With the new framework (as Tim neatly puts it) we will be considering a challenging theme together for three months or so, designed to make us think about how we choose to live deliberately as disciples of Jesus. But where do we start?
I'd appreciate any thoughts on the topic you think would be the best to kick this all off so I can prepare some resources and so others can get things together too. Then we can spend the evening of the 5th February deciding on the scope of the tasks we'll work on.
The ideas so far are...
Status anxiety: importance of appearance, snobbery, self esteem, wanting to be respected
Money: responding to the recession, budgeting, world poverty
Communications technology: making our private lives public, virtual worlds, addiction
Environment: reducing carbon emissions, cutting waste
Relationships: society, friendship, sex, abstinence, homosexuality
Materialism: values, advertising, greed, shopping addiction, gadgets
Food: ethical sourcing, food miles, growing, chemicals, excess, fellowship, communion
6 comments:
I felt sorry for you, And, your post having no comments, so thought I'd pop one up.
I'm interested in several issues within those topics. Not very helpful for you, but questions I'd be keen to look at include:
* Rich Christians/starving poor: disposable society, keeping up with fashion, whims etc while people go hungry; what a radical Christian life could look like and what stops us from doing it.
* What might the church's response to homosexuality be, in an ideal world?
* How do we get our sense of self-worth from God, rather than from what 'the world' tells us (get thin, get popular, get busy, get rich etc)?
* How healthy is it to have 'the world in your front room'? (e.g being permanently contactable & other issues of non-face-to-face communication)
So. That doesn't help you at all, does it?
Hello :) There are so many good things to choose from... They're all fab but I've limited myself to 2...
Money (which seems pertinent at the moment) - this would be a good mix of maybe some personal tips for people (guessing money is an issues for all of us at some level) and seeking out a contemporary Xn response to some of the wider issues
Communications technology/virtual worlds & all that jazz (again a good mix...) - there was a fab article in this month's YouthWork magazine about a 'porn epidemic' in the church suggesting up to one third of church workers struggle with this issue... But there's also the wider issue of virtual worlds, 2nd life stuff etc...
Just my opinion... Are others being polite lol?!
I would go with credit crunchy stuff - finances - credit cards etc as a starting point. Would make for relevance and if we wanted to run a press release for SC it would perhaps be more punchy and attractive?
The consensus, from the above posts and emails, is that money would be a good place to start, so we shall.
Tomorrow we'll start the process by deciding what the tasks are going to be to help us thrash out how our attitude to money as Christians should be different to the norm.
If you have time to think about it before that would be great. If anyone is able to bring a Bible concordance (a kind of index that lets you find verses easily) that might be helpful. Also any resources (books etc) that you would be prepared to share.
Thank you!
We're not sure if we'll be able to be along tomorrow night, though very much hope to be.
Helen's dad died this afternoon having been admitted to hospital in the early hours and we're all a bit shell shocked to varying degrees.
Expect us if you see us, otherwise we will be with you in spirit and look forward to 'getting on with it'.
I know I'm speaking for everyone at SofaChurch when I say we're so, so sorry to hear your dreadful news.
Please let any of us know if there is anything we can do - anything practical that you need, any help with the kids, cash - anything that would help you at the moment.
We want to support you at this time, but don't want to intrude at this tough time for your whole family. Let us know and in the meantime, we'll be remembering you all sky-wards. Much love and virtual hugs (and if you are there tonight, real ones no doubt).
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