What Do You Think Of When Seeing This Photo?

Picture Copyright Andreas Gursky

First of all, That isn't even the full picture. its like, a third. But you get the message. If you want to view the full picture, and in the mean time ignore my ranting, click the picture. And be amazed in it's colourful glory.

My thoughts, summarised.

1: Ooh, sweets.
2: America (or my distorted view of it)
3: General Consumarism
4: How much money spent of creating all of that.
5: How much money spent on trying to make me buy things.
6: Impressed that my first thought was that. Well done advertising.
7: Worried at how well I'm influenced.

Although I'm not a part of that exact culture (although I am recognising British similarities) I can see how much resources are being used just to make people buy things. No wonder I get a bit dizzy sometimes, when walking down a supermarket. All of those stuff trying to grab my attention.

My stomach hurts from just thinking about this picture. I'm not sure whether it's my Conscience, or my sweet tooth.

How not to go to church. (from personal experience)

1. Don't say hi to God as soon as you wake up.
2. Find where your snooze button is.
3. Make sure you turn your room temperature into minus figures, and keep your clothes as far from your bed as humanly possible.
4. Think of church as optional, not essential.
5. Maybe go as far as worshipping your bed sheets.
6. Work at a church, thus the last place you would want to go on the Sabbath is your work place.

Caleb's latest post really challenged me. I've been viewing church all wrong. Church should be the place where I get filled up. This is the place where I'm meant to feel rested. This is the place where I'm meant to have community. This is the place where I'm going to get prayed for, where i get healed, where I feel at peace, where I feel connected, and where I feel like I'm a part of something.

So, unlike Caleb, why do I feel so much pressure, admittedly most to all of it my own doing, to not go to church? I mean, no wonder sometimes I don't feel like I'm a part of the community as a whole, only the youth. It's because I have chosen to spend time only with the youth.

How can a community built up to include me if I've already written it off from my early experiences, and misconceptions? I've essentially get into a circle of when I'm at church, I feel like I'm not a part of the community, and so I don't go into church, thus, not giving myself a chance to be a part of the community.

I know I am a part of the community, I mean how can I be less so? I work for the church, serve into numerous ministries, and spend full time hours serving the church, it's surrounding community and my God. Any time I do go to church, if I actually speak to people outside of my usual social circle, they normally comment on how long it was since the last time they saw me at church. which makes me feel guilty, and yet, missed. So, why does the Devil make me believe, that sometimes I'm not a part of the community I'm desperately trying to be a part of. And of course, why is it so blooming hard to get out of bed on a Sunday morning?

Part of that must be that I work 6 days a week. all of which voluntarily, and alongside that, my actual Job, which is caring for my Mum, which is less voluntary.

So, I do think I have right to be tired, but I need to get my priorities right. What do I think is going to refresh me more? An extra few hours in bed? Or time with God, his Church, in his care? Anyone who knows their bible, and their God, would have to say the latter, especially if I give myself enough sleep that I need.

So, let's go through the list I could think of why I find it hard to get myself to church. I mean, come on, most of these are stupid, and repairable. Get clothes ready the night before, and leave them within reaching distance. Figure out why my radiator is giving me the chill. Talk to God. Use the snooze function to make sure that I've had a few minutes talking to god, and am not going to be late. Buy myself some comfy slippers (It's easier to face the day with slippers) and get a chair (or a bean bag or something) in my room which I would not mind having quiet time in, and not resigning myself to getting in under the covers again.

I like church. I'm in the right church. I know that. I know I love it pretty much every time I go. I don't want anyone to feel bad about what I've just said. Because, I've also admitted, all of these reasons are my own making. I'm going to shut up. And not make excuses.

So, I need to conquer these early morning thoughts of "I wont like it, You need your rest, Nobody wants you there, and You need a proper sleep." I need to talk to God. I need to pray about this, with all my heart, and I need others to pray for this. I need to know, in my early morning, that I will enjoy it. I need to make life as easy as possible for me, because I know that mentally, some of this stuff wont get any easier. I do believe however, that if I'm talking to God, he'll help me get out of bed.

I don't know what to do. I need advice, but most of all, I need people to help me feel like I'm not alone. I don't mean in the community, I'm going to make more of an effort. I mean people telling me that I'm not alone in the fact that it takes them a lot of effort to get to church in the morning.

Can God Justify His Own Actions? Part 1

If God made someone do something, then punish them for it, surely that cannot be Just? It's one of my reasons why I can't make sense of Islam. From what I understand, (and I recognise that my knowledge on the matter is very small) Muslims believe in a God who judges people, just like the Judeo-Christian God. The only difference, really is that they also believe that God controls all their actions, so much to say that, they are essentially puppets with no free will. So how can God judge someone of their actions when surely, he's the one who should be judged. That's why I can't really get my head around Islam, but, I've seen something not as extreme as that, but still troublesome to my heads, while reading the story of Moses and the Pharoah in the Bible last night.

It is to do with the Pharoah's actions. I've always assumed that the Pharoah was a little bit high on the power that was given to him, and he had an issue with the authority of God, and he attempted to do his own thing, which was to make God's people slaves, and stop them from freely worshipping Yahweh. If that was the case, I'd say that it does make sense, and that it was Just to teach Pharoah a lesson. But reading something in thre, threw in a spanner in the works for me. It says, on numerous occasions, that it was God who made Pharoah's heart stubborn. I know he didn't do that straight away, but it was essentially stopping the Jews from escaping.

I think I'll make this a part 1 of 2, I'm going to read the story from the start, because this is troubling me. I want to see where about's it starts saying God made Pharoahs heart stubborn. I think on the behalf of all the First Borns in Egypt, if it was God controlling pharoah, that's not good.

Faith and Culture

I was having a pretty long discussion with Grace about the topic of Culture, which, because it is me, quickly deteriorated into an argument about whether Faith can be Culture or not. Grace took to the point that faith and culture could mix, and I had trouble distinguishing being a part of and actually being the same thing. I think, in the end, we came to the agreement that faith can be a pretty massive part of culture, but it can't be culture, for the sole reasons that it existed before the culture did, and also, just because two things exist at the same time doesn't mean they are a part of one another.

It's just interesting to see how faith can shape culture, especially while sat in a culture which has lost faith as an influence. I mean, America, pretty much has two different cultures, and the term culture war is used pretty often. But looking at other faiths like Hinduism, Islam and Jewish, you can see how much the faith has shaped the culture, and vice versa, that sometimes, it is impossible to split them.

I'm pretty sure that quite a lot of the time when culture messes with faith, two things happen. It gets harder to distinguish between people who believe in the faith because they genuinely do, or they do because culture, and the state, essentially tells them that's the only valid option. And, it gets easier for the masses to become a member of that faith, even if it means the faith changes, into something which resembles the culture.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I think because I live in a culture which lacks the faith aspect, I think that I am envious of people that do have it. At the moment our culture hates the idea of an absolute truth, because that means telling people that they believe in an absolute false. I wish it would be different, because I can't see how Christianity is offensive to people, and I hate my culture making me feel like I should act like it will. I don't want to apologise for speaking the good news.

If someone of a different faith started telling me about their faith, in pretty much 95% of the time I don't think I'd be offended. To be honest, I'm sincerely interested in other peoples views and beliefs. If anything, the last thing I'd be when hearing people's views would be offended.

So how can I go about in life with the fear that culture doesn't like me believing that my religion is right? I think the answer probably will be with great difficulty.

Especially as I won't be forced into being ashamed of the Gospel. To be honest, I'd rather by far hear other peoples views, and let people celebrate their religious holidays and festivals to the full, there is no harm in it. As long as I get the chance to do the same. I want to be able to say the words, Merry Christmas, rather than Happy Holidays, even though I may be saying it to someone of a different (if any) faith. If someone said Happy Hanukkah to me, I'm not going to get offended. I'd respond with Happy Hanukkah back, politely, and I'd continue my day.

How is any of that offensive? Why should I let my culture belittle my rights of free speech?

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire