Bradford at its more picturesque early this morning, its rooftops mantled in snow, clear and crsip, the sun a molten burst of yellow peeping shyly over the horizon. I like this cold snap; I’ve never liked the idea the world is probably warming up with the concomitant threat of more monochrome weather, a flattening of the seasons, slow death of cold white winter.
Back to ‘king Jesus’. Just started reading though Mark’s gospel. ‘immediately’ pops up a lot. A narrative of swift action - Jesus healing, casting out demons, ‘doing stuff’. power evidently was at work in this man. And it’s all very concrete - it doesn’t look made up. This is why partly why the idea Jesus never existed doesn’t look credible - as cs lewis said, the gospels have the character of journalistic reporting, vivid and real. When I read about Christ and his actions, especially in the morning, fresh in body mind and spirit, I am inspired and motivated. But ‘king jesus‘… I feel uncomfortable and doubtful sometimes in church, with people in a state of adoration, eyes shut, hands in the air, jesus I love you, you’re beautiful.. I’m just not making the link between the man of wisdom and action who inspires and this ’invisible love object’. I’ll come back to this…
To answer billy’s question, what Wayne meant by the word ‘christian’ having become compromised was that it has become tainted in popular consciousness by various bad associations where it’s been negatively expressed and lived out.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.JPG)
7 comments:
Bruce, it is easy to make up something totally fictional and write it in a journalistic style - like today when I was in the supermarket, a trolley transformed into a sheepsqueezer from the planet splaticon 5. Instantly, an old lady fainted as shoppers rushed to the exits...... etc.....
Your comment is extremely simplistic. If you also look at the gospel more closely, you will see that it is riddled with out or context OT verses claiming to be prophecy. I fails the context test that christians accuse anyone they disagree with of failing (including other christians).
I do agree that it reports action, and that's the problem, we see no healings or miracles today. Ifyou read the long ending of Mark, then followers should do miraclous things - they dont. I often challenge believers to drink poison when this comes up - they never take me up on this.
As for association with bad stuff, you're always going to have the nut bags and the catholic church. What makes you think that christists or what ever you decide to call yourselves would be any different? What would be more impressive would be if jesus actually did something about these "bad people".
I'll not hold my breath waiting
um, drinking poison was never meant to be a way of proving God, there is something in the bible about not putting God to the test...
the sheep squeezer bit is very inventive though:)
"invisible love object" - great phrase bruce you have captured my own anxieties in one clearly labelled net.
I doesnt work for me - we had a kendrick hymn to end the service this morning - cant remember if it was called majesty or travesty - but it is not my bag - give me the kenosis and emptyness of ritual any time - when the only challenge is not to think and not to feel !
I dont think one way is better than the other - there is maybe a sunny path and a dark path through worship but I know where I feel more comfortable - I get blinded by a lightbulb....
what i will say is when I have been to black majority churches - and done the going for it thing I am always struck by how clear and grounded the people are - they are empty and chilled out enough to take the full force worship.
I know Im not - I think I have too much of a fixated way of thinking to used such hard fixed images....
drink poison billy - does buckfast count ?
what im trying to say bruce is you can deconstruct it - but saying that everyone else should - that again is where I again put my question ?
"long ending" i love these phrases billy - do you read the short ending much - the one that isnt there - I love that I find it so moving so challenging - the sheer emptiness of it - like the forgotten spaces between hopeful dreams
um, drinking poison was never meant to be a way of proving God, there is something in the bible about not putting God to the test...
Yeah, the bible says lots of contradictory things
Read it and weep :-) and the verse is not about testing.
Mark 16 "16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Rob,
"long ending" i love these phrases billy
As I'm sure you're aware, ther eare two endings to Mark and this is a standard term of it. It is also referred to as "the late addition" as it does not occurr in some early manuscripts. This fact alone is a problem for Bruce's comment about reliability - if it's not original/inspired, then what else is suspect. If it is original/inspired, then why don't christians drink poison?
Never tried buckie, but I've seen it transform the lives of people - therefore buckie is the holy spirit :-)
PS Happy New Year
Post a Comment