Bushfire Tragedy

[David Palmer]

Hi Guys,

I wonder if we should have some discussion about the bushfires.

What is the experience? Have we lost people from our congregations, have our people lost property

How do we respond with the compassion of Christ, practically?

For myself, I will continue to pray and sorrow, participate in my local congregation South Yarra PC linking to the Broadford PC to provide funds for relief through Minister and Session.

I am glad but not all surprised to know that my fellow Christians are active in counselling, loving, giving.

I’m grateful to God that despite the ravages of sin so evident in our society, yet common grace means that in tragedy people, believers or not, rise above pettiness and self absorption to care in practical ways.

I think the Government’s response so far is appropriate esp the calling a Royal Commission

What do you think, what response to this tragedy?

[Jordan]

The tragedy is quite overwhelming, but one idea is simply to give money to the appeal. I'm sure many Christians are already doing this, and though it doesn't seem like a spectacular sacrifice, it all helps.

Jordan

[Luke Isham]

This article by Tim Anderson from the Herald Sun is probably the best pastoral/theological response I've seen so far.

Wayne and Will have also linked to it on their blogs and Jono adds some thoughts about the sovereignity of God during this tragedy on his blog.

[Justin Denholm]

I was upset to read what Danny Nalliah has been saying about the bushfires as punishment, but amazed at how much Bible content The Age published in reply today. It's quite striking how much good content from Barney Zwartz and Tim Anderson hs been published, where in a less overwhelming time I suspect articles like these would probably not be put out there.


http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/failing-to-understand-the-nature-of-an-understanding-god-20090211-84of.html

[Luke Isham]

Dominic Steele (from Christians in the Media, Annandale) preached this sermon in reponse to the bushfires.

[Jereth]

Okay this is a tangent...

Barney Zwartz wrote:

Nalliah ... is a Pentecostal from the apocalyptic and ecstatic end of Christianity who believes God still speaks in dreams and prophecies.
...
Whether God speaks in dreams, I cannot say. The first two verses of the New Testament book of Hebrews strongly suggest otherwise (that in the past God spoke in various ways but now has spoken by his son).
...
As a young Christian exploring the denominations, I met many Pentecostals who claimed to prophesy ( "Thus saith the Lord …") and was struck by how unfailingly God's word through them precisely mirrored their own obsessions.


While I pretty much agree with the rest of Zwartz's article, I can't help feeling a little irritated by his cessationist sentiments.

We dealt with the issue of prophecy & tongues and spiritual gifts in our homegroup last year, on our way through 1 Corinthians. From memory, our group of ~12 people virtually unanimously reached the conclusion that there is nothing in what Paul says which excludes the continuing activity of the Spirit in supernatural gifts, including prophecy. As preparation for the studies I read ''Showing the Spirit'' by D.A. Carson, and he agrees that prophecy and revelation still occurs today (though of course not with the same universal authority as Scripture). Carson does a good job of ripping apart both extreme ends of the spectrum -- the ultra-pentecostals and the ultra-cessationists. My wife & group co-leader also sought advice from our minister prior to the chapter 12-14 studies and he affirmed his opinion that prophecy still occurs today.

I remember the issue coming up at my ministry development group at Ridley a couple years ago, and I don't think a single person there expressed cessationist ideas (which I admit rather surprised me at the time!)

Much as I respect Barney and generally agree heartily with what he writes in the newspaper (unlike certain other "Christian" religion writers for the Age) I don't think it's helpful for him to have a go at pentecostal brothers & sisters, or at the "apocalyptic and ecstatic end of Christianity", in such a public way. The existence of one or two nutcases should't make us write off the entire bunch.

anyway that is a tangent form the thread... those fires were awful, let's keep praying for our brothers and sisters who were directly affected

Jereth