IntenseDebate - Samuel

14 years ago @ thinkspace - Church in the Park · 0 replies · +1 points

We ended up on Main Street Markham. We had a brief moment of frustration on the way there, patched it up at one of the coffee/breakfast places on the street, and had a meaningful discussion. We flipped through a book on Bible Study Methods, and made some plans to go through it. I would say the God-moment was when we found a card-making lady... exploring her unique cards was a real treat, a break from the hustle-bustle, just flip-flip-flip-smile.

14 years ago @ thinkspace - The DeTour series · 0 replies · +1 points

Sure! I'll add it to the list and give you a heads up when Janice and I come visit. =)

14 years ago @ Solar Crash - Tornados and Gay Minis... · 0 replies · +1 points

Isn't God in both the destruction and restoration business? I'm recalling the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Israel's exile under the various empires, etc. The pattern of God's interaction seems to be one of destruction to bring about restoration, or at least that's what I have been taught.

14 years ago @ thinkspace - The DeTour series · 0 replies · +1 points

Roger that!

14 years ago @ thinkspace - DeTour: The Bridge · 0 replies · +1 points

Could it be that we just don't know how to be welcoming? I think it is one thing to be welcoming someone into my own house, and quite another to be welcoming someone to my church. I know how to do the former -- Chinese hospitality and all -- I'm not sure I know how to do the latter. That's why I looove the BBQ idea. I can welcome people into my house instead of welcoming them to an impersonal and character-less glass and brick building.

14 years ago @ thinkspace - The DeTour series · 0 replies · +1 points

Yeah, Sanctuary is totally on the list in my head... not sure why it didn't make it down on the blog. :) Yeah, I've heard some great things about Sanctuary and I did some volunteer work for them back in undergrad... definitely a planned stop.

14 years ago @ thinkspace - The DeTour series · 0 replies · +1 points

awesome! thanks for the suggestions!

14 years ago @ thinkspace - TLS09: Manage Differen... · 0 replies · +1 points

Not weird at all... you're Anglican! Haha. I definitely agree with you.

How would you propose to keep the meaning in our traditions and effectively communicate the meaning to others? I see it slipping away among church-goers, and seekers (at least the ones I've met) are really turned off by it.

14 years ago @ thinkspace - TLS09: Manage Differen... · 0 replies · +1 points

I can totally imagine a church "out there"... beyond 4 walls. I imagine it would take a concerted effort to engage our neighbours; overcoming the cultural differences and other differences we'll encounter will not be easy, but I'm sure it will be enriching towards our faith and our lives. Isn't this what church is supposed to be -- Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Romans, slaves and free?

The end to hierarchy is one thing that I'm iffy about. On the one hand, it is attractive because it allows greater flexibility and creativity... on the other hand, it can result in chaos or stagnation. (Kind of like how it always takes longer to decide where to go for lunch when more people are involved.) Some sort of balance should be struck between total equality all around vs. placing limited powers in the hands of a few individuals who will serve the community. I'm thinking of the open-source software movement: everyone can contribute code, but the maintainers have final say over whether or not it gets included into the official/final product. I'm not sure how this would work in a church setting...

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