Woodies Blog

Does the church have a role to play in politics? Or should it be left up to individual Christians to engage with political issues?

This month's Woodlands Bible school (listen on line here) gave some interesting views on Christians in politics, God and political power and praying for politicians and the political process. It was a good start to some helpful discussion  around politics with a big and little "p". If you were at the Bible School and you didn't get a chance to make a comments, why not add your thoughts below? As we head towards a general election in the coming year, thinking about how we engage with politics as Christians is a vital issue.

On Sunday night Phil Thomas talked about the need to understand Jesus correctly. If we don't understand Jesus correctly, then can we expect non-Christians to respond with anything other than indifference? He explained how Jesus had been misunderstood by those close to him, and had been met with indifference in his own time.

He then went on to set Jesus in his context - religiously, sociopolitically and internationally before unpacking how an awareness of this context sheds new light on some of Jesus' teaching - for example the Parable of the Sower and the parable of the Prodigal son - and language - e.g. 'repent and believe'. In doing so, he wasn't afraid to challenge cherished interpretations.

From the Bible, we are aware that God has plans for our lives - Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

But the struggle sometimes is understanding how those plans work out. Are they "fixed" like architects drawings or more "fluid" like parent's dreams for their child's future? If God's plans are static then we have to find out and obey exactly what God has in mind! If God's plans and dreams are more fluid, then understanding some basic principles about the will of God, then cooperating with Him, is quite freeing, exciting and challenging!

Each fourth Sunday at Woodlands we run the Woodlands Bible school. This gives a chance to look in a bit more depth at a Biblical topic or Theological issue. Over the past six months we have covered short term oversees mission with the Urban Mission Partnership team, The fruit of the Spirit based round the latest book by author Alan Mann, The nature of the Word of God and most recently Hell and the character of God (for PowerPoint click here).

With a smaller group of people at the Bible School there is often chance to join in with discussion and ask questions. Some have asked if that discussion could continue on the blog... so here goes. If following on from any of the Bible school evenings you would like to make a comment or ask a question, do join in.

Phil Thomas did a great job last night at the Woodlands Bible School as we explored together the nature of God and how we use words to describe Him.

One of the things that particularly struck me was the verbs, adjectives and nouns that the Bible uses to help us understand God and how this contrasts with traditional theological words used to describe Him.  For example adjectives like "merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abounding in goodness, keeping mercy, forgiving iniquity" (Ex 34v6-7) Phil quoted Brueggemann "Israel's characteristic adjectival vocabulary is completely lacking in terms that have dominated classical theology, such as omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. This sharp contrast suggests that classical theology ... is engaged in issues that are not crucial to Israel's testimony about Yahweh"