12 March 2006 - Hallfold
“On the Way”
Christian life is a journey, hence there comes a time when we have to move on, try something different, experience God from a different perspective.
Jesus has arrived at a new stage of journey - it is time to move away from Galilee - from wandering rabbi - to Jerusalem - political and spiritual engagement. This was the not the deal Disciples signed up to - be fishers of people changes to suffering, rejection, death - Peter complains. Reality of discipleship - deny yourself, take up your cross, follow - lose your own life and be saved.
Paul reminds us that the faith journey has always been uncertain - it was for Abraham - faith came from willingness to trust, obey, learn, grow - different settings, places, experiences.
Deny yourselves - contrived for Lent, real life decisions - Norman Kember/Tom Fox/ - Jamaica -. Fairtrade
Take up your cross - a revolutionary slogan - confronting fears - action - decision/life’s deal - [visual - remove cross from wall place in middle of congregation to be touched, grasped, confronted] - Here it is in the midst of us, at the heart of our faith.
Follow - with your fears, doubts, burden, - find life - life with purpose, direction, God’s life, God’s journey - the way of the cross.
Comments
I heard throught the chubby chums grapevine that last Sunday's service was 'controversial' - so I have read the sermon notes......and..........
Is this not the basic to our Christian journey????
Am I missing something??
Brenda, I think that the controversy was that I moved the chairs around and invited people to comment on the sermon - share their own issues, questions, perspectives - what I said is indeed the basis of the Christian journey - what we did invited people to take a new route on a different mode of transport instead of just carrying on up and down the one familiar route in their clapped out old banger - can we put the words into action?