term 9 / 1 week 1

On DTP - especially during the first 3 terms - we’ll be using an ancient method of helping ourselves to think through all we are being taught.  For almost 2,000 years, the Church used set Questions and Answers (called a Catechism, from the Greek word Katekeo, meaning ‘to teach by word of mouth’) to help us get a handle on our faith, and to grow in our understanding of how being a Christian works.  For centuries, the greatest theologians and pastors of the Church produced such Catechisms, and were often explicit in their expectations that families would use them on a daily basis as part of their worship together.

In our own generation, there has been a welcome re-discovery of the practise, and I’ll be introducing us to a modern Catechism produced by the Anglican Church of North America (written substantively by Jim Packer). 

It is available ‘hard copy’ from Crossway Publishers. Or you can download the PDF here.

During the terms looking at the creed, the Lord’s prayer and the Ten Commandments I’ll be setting a number of questions each work as part of our homework.

Here is an excerpt from the Catechism’s introduction to the Ten Commandments section:

God wants us to have fullness of life in a relationship of loving obedience to Him.  He teaches us His will for our lives through the Law, and most fully through the teaching and example of Jesus (John 12:49-50; Heb.1:1-2).  God’s Law is outlined and distilled for us in the Ten Commandments, and displayed for us in Jesus’ sinless life and atoning death … God’s purpose for our new life in Christ is to make us like Jesus (Rom.8:28-29).  Scripture teaches that our actions are pleasing to God only if the attitudes of our minds and hearts are also godly.  God sees our behaviour as the fruit of our hearts and character, not something external or separate from our inner being.  Thus the goal of our life in Christ is that we become like Christ – not only in our actions but also in our thoughts and attitudes.

enjoy!

Gladys Staines Interview:

Here is the interview with Gladys Staines. The first few minutes are about her agreeing to a film being made about her experience ‘The Least of These’. Then the interview turns to the events surrounding her family’s death, and her own response of forgiveness and testimony to Christ.

…and don’t forget that it’s a Bring and Share meal next week as we bring the term to a close.

term 8 week 7

Only a couple more weeks of term to go! Don’t forget that on 2nd July we’ll be wrapping this module up and having a Bring and Share meal together!

In the meantime, there were two parts set to this weeks homework. The first was to visit Open Doors UK (though if you are involved with another organisation that supports persecuted Christians, visit them!). Open Doors is a Global Church Partner organsiation at MIE. Click on the ‘Get Invovled’ tab, and pick any of the actions to perform that will enable you to do something immediately practical to identify with our brothers and sisters. Advocacy, letter writing, giving, fundraise, pray… the choice is yours.

…and ahead of next week, watch this video exploring the dynamics of forgiveness. It’s only 10 or 12 minutes, but it sets up a couple of key ideas we’ll be working with next Tuesday evening.

term 8 Invitation week

Discussion Starters:

How has this term changed the way you think about being a Christian?  What inspires you?  What has caused anxiety?  Why do you think that is?

Do you think it is getting harder to be a Christian in the UK?  Why / Why not?

How confident would you be facing a growingly hostile context? 

How does the prospect of that impact how the Church might pray for and prepare (and where appropriate, parent / grandparent) children and young people?  How should this affect children’s and youth work?

How is your Rule of Life shaping up?  What changes did you (plan to) make?  Have you kept them going?  Reflect on your experience of trying to keep a Rule of Life.

How is your Rule of Life shaping up?  What changes did you (plan to) make?  Have you kept them going?  Reflect on your experience of trying to follow a Rule of Life.

How could DTP develop going forward?

Would you be interested in teaching this material in a small group?  ...or in developing  DTP for a wider audience?

And don’t forget to read the Article from Premier Christianity. You can go to the original article here:

term 8 week 5

It doesn’t matter that things are difficult. God is with us

vietnamese Christian

OK - so we’re beginning to change gear in our homework to try to help us connect what we’ve been looking at through the Scriptures over the last few weeks with our own experience of discipleship. How do we make sense of the question of persecution in the context of a liberal, secular society? What would you think if you heard a specialist in global persecution suggest that within 5 years a ‘westeern’ country could make it onto the Open Doors World Watch list?

Ron Boyd-MacMillan was the guy who did a lot of the research for the world watch list, and has been a writer for Open Doors. He has spent many years studying the phenomena of Christian persecution in many different social, political and cultural contexts. Here he is spending some time reflecting on Secularism and its laying slow seige to the Church in the West.

and this week’s story of a martyr:

Susianty Tinulele was shot dead while speaking from the pulpit of her Church in Central Sulawesi, in Palu, Indonesia, Sunday 18th July 2004. Four masked intruders opened fire with machine guns on the preacher and worship team. Susianty was shot in the head and died instantly. Four teenagers were also hospitalised with serious injuries and another 17 year-old died.

Susianty was a victim of what appears to havve been a campaign to assassinate Christian leaders in a campaign that started in November 2003. When police arrested suspected members of militant group Jemaah Islamiyahm they found detailed descriptions of church services and lists of Christian leaders.

Violence was also directed against Sulawesi Christians who were not Church leaders. The night before Susianty’s death, Mrs. Helmy Tombiling died from nine stab wounds to her chest and stomach inflicted by attackers outside her home in Poso, Central Sulawesi.