disclosing new worlds

In response to a number of requests, I’ve published my three studies on the theme of “Grace”, which I did for the United Reformed General Assembly 2006 last month. They are in the “pages” section. They can also be found on the Windermere Centre website – probably in more readable form! Cutting and pasting in this programme generates all sorts of layout difficulties, as you’ll see: when I have more time, I shall have a fifth go at getting the layout perfect!

I take three familiar Lukan passages or blocks, and look at how a failure to understand grace makes them appear far less radical than they are. My basic thesis is that we (Christians) actually don’t like grace! It’s unfair, it’s dangerous, and it drives a coach and horses through our settled world of just deserts. The resistance to grace innoculates us against seeing things in these familiar texts that are converting and transformatory. So I look first at Luke’s treatment of Jesus and John the Baptist, under the theme of “The priority of grace over judgement”. The second study is the parable of the Prodigal and his brother, under the theme of “The grace that refuses to disown us”. The final study is Luke’s account of the death of Jesus, and how grace saves us. The theme is “The grace that does not abandon us to the darkness of our choices”.

I’ll welcome any comments you have to make!

Sorry, folks, but I’m just not going to be able to post this week. We’ve had the Kids for Hope group at the Windermere Centre (still do until Monday) and it’s been days of 8.30am to midnight all week. It’s been wonderful and worthwhile, though, watching the children being to “unfold” and blossom. They’ve found the freedoma nd beauty startling and both positive and negative. Positively, they’ve discovered that it’s both possible and safe to say what they really think and feel. Negatively, they’ve ahd to cope with guilt and worry: they’ve been enjoying themselves, they’re safe and they’ve been given a huge privilege at real cost to their families (for example, the $100 each had to pay to cross the bridge into Jordan to catch the plane will feed their families – most of whom are unemployed because of the situation – for a month). Meanwhile, they’re aware of their families suffering and being in danger. That hasn’t been easy to deal with.

One thing that is worth reporting: I did a Bible Study on the Prodigal Son with them, and got them into groups, identifying with each of the main characters. The comments and insights were astounding! It has been exciting and humbling to be part of the programme.
Please pray for them as they travel back on Monday night. Pray for them as they are determined to take what they’ve learned and experienced back to their communities and make a positive difference.

I’ll post Monday next week. Sorry to ahve let you down.

You will see that Glyn Millington raises the question of whether or not it's possible usefully to carry on a threaded discussion via a blog. He's right to imply it isn't easy! If you take last week's post, for example, there are a number of different kinds of comments, and one has to go searching for responses to specific issues. However, what the blog does allow is to create pages. You'll find these immediately under the blog feed subscriber on the right. Pages are not time-bound, yet can receive comments as per usual.

The plan …
Here's the plan, then. I've created a page called the doctrine of the trinity as a starter. You'll see a post set up to generate a theological discussion on the Trinity. Come and join in! It will make it easy to have a proper, threaded and coherent discussion. If there's an appetite for it, I'll do it on other matters as well. Let me know of any suggestions.