Comments on: sayings of change http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/ musings from those on the journey Sat, 1 Nov 2008 08:44:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Toni http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2662 Toni Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2662 How I dislike religious people. Curiously I'm engaged in debate with someone about our church having an 'altar'. Sarah's contention is that the stage in the new church centre in Oxford is really an altar. To me it's just a place to put the speaker and musicians so they can see the congregation better. My comment was "show me the altar and I'll see if I can find some bones to burn on it". When people are focussed on the building they use then they forget what church is. How I dislike religious people.

Curiously I’m engaged in debate with someone about our church having an ‘altar’. Sarah’s contention is that the stage in the new church centre in Oxford is really an altar. To me it’s just a place to put the speaker and musicians so they can see the congregation better. My comment was “show me the altar and I’ll see if I can find some bones to burn on it”. When people are focussed on the building they use then they forget what church is.

]]> By: Laura http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2663 Laura Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2663 Know what ya mean. The church where I serve is proposing a change to the meeting times and number of Sunday School sessions on Sunday morning (going back to a schedule we had a few decades ago--two services concurrent with two Sunday Schools, ). You should hear some of the comments. I tell ya... Know what ya mean. The church where I serve is proposing a change to the meeting times and number of Sunday School sessions on Sunday morning (going back to a schedule we had a few decades ago–two services concurrent with two Sunday Schools, ). You should hear some of the comments. I tell ya…

]]> By: Andy http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2664 Andy Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2664 When we painted our foyer (very modern bright colours), one old lady who wasn't overly impressed said "I don't think Jesus is here anymore" :) When we painted our foyer (very modern bright colours), one old lady who wasn’t overly impressed said “I don’t think Jesus is here anymore”
:)

]]> By: Randall http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2665 Randall Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2665 Sigh. Sounds like I know some of their relatives, up here in Prince Albert, Canada! Sigh.

Sounds like I know some of their relatives, up here in Prince Albert, Canada!

]]> By: Janet http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2666 Janet Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2666 Sounds typical - the sort of thing I am sure I remember hearing when we remodelled our church building.... Seeing the pianist's feet worries me - People don't look at my feet when I play do they?. It must be a distracting site, as my feet are not all that pretty.... You know, one day I am going to sit at the feet of Jesus (literally or figuratively - who cares...) and I am sure going to be glad to see His feet! Sounds typical - the sort of thing I am sure I remember hearing when we remodelled our church building….

Seeing the pianist’s feet worries me - People don’t look at my feet when I play do they?. It must be a distracting site, as my feet are not all that pretty….

You know, one day I am going to sit at the feet of Jesus (literally or figuratively - who cares…) and I am sure going to be glad to see His feet!

]]> By: gareth http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2667 gareth Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2667 but the pink flowers realy don't work in front of a red wall. :P but the pink flowers realy don’t work in front of a red wall.
:P

]]> By: Homer Paxton http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2668 Homer Paxton Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2668 We had a canny Bishop at our church. Whenever there was a need to change what were doing he would do a bible study on the topic. This helped the people, mainly but not only elderly people, to see the biblcal picture. Consequently change was made more easily. We had a canny Bishop at our church.
Whenever there was a need to change what were doing he would do a bible study on the topic.
This helped the people, mainly but not only elderly people, to see the biblcal picture.

Consequently change was made more easily.

]]> By: phil http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2669 phil Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2669 For the past four years we have "entered" the biblical story continually as we have sought to create our new Church. It may have made the change easier but never painless. Exploring what we believe God is calling us to do through the biblical narrative has been the reason for this change. Intellectually people understand this - our feelings and emotions do not follow always as easily or clinically. And that is ok. The biblical narrative shows us this, and says that is ok to express our pain. For the past four years we have “entered” the biblical story continually as we have sought to create our new Church. It may have made the change easier but never painless. Exploring what we believe God is calling us to do through the biblical narrative has been the reason for this change. Intellectually people understand this - our feelings and emotions do not follow always as easily or clinically. And that is ok. The biblical narrative shows us this, and says that is ok to express our pain.

]]> By: Homer Paxton http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2670 Homer Paxton Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2670 Let me make two biblical illustrations. The Israelites grumble about being away from Egypt. They want to go back. Would you feel their pain at this change? By no means as Satan is trying to sabotage God's mission. The Hellenists grumble that their widows are not being looked after. Would you feel their pain? By all means. As their compalint has good biblical reasons. Moreover they force the apostles to do what is essentially their main task to preach the Gospel. Two diferent situations and two different reactions. Let me make two biblical illustrations.

The Israelites grumble about being away from Egypt. They want to go back.
Would you feel their pain at this change?
By no means as Satan is trying to sabotage God’s mission.

The Hellenists grumble that their widows are not being looked after. Would you feel their pain? By all means. As their compalint has good biblical reasons. Moreover they force the apostles to do what is essentially their main task to preach the Gospel.

Two diferent situations and two different reactions.

]]> By: Phil http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2671 Phil Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.signposts.org.au/2004/05/26/sayings-of-change/#comment-2671 Pain of change is a something natural. The pain of the journey of the Israelites is something to feel and is something to relate to. The Israelites sure did. They expressed anger, frustration and grief. To call this Satan trying to sabotaging God's plan minimizes the human journey of change. The Israelites were not lifeless pawns in some kind of cosmic plan, they were real, breathing and fragile human beings undertaking a journey in which God was involved in. The story of the Israelites is quite apt for the current context of the Church. And some Christians, like the Israelites are feeling the pain. This pain should not be rejected or minimized but should be felt and journeyed through. Pain of change is a something natural. The pain of the journey of the Israelites is something to feel and is something to relate to. The Israelites sure did. They expressed anger, frustration and grief. To call this Satan trying to sabotaging God’s plan minimizes the human journey of change. The Israelites were not lifeless pawns in some kind of cosmic plan, they were real, breathing and fragile human beings undertaking a journey in which God was involved in.

The story of the Israelites is quite apt for the current context of the Church. And some Christians, like the Israelites are feeling the pain. This pain should not be rejected or minimized but should be felt and journeyed through.

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