I’m taking a break on thinking about hell. Of course sleeping on the roof may be close to it. But, my friend and fellow North Lancs minister Rev. Lindsay Pettigrew is doing just that to raise money for her church. The roof of her church is in bad need of repairs and the money she raises will go toward that (and Streetlife, a homeless ministry in Blackpool).

I haven’t asked Lindsay if she is sleeping on the section of the roof that will need repairs. Hopefully, I will see her at synod in a few weeks all in one piece.

BBC Article Link

Since I posted my throughts on the ‘evangelical

universalist’, I have been thinking about hell.

I don’t have a lot of scholarly research on

hell and its uses in the Bible. Perhaps I need

to do some over the next few weeks, especially

if I am posting on it. But, I have come to some

conclusions about hell in evangelism.

Even if I am wrong about hell (i.e., it is an

actual place of eternal torment in which people

are sent there as their punishment for not

believing in Jesus), I still have to wonder

about its effectiveness in evangelism. Here

they are:

1. If ever it was a good idea to preach hell as

a means to bring people to conversion, there

seems to have been some sort of understanding

among even the non-believers that there was

such a place. For instance, I am teaching my

daughter to look both ways before she crosses

the street. For this to have any impact, she

has to have some sort of understanding that

there are cars that drive at highspeeds that

could seriously harm her.

2. Therefore, Hell is only a deterent if one

actually believes that such a place exist. If

someone doesn’t believe in God, then why would

she or he believe in hell? Certainly, if

evangelising an atheist (or an adherent of some

religion that has no equivalent), the person

can say, ‘I don’t believe in hell.’

3. Then, the conversation must move from God to

hell. Evangelism then becomes convincing the

person about hell and then the conversation can

turn to God.

So, in an attempt to get someone to believe in

a good, loving God, one would have to get the

person to believe in a place of eternal torture

first. And then get him or her to belive this

good, loving God would send him or her if that

person doesn’t believe in God.

Perhaps those that would want to emphasise

God’s holiness (God’s inability to have sin in

God’s presence) think I am being flippant. But,

I believe evangelism is more about the good

news of God’s reign in love. The story, over

and over, in the Bible is the story of God’s

grace toward those who have time and again

turned away from God. We stand up to [BNP

Leader] Nick Griffen and his hatred because we

believe in the love God has for all people. As

much as we wish Nick would go away, we are at

the same time calling for his conversion and

not simply his silence (admittedly, this is

harder to do!). This is why we preach God’s

love and grace rather than a place of eternal

torment – because that is what God emphasises

in God’s story. God, through the continual

sending of love, converts us and makes us holy.

Since I posted my throughts on the ‘evangelical universalist’, I have been thinking about hell. I don’t have a lot of scholarly research on hell and its uses in the Bible. Perhaps I need to do some over the next few weeks, especially if I am posting on it. But, I have come to some conclusions about hell in evangelism.

Even if I am wrong about hell (i.e., it is an actual place of eternal torment in which people are sent there as their punishment for not believing in Jesus), I still have to wonder about its effectiveness in evangelism. Here they are:

1. If ever it was a good idea to preach hell as a means to bring people to conversion, there seems to have been some sort of understanding among even the non-believers that there was such a place. For instance, I am teaching my daughter to look both ways before she crosses the street. For this to have any impact, she has to have some sort of understanding that there are cars that drive at highspeeds that could seriously harm her.

2. Therefore, Hell is only a deterent if one actually believes that such a place exist. If someone doesn’t believe in God, then why would she or he believe in hell? Certainly, if evangelising an atheist (or an adherent of some religion that has no equivalent), the person can say, ‘I don’t believe in hell.’

3. Then, the conversation must move from God to hell. Evangelism then becomes convincing the person about hell and then the conversation can turn to God.

So, in an attempt to get someone to believe in a good, loving God, one would have to get the person to believe in a place of eternal torture first. And then get him or her to belive this good, loving God would send him or her if that person doesn’t believe in God.

Perhaps those that would want to emphasise God’s holiness (God’s inability to have sin in God’s presence) think I am being flippant. But, I believe evangelism is more about the good news of God’s reign in love. The story, over and over, in the Bible is the story of God’s grace toward those who have time and again turned away from God. We stand up to [BNP Leader] Nick Griffen and his hatred because we believe in the love God has for all people. As much as we wish Nick would go away, we are at the same time calling for his conversion and not simply his silence (admittedly, this is harder to do!). This is why we preach God’s love and grace rather than a place of eternal torment – because that is what God emphasises in God’s story. God, through the continual sending of love, converts us and makes us holy.

Many bloggers have already pointed to the appalling way in which a church in North Carolina handles those they disagree with. An AP video shows an interview with the pastor of this church who plans a bonfire on Halloween for all translations not the KJV, as well as many other books the pastor deems heretical (i.e., anyone who doesn’t agree with him on everything – for a full list, see his website. There will also be Bar-be-que chicken.)

So, it is good to hear a debate where the two parties disagree on what can be a very divisive issue and still keep the conversation civil. Premier Christian Radio (an online and digital Christian radio station in the UK) has a weekly programme each week (called ‘Unbelievable‘) normally dedicated to Christians and non-Christians discussing topics civilly, but this past week (17 October 2009) they asked the question ‘Can an Evangelical be a universalist?’ The two panellists were: 1) upholding the ‘traditional’ view that sees some going to ‘heaven’ and others hell is Laurence Blanchard, pastor of Charter Oak Lighthouse; and 2) Robin Parry, a theologian who wrote a book (under a pen name) called The Evangelical Universalist. Please go to the Unbelievable website or iTunes and download the discussion (as of today, it’s on the front page).

Of course, for only an hour it can’t give the attention that this topic needs. But, the most amazing thing was no one shouted. No one called anyone a heretic. No one threatened to burn anybody’s books. In fact, both said they saw the other as a true Christian. Dialogue the way it was meant to be.

I am in general agreement with Robin Parry’s arguments, whilst I don’t typically call it ‘universalism’. The way he reads Revelation is similar to the way N.T. Wright interprets it in Surprised by Hope, i.e., that despite all the apocalyptic images of horrible torture, there seems to be a finish to the punishment and  hope for people beyond that. Unlike Wright, the conversation revolved around the age-old (but incorrect) question, ‘Who goes to heaven?’ rather than a question of the resurrection of the dead and the new creation.

Because of their focus on the ‘final destination’, I may veer from Parry a little. The focus of the conversation, perhaps driven more by Blanchard, was very individual focused. I think this has a tendency to happen when we look at ‘heaven’ (i.e., disembodied souls leaving this old world behind and going to our home in the sky) as the primary goal rather than the New Testament hope of a restored creation (in which all creation is restored). It is to this new creation that Christians point, and in doing so we, by the Holy Spirit, bring God’s new creation in spots around the world. Mission, then, is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing in bits of what God will do definitely when Jesus returns at the final resurrection. Mission is spreading the gospel (good news) that Jesus is the world’s true king, and that announcement does in some since divide the world into those who would accept it and those who won’t. Unlike Parry, I do not see hell as a ‘place’ that one goes to after death (but, like Parry I would describe it more as a state, though after the general resurrection).

Where I see this making some difference is in the why. I read somewhere, but not sure at the moment, that God gave the 10 commandments not so you would be a better person (though that may happen), but so your neighbour can have a better life. Similar here: mission and it’s call to conversion for the world brings the kingdom God is working out. God is working for a world that goes back to the intention he made for it.

Where I rejoin Parry is that I do not believe that one must make the decision before one dies. God does not give some sort of mandate that all must worship him, but the work continues on in the new creation somehow (I am following Tom Wright here, who reminds us that we will have new tasks in the new creation – it’s not just sitting around). Could that be the continued mission to those who still cannot accept what God is doing and relegated themselves to some sort of state in which they live in their existence outside the New Jerusalem?

I hardly have all of this figured out. And maybe this should have been more than one post!

My fellow sandlapper and the Southern Baptist blogger Wyman Richardson has some interesting tastes for a Baptist. He has an affection for the creeds (usually off-limits among Baptists) and now I find out chanting! On his blog he points to a website where the Athanasian Creed is chanted in English. When I followed the link I found downloadable mp3s for all 150 Psalms. All the Psalms are beautifully chanted by a soloist using the Authorized Version. If this sounds like your sort of thing, follow the link here.

This is produced by a group called the Lutheran Liturgical Prayer Brotherhood (so props to the tradition of my wife April and PamBG).

Duke Divinity’s Faith & Leadership blog gives a link today about self-control. It focuses on a problem that I have known about, but have not known what to do about it. Douglas McKenna (in Exercising Your Self-Control Muscle) compares the ability to remain self-controlled to exercising any muscle.

Here’s a secret about self-control: It works like a muscle. With each use, that muscle temporarily loses some strength, leaving you with reduced capacity to handle yourself if the next self-control challenge pops up too soon.

Going from situation to situation without reflection leaves little time to reset. Then, the chance of losing self-control increases with the frequency of stressful situations. This effect explains why it’s not good to have a whole bag of chocolate in the house after church councils. McKenna then offers 4 things to help:

1. Plan your time with depletion in mind. Don’t go from one pastoral visit straight to another, in particular if one is particularly difficult.
2. Standardize recurring tasks. Spend little time on the problems you can easily solve (McKenna gives the illustration of Einstein always wearing a grey jumpsuit – much the same reason why I generally wear a clerical collar!).
3. Rest and refuel. Not only days off, but breaks between tough activities.
4. Work out your self-control muscle. This was interesting. McKenna says that if we practice breathing, then that is the same ‘muscle’ for other self-control situations. The comparisons to prayer shouldn’t be overlooked.

So self-discipline is something I am terrible at, or at least getting back into the habit once I have broken it. I think this could be taken further than personal work life. How might we integrate some of these into church council agendas? Are there other areas of the church that it could affect?

Dixon Kinser posted this Coke Light commercial on his blog. Absolutely fantastic!

This has never happened to me.

A cute story about a dad who caught a ball and the little girl throws it back! But, the father gives her a hug when she looks up at him.

more about “msnbc.com:Daddy-daughter day at ballg…“, posted with vodpod

Maggi Dawn posted a link for an excellent photographic exhibition by fashion photographer Michael Belk. They depict a traditionally imagined Jesus (think of any Jesus-inspired film or portrait you have seen) in 20th and 21st century situations. The results may jar your imaginations about Jesus. For instance, Jesus’ teaching on going the 2nd mile shows Jesus carrying the backpack and gun of a Nazi officer – and talking to him intently on the way!

Check out the gallery!

Richard Pilkington, who is a member at Wilpshire Methodist Church, has been touring with a duo called Blackheart. They have just released a single that is available on iTunes and they have a video on YouTube. The song has a great sound and if you like this kind of folk/rock music, then perhaps you will make your way to their website or to iTunes and download it.  Here’s the video! Enjoy!

The Main Entrance to Blackburn Cathedral

In News of the Weird: Blackburn Cathedral, where I was ordained two years ago, seems to have taken alternative worship to a new level.

Well, not really. Stanley Hauerwas once wrote an article called “Sex in Public: How Adventurous Christians Are Doing It”, but I don’t think this is what he had in mind.  A couple have found a strange use for the church that houses the throne of the Bishop of Blackburn. A verger caught on the CCTV monitors two people enjoying some… well, recreational activities.

We in the church do say that sex is a gift blessed by God, but perhaps some things should be done at home. From the Blackburn Citizen article:

Blackburn magistrates heard the couple’s romp at 11.25am only ended when the verger announced over the tannoy system that they were being filmed.

And defence solicitor Andrew Church-Taylor accepted Marie Taylor’s x-rated behaviour was far from Christian.

“The church may well welcome sinners but perhaps not in these circumstances,” said Mr Church-Taylor.

That would have made that day’s church visit quite interesting.