I've been heads down working on new Sunday School lessons since December (hence the scarcity of posts). One of the series that my wife and I are working on is called Christian Fundamentals. Not the world's best title but it's a follow-up series for our gospel lessons based on The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross. At the end of the The Stranger, the class now understands the gospel and believes. But the immediate question is: "What do I do now that I believe?" That's where Christian Fundamentals comes in to answer those questions and show what new believers should do to get closer to God.
One of the things we talk about is seeking God's face daily. And the phrase I lit upon was from Brother Lawrence's book, Practicing the Presence of God.
Continue reading "Practising the presence of God" »
People have the idea that being a Christian is being moulded to be a certain type of person armed with a list of dos and don’ts. They have the notion that Christianity pushes certain paradigms that force restrictions on people. For example, men are the head of the house; women must be submissive. You have to behave properly. You need to avoid bars. Rock music is bad. You cannot swear. You mustn't have dirty thoughts. You need to become intolerant of other people’s beliefs. And on and on. Being a Christian therefore is restricting yourself. You are chained and gagged. You become a slave.
That is so far from the truth. The truth is, we are slaves to sin. Whether we admit to it or not, that's the actual truth. Deep in our gut, we know we are sinful. Some people are better than others at glossing over this fact. “I’m not a bad person. I give to charity. I’m kind to my co-workers. I help my neighbours.” But even these people have moments of bare honesty and know they are sinners.
Continue reading "Slavery to religion; freedom in Christ" »
