"Is Christianity as we know it threatened by the gospel itself?" ... Joe you are just provoking me!!! because you know I will say yes. I look at the picture above and reflect on the fact that the early Christian movement which was familar with the Jewish cult rejected special clothing for its leaders and resisted calling them priests and I think how on earth did we end up with a church that looks and acts like that? On the other hand I go to some very 'slick" churches which spend millions on marketing, whose leaders look like buisness executives and I also remember that the first generations of Christian leaders also resisted a form of leadership simply borrowed from their surrounding culture and I wonder how we ended up with church which just reinforces the values of 'western' culture.
So yes the church is threatened by the Gospel, for as the Reformers said the church should always be reforming, constantly seeking to incarnate the Kingdom of God more fruitfully and faithfully in the culture it finds itself in. The Kingdom is bigger than the church and we should expect to find the Spirit at work in unexpected places. Right now for many reasons I am finding it harder to believe that the Spirit is actually at work where we most expect it, in local congregations. I turn up at so many different churches and it feels so bland and dead, there is no feeling of community, no sense of being part of revolutionary movement, just nice people, having a nice time, in a nice building for a nice length of time (about an hour a week) This is probably my problem more than the churches but I read Revelation 3 and now understand why Jesus says some churches just make him feel sick!
MOAN OVER.

Me provoking you. Come now, James. Would I do that?

You would have been proud Joe, several Northern Irish young people were reluctant to take part in a communion service I was hosting at the Youth Congress because it looked too "catholic" What have you done to me!

You know, I hear that a lot, too. But can one really be too catholic? Isn't that like saying you're being too Christian or too nice? Nevertheless, I'm glad to have left an indelible mark on your soul!

But can one really be too catholic? ... The day you see me with robes and a funny hat on waving incense, I will have become TOO catholic!!!!!!

No, you'll just be too weird! Catholic is universal. I guess one could be too Roman, but that's not the same as too catholic, right?

Yeah you know me I can do weird with my eyes closed. No Roman is not the same as catholic but catholic seems to have limits too, Paul and John at least some people and groups as outside the circle of the "catholic" church so in that sense maybe we can be "catholic."???

jo, the black keys sound really good! i was online just looking at how much the tickets would be when i noticed this in tiney print down the bottem of the page- Please note that this proformance is for pesons of age 18 and upwards due to the licencing of the pub where the gig is.....thats a real bummer!!!!

have you heard of The Lost Prophets? there're ma fave band at the mo. I like My Chemical Romance though....

Yeah...I hear a lot of MCR on the radio. Real bummer about The Black Keys, though. Oh well, you'll just have to get the CD! BTW, they are from Akron, OH near where we used to live in Canton. If you can't sing the blues in NE Ohio, you are just way too cheery! (kinda like Spongebob!)

Good to hear from you! Keep in touch.

Blessings,
Joe +

Scunnered

thats funny! Is Deitrich still obbsessed by Spongebob? Tell him I said hi!!!! We got a shirt for my "mom" nad on it says Canton Football!!! Pretty ssuuuhhhwwweeetttt!!!!

mairi

Oh yeah, Mairi, we all still watch Spongebob every day. He's really clever. I'll bet you can catch some episodes on youtube. James, what's scunnered again? In a theology class I'm teaching I referred to the way you and I are often separated by a common language. My class loved it when I told them how you and I used the word "pants" differently and the way it can cause some real laughs sometimes! Come to think of it, people who see her "Canton Football" shirt will certainly not picture "real" football, will they? As always I miss y'all tons.

Peace,
Joe +

glad I am still a source of amusement
don't forget to tell them about the american pastors wife who asked if she could come to church in just her pants
causing a great deal of goggling from mairi and allan
ps ... did u know there is an edinburgh in ohio

glad I am still a source of amusement
don't forget to tell them about the american pastors wife who asked if she could come to church in just her pants
causing a great deal of goggling from mairi and allan
ps ... did u know there is an edinburgh in ohio

I just found Edinburgh on the map; it is real close to Canton! Want me to work something out? "Oh, I hear my Savior calling..." Don't worry, there is plenty of clouds and rain in NE Ohio during the winter (Nov - May) - you'll feel right at home!

sorry joe but does it have a castle several top class rugby teams butchers that sell haggis bagpipers on every corner if not ill stick to this one
now if there was an edinburgh near chandler in cali! then I might be tempted

sorry joe but does it have a castle several top class rugby teams butchers that sell haggis bagpipers on every corner if not ill stick to this one
now if there was an edinburgh near chandler in cali! then I might be tempted

sorry joe but does it have a castle several top class rugby teams butchers that sell haggis bagpipers on every corner if not ill stick to this one
now if there was an edinburgh near chandler in cali! then I might be tempted

I made the last comments from my pda and think I tapped too often, sorry you can delete the multiples!
BTW Scunnered is a Scottishism for being fed up, depressed, frustrated etc, etc

Well, I tried. But remember there is plenty of football (American style, of course, wherein the ball almost never touches human feet!). Right now I'm at a meeting with this Anglican bishop named "Duncan," apparently his heritage is from your area of the world. The funny thing is he has these eyebrows that are outrageously long and they show the marks of having been groomed and curled! It's horrid! Is that a Scottish custom? If so, please - for the sake of all that's sacred! - avoid it like the plague.

Peace,
Joe +

I'll pass on the "football" and stick with the Edinburgh over, Edinburgh is playing tonight, now that will be a game! Boroughmuir plays Saturday and Allan is going to give rugby training a go on Sunday, an orgy of rugby awaits me this weekend.

Yes Duncan is a very typical Scottish name, (how on earth did he wind up with the Anglicans he sould be a presbyterian) Actually once the Anglicans are showing the lead over here, the gov is trying to pass a law which would require all adotion agencies to put kids with gay couples, the Catholic church has said NO WAY and is being attacked by govt minister, Rowan and the Archbishop of York came out fighting and really put the case across well. Needless to say that the silence from the Church of Scotland has been deafening!

The eye brows are an aberation, though there was famously a chancelor (finance minister who had very bushy eye brows, Dennis Healey) Did he have hair that hung down his nostrils too??

Waiting for those pictures of the wrestling Boysels!

I see you update about as often as me!!!!! Hope all is going well!!! We love and miss you all!!! Beth