In the Bible, the apostle is not about being on the top of the pile. Just consider what the term apostle meant in Jesus’ day. Jesus borrowed the concept of the word apostle from the Romans, who borrowed it from the Greeks. This term was the best way to describe what Jesus was building in His Church on the earth—an apostolic movement. The responsibility of these people called ‘apostles’ was to recreate Roman culture in the newly conquered land by introducing Rome’s educational system, language, arts, roads, and countless other values that had worked so well in Rome. The intention of this ‘apostolic team’ was to create in this new land something similar to Rome. This helps us understand why Jesus taught us to pray ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. God is not trying to keep us busy doing stuff until he returns again. He longs for earth to become Heaven, a place where He feels as much at home as we do. Prayer and radical obedience make such places possible. Continue reading “God’s Church – an apostolic movement”
service times & locations Nov 3
Is God like an unjust judge?
Luke 18:1-8 presents, when thoroughly examined, a number of interpretations depending on our context we interpret the parable as we read it. Given that, I’d like to highlight just one important interpretation that warrants reflection on our part.
That is, ‘God is not an unjust God’. It could be easy to conclude that the parable makes a comparison between the God and the judge. Indeed I think many of us feel that God is unjust and unhearing and this parable might strengthen our position. Yet that is not its intent. Rather its intent is mirrored in an earlier reflection on prayer (Luke 11:13) “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Continue reading “Is God like an unjust judge? “
Service Times Sunday 20th October
