Preaching the Gospel

Most Christians know the saying attributed to St Francis of Assisi - though probably apocryphal - 'preach the Gospel every moment and sometimes use words'. Good saying, even if he may not have said it. In recent years, certainly in my time, the church has shied away from talking about the gospel of God's love expressed through Jesus Christ and alive in the world through the Holy Spirit. This is partly due to the insensitivity of the church in the past and by some zealots in the present, but also because our 'secular' nation has become a little intolerant to things to do with faith.

I was reminded of this on Sunday night at 'connecT' as we listened to a Christian pastoral support worker speak about her ministry at a local school. There are many restrictions on what she can say, but there are no restrictions on her living the gospel daily as she spends time with students and staff showing something of God's love: this she does well.

This leads me to think about how we can learn new ways of 'walking the talk' without denying our central message. The 'emerging church' is leading the way in this, I think, as we seek to be creative, innovative and sensitive without denying the rich heritage and message of the Christian faith.

Chris

Papa is a Mama - The Shack

One of the most contentious issues raised by the book, the Shack, is the way we image God. Some say it can't be done and, indeed, shouldn't be done. Others, and I think I would be one of them, would argue that the only way we can talk about God is in human language. Language is symbol and in talking about God, at all, we are already in the realm of image making. Others, take language literally, and when we talk of the first person of the Trinity as Father then we are saying that he is male. The book 'The Shack' doesn't take that line. The Father (Papa), as the story goes, is 'imaged' as an African-American woman. Hence, the controversy - not male, not white!

I would hold with the 'apophatic' tradition that God is mystery and that when we speak of Father, Son & Holy Spirit we are moving in the realm of symbol and analogy. Feminine images, therefore, are perfectly acceptable for God. Male & female, together, image God (Gen 1:27).

Is 'The Shack' right? Am I right?

Chris

P.S. Part 2 of 'The Shack', this Sunday night @ 5.30pm - God and suffering.