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- Soap Box
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- Guest Column
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- Tuesday, 15 December 2009
By Gavin Ward
Is the church relevant today? So often it seems to get so caught up with its own importance and internal politics that it forgets about its main job of spreading the gospel of Christ.
I don’t think it’s any surprise that ‘new age’ spirituality seems to be growing and religion and religious institutions seem to be shrinking. Issues like human rights, poverty, personal dignity and justice should be high up on the list of work that the church does. But often it doesn’t seem to be that way.
Sometimes it seems the church has forgotten what its purpose is. For example, in Nigeria, laws have been put forward to criminalise homosexuality. One of the supporters of this legislation is the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Peter Akinola. This is wrong and it makes me angry. What kind of church does this? The church should be united in outrage against laws like this. But instead the law is supported.
Where is the message of Jesus in all of this? Where are the compassion and love of God that has been shown in the birth, death and resurrection of Christ?
Christmas should remind us how fragile hope is, and how hard we have to work to keep that hope alive. Jesus came into this world as a defenceless baby, born in a shed, into a social system with many rules that told you how you needed to live. But Jesus didn’t care about these rules.
He hung out with social outcasts. He defied the religious leaders of the day. He helped people who needed help, no matter how many rules said he couldn’t.
Above all, he loved unconditionally, and this is what we need to learn from Christmas. Christ came to liberate, not to condemn, to set people free from religious legalism, not to bind them even tighter. So while we enjoy our Christmas lunches, let us say a prayer for those around this world who live in fear of oppression and physical danger, even death.
There is much more to do, but through Christ there can be love, compassion and freedom. May God bless you at Christmastime and in the New Year.
info: Gavin Ward is pastor of MCC Sydney. Christmas services are December 24, Marrickville Town Hall, 8pm, and December 25, 98 Crystal St, Petersham, 9am.
Tags: MCC, Rev Gavin Ward
December 15th, 2009 @ 11:48 pm
“Christ came to liberate, not to condemn…”
This statement is just simply not true. Jesus Christ came to all people so that all people could come back to God. If there is any “liberation” intended it was to be liberated from our addiction to sin. As He said to the prostitute, “give up your sinful ways and follow me”.
“He hung out with social outcasts.”
The erroneous conclusion so often jumped to by sinners who refuse to give up sinning is that by hanging out with outcasts and sinners Jesus Christ somehow condones what they do. But this is also simply wrong. When confronted about who He was hanging out with Jesus Christ replied “the healthy do not need a doctor”.
As far as Archbishop Akinola “supporting” laws that would criminalise homosexuality and your comments that the Church should be spreading the Gospel you should be aware of just what the Holy Scriptures say about homosexual behaviour. Nine times throughout both the Old and New Testaments homosexual behaviour is specifically identified as being a sin. This is what Archbishop Akinola should be preaching.
December 16th, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
Hey There… Remember this one…Matthew 7:3…
Who are you to judge? As for you 9 citations… In what historical context? Relating to what… is it shrine prostitution that is condemned? Or all homesexuality?
Before you go spouting on about the Old Testament, i think it’s only fair to point out that Leveticus (for example) has a WHOLE plethora of laws that are not adhered to… so i state again MATTHEW 7:3..
When Jesus was questioned about the laws his answer was simple Luke 10:27 ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, AND YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF’..
Maybe you should re-read the Good Book… and actually take in the GOOD NEWS.
oh… by the way people…
Don’t let some Christians put you off Christ!
December 18th, 2009 @ 1:08 am
In response to erin phoenix:
So often those who refuse to admit that they are sinners are so quick to point out Matthew 7. They typically, and often deliberately, misinterpret this passage to mean that no-one should point out to anyone else what their sins are. Somehow they “reason” that pointing out sinful behaviour is “judging”. They do not understand the difference between someone telling them that what they are doing is harmful and that they should stop, and someone telling them that what they are doing is harmful and that they should be punished. The former is not “judging” and the latter is.
Erin phoenix also seems to have missed the point that the teachings pertaining to homosexual behaviour being sinful are also found in the New Testament (1 Cor 6:9-10, Rom 1:26-28, Jude 7, 1 Tim 1:9-10, 2 Tim 3:1-3), these in addition to those of the Old Testament (Lev 18:22, Lev 20:13, Gen 19:1-13, Deut 3:1-3).
Regarding you comment about Jesus being questioned about the Law you have obviously picked only one part of a parable, perhaps with the intention of supporting your pre-established agenda. This is nothing short of trying to change God to suite you, when you should be reading the entire passage in context so that you will better know how to change yourself so that you can come closer to God. I strongly suggest that you read the entire passage of The Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37. It teaches us to help each other, and I take that to include that we should be helping each other to stop sinning.
December 18th, 2009 @ 5:03 am
Looks like my reply to erin phoenix has been removed. To bad you people practice propaganda and censorship when someone says something that you don’t like to hear (or perhaps you just don’t want anyone else to hear the truth).
Editor’s Note: AMPisAnglican, all our comments are pre-moderated to ensure the forums are not abused and defamatory material is not allowed to be posted.
December 18th, 2009 @ 11:28 am
Erin, as far as I’m concerned AMPisAnglican’s beliefs are about as useful to me as witchcraft, alchemy or astrology. I’m not so much put off as amused that such gibberish is still uttered in the 21st century.
December 20th, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
AMPisAnglican probably wears a hairshirt, flagellates himself daily and keeps his hands firmly outside his sheets and blankets at night.
Keep your religion to yourself. If you want to live with a medieval mentality fair enough, but don’t try to force others to do the same.
Judge not lest ye be judged.
December 22nd, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
Re. Ron (Blue Mtns)
His first paragraph is at best childish and does nothing to contribute to an intelligent and mature conversation. If this is the best rebutal that Ron is capable of than I will take it to mean that Ron is incapable of denying the Truth of God.
He also indicates that he wants me to keep my religion to myself, and is of the impression that my telling other people about God is somehow forcing something upon other people. Perhaps Ron is afraid that the more I tell people about God the more people will believe in Him.
January 5th, 2010 @ 9:02 pm
AMPisAnglican – Religion is used by some people as an excuse to act on prejudices. Maybe you should ask yourself why the number of people attending weekly church services is becoming smaller and smaller.