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Greenbelt freshers

This is a post for people who've been to Greenbelt or have camping experience (you don't have to be a SofaChurcher, btw) to post their tips to help everyone else. I'll get the ball rolling...

 
 

Positive uses of technology

A slight change to the published schedule; we should be finishing off the current series with a celebration meal this evening, but we're not organised enough for it this week and haven't given anyone warning. So that will have to be in two weeks' time.

So this evening we'll have a look at the topic we tried to do last time - how technology can be used to enhance our lives as followers of Jesus. Come along and pick up some new ideas and share your own. The meeting will be led by Susie.

 
 

Sounds like us, Mr Bell

I was just listening to a talk by Rob Bell* (how holy for a Saturday night?) on the Mars Hill podcast and this section jumped out at me. I instantly nabbed the Mac from a bemused Andy (who was only trying to find a new house for us) to tap it out for you to read.

This could certainly be written about me: how about you?

"For parents, sometimes you'll hear the story: "I'm so concerned about my child, they've gone off on a search; they've left the church; they've gone off and they're reading this speaker or this one," and there's a tear in the parents' eyes. "We raised them, they went to church, they went to Sunday School, they heard all the stories: what's happened?"

I would argue that what happens naturally, developmentally, when you've grown up around a particular faith tradition, is that you've grown up knowing, which is different from knowing.

And so oftentimes, what the search is and what looks like a departure, may actually be the most healthy thing imaginable, because this kid - this adult - may have come to a point of realising that, "I know, but I don't know; and it's not enough for me to just know about, I want to know."

And so sometimes what happens is that the Christian community freaks: "They're reading this, they're exploring this, they're talking about this!" When the Christian tradition should celebrate that this person is not satisfied just to 'know about', they want the full epigonosis** enchillada!

And at the very moment when as Christians, we should celebrate someone who says, "I actually want to know what it is that I believe and I want to live it. And I want to sift and sort and I want to know what's out there, because I want to have an authentic understanding of my own journey and what it means to believe and live in the world." At that moment, the church should be cheering the way because there's no fear.

Instead the church freaks, shuts down and reinforces all of the closed, narrow-minded stereotypes this person has in the first place. Because perhaps what's happening - perhaps - this person has realised that I don't just want to know, I want to know. And we should celebrate that impluse wherever we find it."

* Main speaker at Greenbelt this year - yay!
** Greek term meaning something along the lines of 'super-knowledge' (makes more sense in the context of the rest of the sermon)

 
 

Because I'm worth it...

Pick up any magazine at this time of the year and you'll be sure to find at least one article telling you how you can lose those surplus pounds to look great in your bikini on the beach.*

If, like me, you've had just about enough of feeling crap about your body and eating in crazy, unhealthy ways in order to try and look like a 12 year old, come along to this weeks' Cafe Church where we'll be looking at the whole area of body image and self-esteem.

Highlights include a 'his and hers' interview featuring our very own Rev. Austin for the boys' view, and yours truly giving the no-holds-barred experience of being a girl of the Kate Moss generation.

Why do we spend so long worrying about our appearances? Who gains from our preoccupation with image? Why is beauty considered so much more desirable than other traits? Why can we only start to feel good about ourselves when we look a certain way? And how might God prefer us to think about our self-worth?

Hope to see you all there for more question (and tiffin square**) chewing over.


* Er, what bikini? And what beach?
** Unless you're on said bikini diet, that is.

 
 

Sunday rest

Anyone around this Sunday afternoon for some Sunday afternoon fun? 

Thought I'd check who's around before planning the activity. And the picture? Oh, any excuse to show off my beautiful boy.

 
 

Engaging with technology

This weeks' SofaChurch will continue our look at technology and the effects of communications technologies in particular on our lives. 

This week we'll be thinking about the more positive sides of new technologies, focussing especially on how, as Christians, we can keep up to date with and exploit newer methods of communication to get some positivity out there.

Hope to see you there.  

 
 

Dogma

This weeks' film is Dogma, produced by controversial Catholic producer and film star, Kevin Smith.

(I'll ask Andy what to write about it as my recommendation would be along the lines of: "Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek and Alan Rickman - something for everyone there.")

So, to quote Andy:
"The film is a very irreverant and crude comedy that explores how God and humans relate to each other. It caused an outcry in Christian circles when it was released. It's certainly not for you if you can't tolerate bad language (it's an 18 because of the copious amounts of swearing - sex and violence is fairly minimal)."