Planted by Water

Over the last week or so, this blog has hosted the start of a debate (of sorts) concerning what happens in the end times and has included references to dispensationalism, pre-millenialism (or pessi-millenialism as some caricatured it!), post-millenialism (or posi-millenialism), preterism, futurism and Covenant Theology etc. I am grateful for those involved for responding to my appeal to ensure that their disagreements were expressed graciously. However, I am aware from people that I meet and who I know regularly visit my blog that not everyone would be in a position to understand some of the terms in this debate and might feel a little excluded. I am also more concerned at the moment to consider practically how we as Christians can make a difference in the world and contribute to its transformation, rather than to get too much into a debate about millenialism. I am therefore respectfully asking those who wish to continue with this debate, that it might be moved to one of your blogs, if you feel that’s what you want to cover. (I note that Gavin Deakin may be already doing this but I don’t want to assume his agenda for him). Many of you clearly do already know the terms, and seem to have pretty fixed positions on it! My concern in writing is often to try to involve the uninitiated, get them thinking and to show its practical relevance, rather than just to debate (though I do recognise there is definitely as place for debate, and that, as I indicated in an earlier post, Christians must learn how to disagree before they can learn to agree). I also recognise that ones position on the end times will definitely have a bearing on what you think about changing the world! For these reasons and becasue I think that a debate is best served when we are clear on the terms that we are using, I will, time allowing, give some brief explanations of some of these terms over the next few days and weeks on my blog and explain the practical effect that I think that they have on how Christians relate to the world. This will be for the purpose of explanation and to get people thinking who perhaps have not thought about these things beefore, rather than to continue in a big debate about them.

Well, today I set off to Cardiff to speak at the Bible College - and I will be continuing to encourgae the students to think about the issues in our world. We will be considering a Kingdom aproach to ethical issues and looking at euthanasia as an example. And we will consider our approach to wider social isues, looking at multiculturalism as an example. I’m looking forward to it. Let me leave you with a quotation that I rediscovered when preparing which asserts some of the things that I believe without getting stuck in a defending a particluar theological position:

“The Kingdom of God is God’s dynamic rule, breaking into human history through Jesus, confronting, combating and overcoming evil, spreading the wholeness of personal and communal wellbeing, taking possession of his people in total blessing and total demand. The church is meant to be the Kingdom community, a model of what human community looks like when it comes under the rule of God, and a challenging alternative to secular society”
      (John Stott)

If possible I will continue to blog while away at Cardiff.