Mar 22 2012

The Pit

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THE PIT

(Dedicated to those who struggle with homosexuality)

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.

Respectable people came along and said:

“We don’t associate with pit-dwellers.”

An empathist came along and said:

“I really for you in that pit.”

A sociobiologist came along and said:

“You were born in your pit.”

A psychiatrist came along and said:

“It can be very destructive to remove people

from pits they were born in.”

A psychologist came along and said:

“Accept your pit, that way you’ll be happy.”

A gay activist came along and said:

“Fight for the right to stay in your pit.”

A politician came along and said:

“Discrimination against pits is illegal.”

A researcher came along and said:

“What an interesting pit.”

A religious fundamentalist came along and said:

“You deserve your pit.”

A religious liberal came along and said:

“Your pit is God’s beautiful gift to you.”

A charismatic came along and said:

“Just confess you’re not in that pit.”

His mother came along and said:

“It’s your father’s fault you’re in that pit.”

His father came along and said:

“It’s your mother’s fault you’re in that pit.”

His wife came along and said:

“It’s all my fault you’re in that pit.”

But Jesus, seeing the man, loved him,

and reaching into the pit

put his arms around him and pulled him out.

(from Briar Whitehead, Craving for Love, pp 87-88)


Apr 1 2010

Thinking about church…

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Here’s something for all you theologisers out there! What are your thoughts on this?

A healthy church is a gathering where everyone gets what they don’t want.

What I mean by that is, church should not be be tailored to everyone’s liking. There should be hymns for people who don’t like hymns, kid’s talks for people who don’t like kid’s talks, long prayer times for people who don’t like long prayers and vis versa… There should be people and personalities there that don’t naturally connect – this is a healthy church.

Discuss.


Mar 25 2010

The Psalms

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John Calvin on the Psalms:

What various and resplendent riches are contained in this treasury, it were difficult to find words to describe… I have been wont to call this book, I think not inappropriately, ‘The Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul’ for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.

Calvin J., J. King (tr.). Commentary on the Book of Psalms, Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, 1979, p. xxxvii


Mar 21 2010

Thinking

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Let myself quote myself…

We must be wary of any belief system that gives people a license to behave as they would naturally behave anyway.

But… the christian belief system grates against our natural inclinations to serve our own selfish desires.