Nothing threatens any healthy church like the lack of serious talk , emotional outbursts or denial . One problem for abcchurch goers seems to be denial - " we never go there" " we just don't do "churchtime" .
Sure its a place most ABC powerpersons never see themselves going to - at least wittingly: but does it stop them sitting there --listening to the high priests and chiming in with the chorus ? Of course not - we all go to church somewhere?
How do THE REAL churches in our communities get people back there each week, without it being boring? How can church be serious and emotionally enjoyable at the same time? Well, let me tell you as one who loves to go , you won't find out by watching the Tv version- you have to go to a service that has both to really know HOW it happens !!
How do they keep doing it - not with threats and serious " danger talk?( like some we know) How do you get that fine balance of serious and smiling, happy to go , and "happy to be there" congregations?
No idea? you say ? - well simply you are not introduced to those types of people on TV ( except perhaps hymns of praise on Sundays and a few whose allegiance and reasonableness is seldom known. -
"I know "--someone might say --"get some modern music and new songs for the ABC"--some NEW choruses of concern. "Dangerous talk mate" ; "What do ou mean ditch the latest scare campaign for yet another????"
Another possible threat to ABCchurch seems to be denial about the possibile goodness or otherwise of emotional stuff . As everyone in the leadership knows, if you allow too much emotion in, you can lose control : the people may not take the old message too seriously - and if we are anything - " we are serious"here at ABCchurch . If we stand for anything- we stand for seriousness.Where does emotion fit with the nee Stoics ?
Why did ABCTV refuse to let Obama tell his story on prime time, featuring instead the predictable and pedantic Mr Smith and Mr Brumby . The high priests can't handle the emotion issue? . No good for a laugh - at least not when threatened by raw emotion
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bullshit- there is a lot of it still ....out there!
"That's what you get outside" the preacher said . There is a lot of it out there influencing our young people even now" "Stop it" she said ( ABCTV qanda) "Throw all those old books in the bin" . The congregation rang out with a loud chorus of " Amen , sister" .
The service started well with a warm greeting to the unbeliever on the extreme right. But it soon deteriorated into a war of words and "I wannabe heard" claims . Even the arts critic ( marcus) couldn't seem to get beyond the politically correct paradigms that ruled from the front .
The OT reading came from the old book of FABIANISM " the only rule is that there are no rules ". This proverb pleased many ; Yes, it was clearly the solution to the aboriginal problem, just as its the solution to all problems .
The gospel reading, from the book of Childrens verse , was read clearly " We should only do as we like " ...."and the same is true of the aborigines". Self determination. A Wonderful , praiseworthy, doctrine
The problem neatly solved, the leaders of the service moved us onto how we could stop the Russians getting to port and the critical argument of the night; "You nedd to accept ; I thought of it first " ( The game created the most angst, did it not ?); who was first one to talk about carbon trading, the audience was asked to weigh in the court of petty chapel .
Really ...Who cares - You can be sure it wasn't a scientist ( there is too much rhetoric and idealism for us detail blokes to speak on that ----as science)
The unbeliever, by this time was clearly restless with the way the condemnation chorus was going; the chants were getter louder and more insistent around the same subject - lack of true faith by others . ( Maybe, just maybe , the reactionaries were not sure where they were going to from here - an apologetic for the day?) Maybe the biggest political problem in our own backyard is , as Jones put it ,the lack of narrative . Come on back to narrative then , you change for changes sake agents ! The revolutionaries, as always, turn out to be moving infront of revolving and reactionary doors.
Focusing on what the opposition are doing is also, not something a growing dynamic church does. Besides, the reality therapy of our lifetime doesn't really help the case. Marxist revolutionaries have, in the name of revolution , done more damage in the last century than the fundamentalists. Sure, Greg says , lets talk fanaticism , if you like - just be aware ....that you may infact show some of it yourself?? Do they have confession time at ABCchurch?
Finally, Bob puts his hand on the shoulder of the unbeliever.
" I'd like to pray for our beloved brother Greg here , that he might ...really, really see the light ; no longer be an unbeliever in what he too, can't see; save him from denial and scepticism about things we all know and believe to be true " .
A church meeting it was, if ever I've seen one. ABCTV QandA Thursday 14th August 2008
The service started well with a warm greeting to the unbeliever on the extreme right. But it soon deteriorated into a war of words and "I wannabe heard" claims . Even the arts critic ( marcus) couldn't seem to get beyond the politically correct paradigms that ruled from the front .
The OT reading came from the old book of FABIANISM " the only rule is that there are no rules ". This proverb pleased many ; Yes, it was clearly the solution to the aboriginal problem, just as its the solution to all problems .
The gospel reading, from the book of Childrens verse , was read clearly " We should only do as we like " ...."and the same is true of the aborigines". Self determination. A Wonderful , praiseworthy, doctrine
The problem neatly solved, the leaders of the service moved us onto how we could stop the Russians getting to port and the critical argument of the night; "You nedd to accept ; I thought of it first " ( The game created the most angst, did it not ?); who was first one to talk about carbon trading, the audience was asked to weigh in the court of petty chapel .
Really ...Who cares - You can be sure it wasn't a scientist ( there is too much rhetoric and idealism for us detail blokes to speak on that ----as science)
The unbeliever, by this time was clearly restless with the way the condemnation chorus was going; the chants were getter louder and more insistent around the same subject - lack of true faith by others . ( Maybe, just maybe , the reactionaries were not sure where they were going to from here - an apologetic for the day?) Maybe the biggest political problem in our own backyard is , as Jones put it ,the lack of narrative . Come on back to narrative then , you change for changes sake agents ! The revolutionaries, as always, turn out to be moving infront of revolving and reactionary doors.
Focusing on what the opposition are doing is also, not something a growing dynamic church does. Besides, the reality therapy of our lifetime doesn't really help the case. Marxist revolutionaries have, in the name of revolution , done more damage in the last century than the fundamentalists. Sure, Greg says , lets talk fanaticism , if you like - just be aware ....that you may infact show some of it yourself?? Do they have confession time at ABCchurch?
Finally, Bob puts his hand on the shoulder of the unbeliever.
" I'd like to pray for our beloved brother Greg here , that he might ...really, really see the light ; no longer be an unbeliever in what he too, can't see; save him from denial and scepticism about things we all know and believe to be true " .
A church meeting it was, if ever I've seen one. ABCTV QandA Thursday 14th August 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Skippers or Flippers - why the inequality, the hypocrisy
Prue and Charlie (ABCTV qanda) were I think quite rightly questioning whether Rudds pontifications about whale eating were a little beyond the pale . Emperors in glass houses should not throw stones .
After all, he can't really do anything about the issue, but he is making the most of sitting on what appears to be the moral high ground . Shaky stuff-speacilly when the top of the food chain takes over his home town and he is forced to kill some of them .
Most importantly for realist idealists is the question whether there is any real practical difference between cutting up our own national emblem and culling any animal at the top of the food chain . Lions do it . Are whales sacred and kangaroos not?
Is the science of meat eating,teeth, temperament and trophism no longer the guiding principle of secularists? How can they be so selective in their "science?"
Sacrificing meat to idols was a big qanda in the 1st century . why in the world should it be one now? . St Paul said the fuss about meat was not a central one so what was a big quanda then became a non issue in the West for 20 centuries ?
Maybe not any more ? . What does it mean when our leader says "we worry" about every whale, when we generally accept careful culling in our own country.
Who would have thought some secularists in 21st century would be worried about eating meat sacrificed to idols?And with the hypocrisy of such a position obviuos to everyone but the emperor himsel . Does it make sense to you?
After all, he can't really do anything about the issue, but he is making the most of sitting on what appears to be the moral high ground . Shaky stuff-speacilly when the top of the food chain takes over his home town and he is forced to kill some of them .
Most importantly for realist idealists is the question whether there is any real practical difference between cutting up our own national emblem and culling any animal at the top of the food chain . Lions do it . Are whales sacred and kangaroos not?
Is the science of meat eating,teeth, temperament and trophism no longer the guiding principle of secularists? How can they be so selective in their "science?"
Sacrificing meat to idols was a big qanda in the 1st century . why in the world should it be one now? . St Paul said the fuss about meat was not a central one so what was a big quanda then became a non issue in the West for 20 centuries ?
Maybe not any more ? . What does it mean when our leader says "we worry" about every whale, when we generally accept careful culling in our own country.
Who would have thought some secularists in 21st century would be worried about eating meat sacrificed to idols?And with the hypocrisy of such a position obviuos to everyone but the emperor himsel . Does it make sense to you?
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