Q&A

20th Nov - Question time facilitated by Trevor Withers

Learning from each other

We need to learn how to discuss and leran from one another. Not judging one another for views held or expressed.

When we hear soemthing we don't like, it's not helpful to shut down or avoid that person, equally it's not helpful to want to 'sort that person out'. We each don't have the truth in its entirety, we each need to pool our ideas, thoughts, prayers.

Those who are more talkative need to hold back a bit, those who are less familiar with speaking out be encouraged that what you have to say is important.

We will try to do this every few months, to process as a group some of what might be going on in this church at the moment, or what God might be saying to this church.

Questions submitted in advance

1) Why aren't we seeing numbers of people coming to faith.

2) Jesus being the one way to God doesn't' sit comfortbly with the culture we now live in.

3) Homosexuality. We don't want to be seens as intolerant but we have strong views about right and wrong.

What is tolerance?

The following is a jotting down of the discussion which took place amongst those present.

How much of society's tolerance is legislated. The media presents all religeon as intolerant. Rom 13 God is the utimate authority but we are instructed to obey the law. Tolerance doesn't mean agreement. As Christians we tell people what we're against not what we're for.

We have to face up tot the fact that The Church has been very intolerant and bigoted, we have to apologise for that. God views sowing discord among brethren as an abomination, but doesn't elevate some sins eg sexual sin which we have more of a problem with.

We are called to not conform to the world. The church in Germany compromised with the nazis. For us there will be issues we are at odds with. The gospel is about the love of Jesus but God disciplines those he loves, for their own good. Satan says that if we set boundaies then we are wrong. But we need a plumbline, our loving God says some things are not good for us. The way of setting the boundary is important.

What was Jesus tolerant of (people especially sinful peope) and intolerant of (sin, hypocracy). We dislike some behaviours because it damages people, we love them and don't want to see them damaged. Separate the sin from the person. They need to know that God loves them too.

We are not called to criticise the bad behaviour of people outside the church. We are not called to change society by criticising it. (Ref Jamie's recent talk about Suffering). It may be unavoidable that we are seen as intolerant just because the way we live is different to others.

Back to what does tolerant mean. In Wilberforces' day 'moral' meant 'polite'. We can be polite to people. We need to think about how to present our views about how we feel about things. Needs to be presented differently now than 20 years ago. We need to say upfront that our history is morras, and apologise for the way christians and the church have behaved.