“If within us we find nothing over us we succumb to what is around us.”
(PT Forsyth page 20, The Eclipse of Heaven, AJ Conyers).
A few thoughts.
Have been rereading Heaven by Randy Alcorn. Which led me to Conyers
His thought is that we are the first generation of mankind to have no conviction about transcendence. There is nothing over us. There is no God “over” us!
He began to notice the change in perspective in the 90s and hurricane Hugo. People wondered whether God was trying to get our attention.
In the most recent tornados however, people asked a different question, without reference to anyone above us. How do I feel, what impact has this made upon “me?” Counselors were in abundance
This thinking changes time spent thinking about an afterlife and changes the nature of the thoughts we have about an eternity. Heaven is a mere extension of the things we enjoy on earth. Hell is only for the worst of the worst. I am largely a good person. There is little to no thought about “judgement.” Life lived with the awareness of accountability to that which is over me
Culture always bleeds into the church.
We still struggle with a model of church that is less and less effective at forming people into faithful followers of the life of Jesus.
It takes the two things that are most contradictory to our present church culture: time and relationship.
Time for them and from us
“Corporate or online” relationships today are limited by their realistic ability to deliver on meaningful formation
About one year ago I wondered whether we needed to commit to a simple and a functional theological catechism.
Today I wonder if additionally we don’t need a discipleship catechism!
Formation of the life of Jesus is our greatest challenge.
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