War, Work and The Bible
Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
War, Work and The Bible
Monday 25th July 2022
In this article, Law Professor Alexander Gillespie explores a very important question. As he so aptly says, “compromise, co-operation and peace are, in the end, much harder than war”. Or to put it more bluntly, diplomacy is really hard, bombs are really easy.
POV. Imagine Australia being very unhappy about NZ wanting to join NATO (coupled with one or two historic grievances). It is inconceivable that Australia would declare war on NZ and start dropping bombs indiscriminately. What is different with Ukraine? Nothing! Ukraine is a sovereign State just like NZ. This war is simply outrageous……actually all war is. Please God intervene….confuse every Russian soldier……weaken their resolve for violence and wanting to fight…….and bring an end to this atrocity.
The World of Work is Changing……
……and so are the Zoomers (Generation Z) attitude to it. In this article in The Guardian titled, ‘A Bigger Paycheck? I’d rather watch the sunset!’: Is this the end of ambition? points out a new trend is well underway amongst this generational cohort and maybe even amongst millennials and Gen X.
Seven Important Things About The Bible
Dr Michael Bird is academic dean and lecturer in theology at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. He has written a new book titled ‘Seven Things You Should Know About The Bible’.
They are:-
- How the Bible was put together
- What “inspiration” means
- How the Bible is true
- Why the Bible needs to be rooted in history
- Why literal interpretation is not always the best interpretation
- How the Bible gives us knowledge, faith, love, and hope
- How Jesus Christ is the center of the Bible.
Here is a most helpful interview that Bible Gateway did with Dr Bird about his new book. (7 mins)
POV. I continue to be dismayed at the low biblical literacy figures in most of the Western World. Further, I am convinced it is a major reason why so many Christians have lost their distinctive characteristics. It also helps explain why so many churches have lost their cutting edge (witness). If Christians don’t love the Bible and immerse themselves in this book then how on earth will we make strong and resilient disciples? Go to any gathering of pastors these days and this issue is the one that invariably surfaces as the No.1 issue facing the Church in NZ in 2022 and has been for a good 10 years or so.
Cool (outreach) Idea (2 of 4)
Seasonal Festival for Kids - Families are always looking for free, kid-friendly activities. Host a fun day at the park that is open to the community and feels like a genuine way to connect with the people on your street and in the community, versus a sales pitch to come to the church. People are more likely to visit your church when they see you are interested in genuine relationships. These outreach events can be fun and casual such as, an Easter egg hunt, a Christmas pageant or something a bit more organised like a concert/show with bouncy castles, giveaways and a sausage sizzle.
