Last night was simply great.
In the first half, Mark said that he basically was trying to start a conversation. And, in order to shift that conversation, you have to shift people's perspectives. The perspective he wishes to 'shift' is seen in this new summary phrase that he offerred:
...More broadly Human because of the Gospel, than more narrowly Christian because of Tradition...
Among several other things, he talked about the 'works of the flesh' and the 'fruit of the Spirit' being 'non-religious', which of course, re-implies the above summary phrase and provides one example of how Mark's perspective plays out in Scripture.
Also, much time was given to the subject of gifting. Starting with another review of William Wilberforce, and ending the first half with a story of a school teacher, Mark demonstrated the need for us (humans gloriously made - and Gifted - in the image of God) to know, embrace and make us of our giftings!
The 2nd half consisted of the touching and truly inspiring story of Mark's son, Luke (which I will not dare try to summarise as it would not do justice to the atmosphere which the telling of it created in the room...).
I appreciated Mark's closing. There is no question about the need to hold the creator/creation distinction in it's proper place ('When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You take thought of him...? Psalm 8:3-4 NASB), but we must also know the value, dignity - and yes, even glory with which we have been made ("...Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! Psalm 8:5 NASB).
Please do share your thoughts!
Theology for Life - Night 2
Night two saw Mark continuing in the theme of 'the big picture', but (especially in the 2nd half of the lecture) also making more practical suggestions of how this might play out in life.
Here are some highlights:
(the 'BIG' ideas)
Life >> Unity and Diversity
-very influential answer to this: Plato - dualism (matter doesn't 'matter' - only ideas)
-Bible has a different starting point & framework (namely, that creation is GOOD)
-early Christian thinkers reacted to dualism, but slowly adopted parts of it
-Augustine: God is single, unitary, unchanging, immovable, etc.
-(which led to this assumption) Unity of God >> truth singular /certain people hold keys to truth
17th and 18th century (ideological developments)
-huge philosophical reaction to this - the Enlightenment
-Essence of humanity
-particular people/things lost in universal ideas
-crtiteria and source of truth located in us
-Time = limitation; imitate eternity >> I.R. & management (control)
-Science = saviour & angel of death
-Art >> elite or >> meaningless (nothing = art; everything = art)
-Ethics stuck between rights & responsibilities
Value of a person
1. Individual disappears into faceless 'universal principles'
2. Individual lost in conformity to regimes (marxicism)
3. Individual pumped to 'be an individual' while lost in faceless fashions
Scriptures on Father, Son & Spirit (Trinity)
-Let 'us' make...
-In the beginning was the Word...
- I and the Father are One...
-He who has seen me has seen the Father...
-No one knows... only the Father... not even the Son...
-I will send the Spirit...
-The Lord is the Spirit...
-In Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form...
Father, Son, Spirit >> Creation
-In Him we live, move and have our being...
-Summing up all things in Christ...
-filled to all the fullness of God...
-in Him all things were created and hold together...
-to reconcile all things to himself...
-creation was subjected to futility...
Trinity
-analogy
-three close friends; identities SO bound up in relatedness, that they can't tell their OWN story without telling the others two friends' stories... (like that with God, but much further!)
-the 3 persons don't exist first and THEN relate, but their existence IS their relationship!
-God is as much 3 as He is 1
Man & Woman (image of God)
-humans find their true being in communion with others
-Gen. 1:26-28
-true being in "the communion-in-otherness that is male & female" - Marriage
-this mystery is seen in ALL close relationships
-plurality, relatedness & community
After the break, Mark shared a song with us ("Lies" by Stan Rogers - lyrics here), told a story about a disabled (but still a brilliant reflection of the Creator) person that inspired him, and then led us in the following exercise...
-think of a 'moment' when you felt 'fully alive'...
-think what that 'moment' means to you as a human being...
-try to finish the sentence (in light of the moment) 'I am one who...'
Those are my notes, I'd love to hear your thoughts, reflections, and more! (Mark himself often comments as well...) Comment away!
Here are some highlights:
(the 'BIG' ideas)
Life >> Unity and Diversity
-very influential answer to this: Plato - dualism (matter doesn't 'matter' - only ideas)
-Bible has a different starting point & framework (namely, that creation is GOOD)
-early Christian thinkers reacted to dualism, but slowly adopted parts of it
-Augustine: God is single, unitary, unchanging, immovable, etc.
-(which led to this assumption) Unity of God >> truth singular /certain people hold keys to truth
17th and 18th century (ideological developments)
-huge philosophical reaction to this - the Enlightenment
-Essence of humanity
-particular people/things lost in universal ideas
-crtiteria and source of truth located in us
-Time = limitation; imitate eternity >> I.R. & management (control)
-Science = saviour & angel of death
-Art >> elite or >> meaningless (nothing = art; everything = art)
-Ethics stuck between rights & responsibilities
Value of a person
1. Individual disappears into faceless 'universal principles'
2. Individual lost in conformity to regimes (marxicism)
3. Individual pumped to 'be an individual' while lost in faceless fashions
Scriptures on Father, Son & Spirit (Trinity)
-Let 'us' make...
-In the beginning was the Word...
- I and the Father are One...
-He who has seen me has seen the Father...
-No one knows... only the Father... not even the Son...
-I will send the Spirit...
-The Lord is the Spirit...
-In Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form...
Father, Son, Spirit >> Creation
-In Him we live, move and have our being...
-Summing up all things in Christ...
-filled to all the fullness of God...
-in Him all things were created and hold together...
-to reconcile all things to himself...
-creation was subjected to futility...
Trinity
-analogy
-three close friends; identities SO bound up in relatedness, that they can't tell their OWN story without telling the others two friends' stories... (like that with God, but much further!)
-the 3 persons don't exist first and THEN relate, but their existence IS their relationship!
-God is as much 3 as He is 1
Man & Woman (image of God)
-humans find their true being in communion with others
-Gen. 1:26-28
-true being in "the communion-in-otherness that is male & female" - Marriage
-this mystery is seen in ALL close relationships
-plurality, relatedness & community
After the break, Mark shared a song with us ("Lies" by Stan Rogers - lyrics here), told a story about a disabled (but still a brilliant reflection of the Creator) person that inspired him, and then led us in the following exercise...
-think of a 'moment' when you felt 'fully alive'...
-think what that 'moment' means to you as a human being...
-try to finish the sentence (in light of the moment) 'I am one who...'
Those are my notes, I'd love to hear your thoughts, reflections, and more! (Mark himself often comments as well...) Comment away!
Theology for Life - Night 1
Well, a capacity crowd gathered for the first of four of the 'Theology for Life' talks. Mark shared his appreciation and excitement about what he perceived was a strong desire to gain a better hold on 'the big picture.'
The 'by-line' for the talks was this: 'Text, Soul and Culture as an integrated whole', and Mark explained this as the Scriptures (text) inviting us to take part in God's story, to have our lives (soul) shaped and reworked; and then taking our life into the world (culture) to transform it.
We watched a few videos such as this one that gave a good example of what Mark was trying to get at: namely, that we aren't saved simply just to fellowship and meet until we die and go to heaven - rather, we are to work for the transformation of humanity and culture as God's representatives.
One idea (perhaps intentionally worded in a way which may be controversial) that seemed to be at the center of the discussion was that God's project was NOT to 'make us Christian', but rather to renew humanity in and through us as the church.
Indeed, the idea of 'true humanity' was key. Humans, made in God's very image, find themselves to be most TRULY human when they know who they are in relation to the God who created them. The triune and inherently relational-within-himself God has chosen the earth as his temple and placed us - his image - in it. Thus, particularly in our creational and relational activity, we experience what it means to be a human being. Most importantly, Christ himself modeled true humanity for us.
After the break, Mark swept through most of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, highlighting Paul's view of this 'new humanity'.
Perhaps some found themselves with various questions or thoughts; small, large, simple, profound? I certainly cannot and did not cover everything here! Please do share!
The 'by-line' for the talks was this: 'Text, Soul and Culture as an integrated whole', and Mark explained this as the Scriptures (text) inviting us to take part in God's story, to have our lives (soul) shaped and reworked; and then taking our life into the world (culture) to transform it.
We watched a few videos such as this one that gave a good example of what Mark was trying to get at: namely, that we aren't saved simply just to fellowship and meet until we die and go to heaven - rather, we are to work for the transformation of humanity and culture as God's representatives.
One idea (perhaps intentionally worded in a way which may be controversial) that seemed to be at the center of the discussion was that God's project was NOT to 'make us Christian', but rather to renew humanity in and through us as the church.
Indeed, the idea of 'true humanity' was key. Humans, made in God's very image, find themselves to be most TRULY human when they know who they are in relation to the God who created them. The triune and inherently relational-within-himself God has chosen the earth as his temple and placed us - his image - in it. Thus, particularly in our creational and relational activity, we experience what it means to be a human being. Most importantly, Christ himself modeled true humanity for us.
After the break, Mark swept through most of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, highlighting Paul's view of this 'new humanity'.
Perhaps some found themselves with various questions or thoughts; small, large, simple, profound? I certainly cannot and did not cover everything here! Please do share!
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