a Jesus thought...
I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
a Godly thought...
If we're living holy lives, praying for not-yet-Christian friends, socialising regularly and building friendships with them, and introducing them to our evangelist friends, we will be creating the fertile soil for God to do his exclusive work, giving people the gift of faith. (p59 Frost & Hirsch)
a leading thought...
The ultimate measure of a leaders success is not that they were always successful but that they made a difference in the lives of the people they led. (p276 Blackaby)
a Dave thought...
Over the last 15 years of my faith journey I have heard speak live some of the most famous names in the Christian church. People such as Bill Hybells, Brian Houston, Rick Warren, Tony Campolo, John Maxwell and last night I added another Bishop John Shelby Spong. He spoke in the Malvern town hall to a packed audience of about 3000 people. A cell group of young adults that I lead were keen to go along so I thought I'd accompany them not knowing quite what to expect. The first thing that struck me was the age of the audience, which I would guess would have averaged over 50, but maybe because the Bishop is 78 himself may have something to do with this. Before attending I have read and listened to many fundamentals slam Spong and his beliefs over the years and understood that just be attending some may judge my own personal beliefs as well. But his thoughts certainly helped create some interesting dialogue over Hungry Jacks, as it is often new theological thoughts that really help us to grow and explore the word more.
So what do I believe? I believe God wants us to be intelligent, well read disciples who are always willing to learn and grow, so on my journey I always take an opportunity to hear anothers view on the bible and God, in the hope that I may continue to grow closer to Him.
Just a thought.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Spong
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16 comments:
You say you heard him speak, that his talk generated discussion at Hungry Jacks. You state that fundamentalists have disagreed with him.
You do not say what he said or whether or not you agree with him....?
Hi- as the guy who put the fun back into fundamentalism I'd like to know your take on what the previous commenter asks. :-)
grace
stephenC
Come one dave off the fence. Let us know what you think of what he said.
Limo
Yes I am deliberately sitting on the fence as it is often the best place to look at both sides before jumping:) But one of the thoughts that was confirmed to me during the night is that the burgers are better at Hungry Jacks!
I'm getting off the fence. I disagree with your comments Dave. Like a typical postmodern I steer away from the Institutional burger and prefer my burgers from the little fish and chip shop down the corner.
Limo
Well responded Dave. But surely sitting on the fence has got to get a bit uncomfortable.
Yes it can be uncomfortable but sometimes when you jump off you get hurt.
I heard someone say today..."is there more fun or mental in fundamentalism"...Just a thought.
Give Dave a break!
As far as i know, Dave hasnt read any Spong - just went and heard him for 60 minutes. In that time, no audience is going to hear all his ideas.
If you want a well-formed, intelligent opinion from the Lieutenant, please lend the man some spong books ;-)
Sonia
Rudd goes to strip club... Dave goes to Spong... Who knows? maybe Rowan Castle will audition for the staff band...
hahaha. I heard MSB needs a long-haired guitarist.
grace
sec
I'd so like to see that!!
Are they up to his standards?
Hey Dave, I think you are wise to suspend judgement on this one. In fact as someone who has read a fair bit of Spong, I will say that his strengths and weaknesses didn't become clear for me until I had read the scholars his work is based upon (John Robinson, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, Richard Holloway, Robert Funk, etc.) It's easy to jump on either bandwagon but far more valuable to make informed decisions - even if they take a bit longer. I won't offer to lend you any Spong, but I have some other book recommendations if you are interested. Regards, JDK
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