your own personal Jesus

Your Own Personal Jesus by John Suk a professor in Manila argues powerfully against the way we tend to talk of having a "personal relationship with Jesus".

A year ago, on my own blog, I argued that 'its not just a personal relationship with Jesus, its a religion'.

I actually reckon Suk goes too far (I know better of course!). He emphasises the absence of Jesus, but ignores the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Its still a hugely helpful and challenging corrective to our tendancy to create a me-centred faith where Jesus is reduced to my mate or my therapist.

postmodern mum - proverbs 31.

Year’s ago I heard a preacher as he preached on Proverbs 31 that all the ills of society were because women had gone out to work instead of staying at home!! I raged!! When I had calmed down as someone who had a job, whose son had sacked her from the ironing and “if you really want that button to stay on sew it on yourself” I took a hard but prayerful look at the passage.

What I saw was a truly modern and now post modern woman. If she had been alive today she would have been “vineyards.com”, and definitely business woman of the year. She did also seem to be ‘super mum’ and ‘super wife’ but then she had loads of help in the form of servants and support from her partner. So how did it work!

What she did have in balance which makes her post modern was her Relationship with God ( her UP) her relationship with the family (her IN) and the relationship with the community around her ( her OUT) and she connected with all 3 and served them with her gifts. They in return set her free to be herself. The whole picture is one of harmonious living each serving and supporting the other but each being set free to be themselves.

So perhaps there is nothing new in being post modern at all. The model is there right through scripture! It is simply about keeping our relationship with God right, with each other and then with the wider community and being prepared to serve all with our God given gifts and doing it in a way relevant for today. As others serve us we are supported and set free.

Dream has its IN UP and OUT and is a place of refreshing. DREAM ON lends itself to strengthening those relationships.

So perhaps we can celebrate Mothers day in a post modern way by recognizing its about how we all balance our IN UP and OUT!!!

by Judith

dream on # 2

dream (haydock) is going to experiment with another 'dream on' this sunday (8pm).

it's for those who
-want more Dream type stuff.
-would like more time to chat in the cafe area and get to know other 'dreamers'.
-want to listen to me talk for 10 mins or so and then discuss/disagree around the tables at the cafe, or reflect on their own in the quiet space.

the theme this week will be "out of order"... a bit gloomy, so bring chocolate!