Same as the faith-life of the Israelite was to be a witness to the unbelieving in their era. God has called out a peculiar people to Himself (first the Jew, now the Greek (so to speak)). Not only for their sakes but to make His name known to the world. Happy Sunday!
Once again, you have proven this is a thinking persons forum. A simple proposition in a meme generates a long thread once you start pulling on it TB.
Personally, I honestly don't care if others know that I am a Christian, and for me matters of faith are deeply private and personal and rarely discussed with others. Their opinions on faith are not relevant to me.
Generally, my view is such that I can show my dogs a water bowl, but cannot force them to drink that water.
I am also a sinner, and have returned to the Christian faith after a long period of agnosticism. I suspect the global shenanigans over the last 5 years have had that effect on many.
I would hardly hold myself up as living a wonderful Christian life; I am just trying to do the best I can. Sometimes I fail, and sometimes I prevail. I actually only purchased my first Bible only this year, and read it most days. I'm on the path, a long a winding path, but I'm on the way.
Anon. - Thanks for the kind words, but I assure that if this is perceived as a thinking persons' forum, it is almost entirely the doing of my readers and little enough from me. It is made this way due to everyone's good will and good comments.
I am like in you that my faith tends to be private and personal; to be honest, I discuss here far more than I do in real life. To be completely honest, I am not always sure that is the right way - except that I know how I react to others who are very public about theirs: it can come off as annoying, the equivalent of any monomaniac who only ever discusses a single topic and pulls everything back to that. Christ and the apostles were very focused; they also lived lives that likely smacked of the ordinary.
For me, the best example has always been the lived example. It is the only one that matters, after all: in the course of life, how many times have we heard people say one thing and do another? It is only by our actions - which conform to our faith - that our testimony is made credible (Note: Not "made true", as the Truth exists whether we are credible. The impediment to the Gospel can just as often be us as the Message).
An odd thing - and I do not know where you are geographically - but from what I hear and read, the Church (catholic in the small "c" sense) is doing just fine in the world; it is here in the West that it seems to be struggling. I do wonder if the last few years and the next ones upcoming will give people pause. Many of the props that work for us in "normal" times fall off in the abnormal.
We are all trying to do our best, I suspect. The great news, as C.S. Lewis would say, is that God meets us where we are - but He does not expect us to stay there but rather to continue on.
BCCL, it comforts me that we are all works in progress. We need ultimately only worry about our own journey, not the journey of others. We are all going to the same Place, although our routes veer away (or over trees, in lakes, through mountains - I easily get lost).
Comments are welcome (and necessary, for good conversation). If you could take the time to be kind and not practice profanity, it would be appreciated. Thanks for posting!
Same as the faith-life of the Israelite was to be a witness to the unbelieving in their era. God has called out a peculiar people to Himself (first the Jew, now the Greek (so to speak)). Not only for their sakes but to make His name known to the world. Happy Sunday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday, STxAR!
DeleteI have all of Bonhoeffer's works. I should re-read them, as they probably speak to our era.
Once again, you have proven this is a thinking persons forum. A simple proposition in a meme generates a long thread once you start pulling on it TB.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I honestly don't care if others know that I am a Christian, and for me matters of faith are deeply private and personal and rarely discussed with others. Their opinions on faith are not relevant to me.
Generally, my view is such that I can show my dogs a water bowl, but cannot force them to drink that water.
I am also a sinner, and have returned to the Christian faith after a long period of agnosticism. I suspect the global shenanigans over the last 5 years have had that effect on many.
I would hardly hold myself up as living a wonderful Christian life; I am just trying to do the best I can. Sometimes I fail, and sometimes I prevail. I actually only purchased my first Bible only this year, and read it most days. I'm on the path, a long a winding path, but I'm on the way.
Anon. - Thanks for the kind words, but I assure that if this is perceived as a thinking persons' forum, it is almost entirely the doing of my readers and little enough from me. It is made this way due to everyone's good will and good comments.
DeleteI am like in you that my faith tends to be private and personal; to be honest, I discuss here far more than I do in real life. To be completely honest, I am not always sure that is the right way - except that I know how I react to others who are very public about theirs: it can come off as annoying, the equivalent of any monomaniac who only ever discusses a single topic and pulls everything back to that. Christ and the apostles were very focused; they also lived lives that likely smacked of the ordinary.
For me, the best example has always been the lived example. It is the only one that matters, after all: in the course of life, how many times have we heard people say one thing and do another? It is only by our actions - which conform to our faith - that our testimony is made credible (Note: Not "made true", as the Truth exists whether we are credible. The impediment to the Gospel can just as often be us as the Message).
An odd thing - and I do not know where you are geographically - but from what I hear and read, the Church (catholic in the small "c" sense) is doing just fine in the world; it is here in the West that it seems to be struggling. I do wonder if the last few years and the next ones upcoming will give people pause. Many of the props that work for us in "normal" times fall off in the abnormal.
We are all trying to do our best, I suspect. The great news, as C.S. Lewis would say, is that God meets us where we are - but He does not expect us to stay there but rather to continue on.
Good post, and comments. I to am on the path, He is not done with me yet.
ReplyDeleteBCCL, it comforts me that we are all works in progress. We need ultimately only worry about our own journey, not the journey of others. We are all going to the same Place, although our routes veer away (or over trees, in lakes, through mountains - I easily get lost).
Delete