Anne Jackson at FlowerDust.net has written a great post on burnout (she’s a bit of an expert - she’s writing a book) as a part of her series on “Deadly Viper Character Assassins“:
“that is where it gets me. i hate disappointing people. i want to be all things to everyone - the best wife, the sharpest employee, the most considerate friend, the most giving family member, and the most effective communicator.
and then i realize; all those things are about me. ME ME ME. nothing about bringing glory to god. nothing about even desiring to grow in my relationship with christ. obviously, i do…but it gets so easily shoved to the bottom of the list when i feel i have to do all these things.” - Read the whole post
Paul at One For The Road has an interesting collection of thoughts on consumerism in Halloween. I must admit that this is one festival that hasn’t taken off in Australia (despite our love for all culture American).
“Here i think is the the centre of my angst - i am rich enough and fortunate enough to live somewhere nice enough to be able to take part in a contrived marketing fest which is celebrated by everyone one else who is also rich enough and fortunate enough to do. It’s a festival of self indulgent consumption and heck i do like to consume and self indulge - i feel a little like a cow led by the nose with my head stuck in a trough where the feed never stops pouring in - just eat and eat and eat. I never wonder why i am being fed, why the system i am part of encourages me to keep eating, i just keep filling my face…” - Read the whole post
A couple of things from Makeesha that are worth highlighting. Firstly, she’s challenged men like myself to go have a listen to Sister Joan Chittister, which I duly did (because I always do as I’m told) and would now recommend. She’s a very wise and graceful woman, and has some fantastic things to say, so make some time to have a listen. I also thought this comment from Makeesha was worth highlighting, as we seek to love one another better:
“Encouraging one another with our words (and of course our actions) is one of the most powerful and transforming acts we can engage in within the context of human interaction. Behavior modification through judgment, proclamation of “law”, shame and fear only works sometimes and in those instances, usually only for a short time. But kind and encouraging words that spur others on generates life giving interactions that last.” - Read the whole post
And finally, Shane Magee of Fake Republic and David Hayward of Naked Pastor fame have combined to create the “fakeNaked” show. It’s still in its infancy, but it certainly looks to be worth keeping an eye on.
So, if you’ve got anything that you’ve seen from someone else’s blog that you think is worth highlighting, post it in the comments. Other than that: go forth and converse elsewhere - the blogosphere needs you.
lay your hands on me
Posted on October 31, 2007 by Bryan Riley
Filed Under Bible Study | 3 Comments
Jon Bon Jovi, who has one of the best male voices on the radio, once sang a tune about the laying on of hands, but I think he was talking about something quite different than the subject of this topic. Growing up Southern Baptist in America, where people tend to have personal spaces and where my church was largely suspicious about anything that had the appearance of charismatism, the laying on of hands just didn’t happen.
But, when you think about those who have gone before us it seems that there must be something to a touchy-feely faith.
Think about the story of Issac, Rebekah, Jacob and Esau, with all the trickery that went into ensuring that Isaac laid his hands on Jacob, not Esau, so that the blessing would fall upon Jacob. Genesis 27.
Think of the interesting story of Jacob, now Israel, blessing Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, where he deliberately crosses his hands over so that his right hand is laying on the youngest son, Ephraim, even after Joseph tries to “correct” his father. Genesis 48.
The bible tells us that Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses laid his hands on him. Deuteronomy 34. When the Levites were set apart for the priesthood, the entire family was brought before the rest of the nation of Israel so that they could lay their hands on the Levites. Numbers 8:5-11.
These are just a few OT examples. In the New Testament, it goes beyond just being interesting that Paul reminds Timothy to keep the gift of God aflame, a gift that came upon him through the laying on of Paul’s hands. 2 Timothy 1:7. There is the difficult passage in Acts 8 where Simon the sorceror wants the ability to give the Holy Spirit by laying on hands just like the apostles did it. And, in Mark 6, Jesus couldn’t do many miracles in his home town except “lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”
These passages really challenge me to rethink the laying on of hands. But the passage that really puts me over the edge can be found in Hebrews 6. There the author of Hebrews made me want to write this post. It is there that he or she writes the following:
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
Why is this so interesting? Because the author clearly considers the laying on of hands an elementary teaching about Christ. It is included in a list of “elementary teachings about Christ” with repentance, faith, baptisms, resurrection and eternal judgment. It is basic and foundational. It is primary. It is something upon which we build.
I suppose it is one of those things that I don’t need to understand how or why it works, but I need to believe in it nonetheless, and believing in it necessarily includes acting upon it. What do you think?
monologue avoidance desires (MAD)
Posted on October 30, 2007 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Site Notices | 2 Comments
This is a friendly reminder that the reason there hasn’t been posts up here for the last few days is partly because I haven’t had anything slide across my brain, but also because nobody else has submitted anything. So, in the interests of seeing out my MAD plans: I offer the following suggestions for posts:
- Idealistic dreams. There’s a whole category for “Crazy Idealism” and it would be sad to see only my meagre post on advocacy as the best effort at the idealistic world. Have a go - there’s nothing quite as fun as having people shoot down your idealism. (Kidding!!!)
- Why I… whatever. Why I’m a Calvinist. Why I hate Calvinists. Why I wish I was an atheist. All of these make good titles for posts. And there’s a category for these too
- Book Reviews. There’ll pretty soon be a review of McLaren’s “Everything Must Change” (I’ve just got to read it first), but you can get in first and tell everyone about the last book you read.
- Whatever else you feel like. I just like having this site being about more than whatever’s on Geoff’s mind at the time.
If any of the above inspire you to contribute to Amateur Theology, just send your post in an email to submissions@amateurtheology.org . I pseudo-promise to have something up tomorrow of greater value. Until then - happy submitting.
a bit of a dream for advocacy
Posted on October 25, 2007 by Geoff Matheson
Filed Under Crazy Idealism, Emerging Questions | 18 Comments
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
- Luke 6: 32-36
I know that I said I was finished with the feminism conversation for the time being, but stick with me, that’s not what this is primarily all about. But in interacting with that discussion there were two, fairly obvious and unsurprising general trends:
- The strongest, loudest pro-feminist voices were primarily women
- The most reluctant voices with regards to feminism were from men
I realise that about now you’re wanting to award me the Nobel Prize for Pointing-Out-The-Blatantly-Obvious, but stop being so rude and let me finish. What if we, as followers of the man who spoke the words in the quote above, chose to live to a higher standard? What if our most passionate responses came in defence of causes that cannot benefit ourselves? This isn’t a potshot at those in either category 1 or 2 above - that’s just how I got here. But what if we passionately got behind the issues that mean letting go of our own control.
Imagine if the church’s loudest feminists were men? If the loudest advocates for the poor came from financially prosperous backgrounds? If the advocates for Aboriginal Australians came from the white people? What if we were able to give up the causes that could benefit ourselves the most, in place of those which benefited us the least?
OK, now if you’re willing to put up with one more rhetorical question: what if the loudest voices for improving homosexual rights came from the Christians who believed that homosexuality is a sin? What a church that might be.
