Pull up a pew and join the Christian chat thread, continued...

[EddSimcox]

Church chat and all related things... weak coffee, dodgy tunes, rubbish attitudes... and the uplifting, inspirational, and hilarious too.

Thanks EDD

So, how does faith feature in my daily life? There's not an area of my life it doesn't impact. So far as church is concerned I tend only to go on a Sunday morning - as my mum's carer it isn't easy to get out regularly in the evenings but as a family we are very involved - my husband and I are on the leadership team, my daughter is the children's pastor and my younger daughter also helps with the children's work.

I don't have fixed times for prayer and Bible study - I'm not that disciplined - but it is very rare for a day to go by without reading something! And prayer is a lifestyle.

I think most people who know me know that I am a Christian and I will offer to pray with/for anyone! I try to be on the look out for ways to share the love of God.

Thanks EDD

Thanks, Edd.

Hi, I'd like to join in please... I've felt some form of religion all my adult life (I'm mid forties!), but not known what it was, discovered last year that I'm probably a Quaker! I'm just starting to read the Bible for the first time, not sure where would be best to start?

Sounds exhausting hairbrush . Also fulfilling. I don't have fixed times for anything either, but readers of the last thread will know I'm doing a discipleship course which is pretty intense. Four essays out of 5 done now, so I'm on the home straight. Also just preached for the very first time, so lots of bible study going on in one way or another. Lots of people I know probably don't know I'm a Christian still tbh but the important people do. It's the cause of a lot of strife.

Hi slipper, welcome. I don't know much about Quakers but I think one of the easiest places to start reading is the bible is the gospels - either Luke, because it's lovely and has lots of bits that might be familiar (Jesus' birth in a stable for instance), or Mark because it's short and manageable. What is it about Quakers that resonates for you?

Welcome slippermaiden. I have a few friends who attend the Friends Meeting House but personally know nothing about it.
Like Edd says, the gospels are a good place to start, there are also good beginners guides to reading the Bible. I have used CWR Bible notes like Through the Bible in a Year. Cheating in so far that I didn’t do it in a year and also skipped bits with endless battles and names and so on. Trying to read from beginning to end is not so fruitful.

Thank you, I'll start there then and see how I get on. I'm inspired by the idea that God is in all of us if only we took the time to listen, and then act as God would wish us to. Being kind to all, respecting the planet, using our resources carefully, living a simple life, rather than always looking to buy happiness. Also being against conflict and war. When I read about the Quaker beliefs I though "oh that's me!" spending time in silence at the Quaker meeting sounds weird but actually it sets me up for the week. I love hearing about other people's beliefs too.

Is anyone following the Ashers Supreme Court hearing today? The Christian Institute is tweeting from the hearing and it makes for interesting reading: twitter.com/christianorguk

Is it ok to give a link to our church website here?

I preach maybe every couple of months or so. The first time it took me weeks to prepare but it gets easier. The trouble is I prefer to write than to speak so I would love to write essays/articles but not so confident about standing up and speaking. My husband just leans against the lectern and speaks from the odd handwritten note but I prefer to have everything written down.

I've just glanced at the Twitter link. I will be following it for the rest of the day now.

Hi all x

May I join? I've read the last two threads and feel as if I know you all already! (Okay, that sounds a bit weird and stalkerish written down...)

I've been attending the same church all my life. We're an evangelical/free church - very modern, not a choir or an organ in sight (but a hymn every now and again).

Can anyone help? Tonight my 7 year old son ( suspected ADHD ) told me that he thinks he's going to hell because he's a bad person. I've tried my best to reassure him but I think he's struggling. How can I reassure him more and help him with this? Thank you in advance for any help.

Cish, it sounds like your son is going through a hard time. I have no words of advice here, but will hold you both in the light x

Thank you slipper he does seem to be going through a hard time.

Sorry, that sort of means I'll say a prayer for him.

7 is a hard age, my son had a testosterone surge and was quite aggressive at times. Seemed to only last a few weeks though.

What a heartbreaking thing to hear from your child.

I don't know how you express your faith in God and how your son has seen that expressed but I think I would start by praying with him and asking God to show him that his is loved and can be forgiven for anything if he asks God for forgiveness.

If he is talking about Hell he obviously has some understanding/desire to be right with God so explain to him that the Bible is God's instruction book for us and that the way to deal with sad/scary thoughts is to follow the instructions in the book.

You could read John 3 verse 16 - perhaps from the International Children's version (I use Bible Gateway a lot) For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

And explain that Jesus loves him so much and He died so that all the bad things people have done can be washed away if they ask Him to forgive them.

There might be something specific that he has done that he is troubled about of course - and it could be something that we would see as insignificant but in the mind of a small child it could be huge and scary.

Very hard Cish They think so deep, seven year olds. I forget what kind of church you are in, for instance has he been baptised already? The trouble with Bible teaching, especially the teaching about hell is that it was very much directed towards the Pharisees of Jesus’ days and then taken through the ages to bring people into line. It is not teaching that I find personally acceptable and is the reason I am no longer attending services at my church.
So a 7-year old who comes into contact with that sort of teaching is going to be sorely troubled.
The only way to deal with it, I think is first of all to find out what he has been up to to make him feel so bad and to assure him that you love him whatever it is. Then to explain that God is a loving Father, Who feels exactly the same about His children as you do: that while children sometimes do things that are not so good for them, He understands, even better than human parents do and that whatever happens, God will always love him and help him do the thing that is ‘most profitable’ for him.
I would also try to find out where this notion of hell comes from in his thinking and have a quiet word with teacher or Sunday school teacher.
Best of luck.
Slipper ‘holding in the light’ is such a beautiful Quaker expression and to me always signifies much more than ‘saying a prayer’, this silent quiet bringing someone in touch with all that is beautiful and good.

Thanks for the thread, Edd! So great that you're doing the discipleship course. Not far to go now! Exciting times. How is life in general? I often think of you.

Welcome to newbies! Great to see you.

That's hard, Cish. I love what Oma wrote. It's about reminding him that God is all about love and longs for his children to be reconciled to him, not to punish them. Some children have a sense that they're 'bad' - my Ds always has done and I've no idea where it comes from, because he's grown up in such an affirming and loving environment and his sister is the opposite. So it seems some are wired that way, and need more assurance and talking through their fears. I've always told mine that truly 'bad' people don't worry about being bad. So hard to get through though, sometimes. You have my sympathy. I hope and pray you can find the right words and that he will know what a beloved child of God he is.

I'm with Oma that traditional teaching about hell hasn't helped with this kind of thing.i think the message of the Bible is actually very different to the torture for eternity narrative of the medieval church.

Cish
Hope the advice you got helped you - the thing I only truly learnt a couple of years ago that might help is:

There is nothing you can do that will make God love you any less, There is nothing you can do that will make God love you any more.

Once that true realisation of Grace sinks in, fears slide away.
Hell for me now is not a place, it's where we put ourselves (I know controversial view!)

A while ago I googled ‘what the Bible really says about heaven and hell’ and it is very different from the general view.

Yay. You all came.
cish What dragon oma and MHD said!!

Personally I don't agree with the 'instruction book' view of the Bible because well I wear mixed fibres, and I eat prawns, and I don't think it's ok to have slaves or concubines... but I agree completely hairbrush about the importance of just asking God for forgiveness.

I didn't know the expression 'hold someone in the light' is a Quaker thing. I love it and I use it a lot. For me prayer is not about asking God for specific things, but holding people and problems in your heart with God.

We'll have to agree to differ on the purpose of the Bible - I'm quite fundamental.

I understand the questions that arise from the Old Testament laws but I believe the moral laws have remained unchanged although the ceremonial laws (all the washing and staying away from "unclean" people/things) were fulfilled through the death of Jesus on the cross - He came to "fulfill" the law. Also many of the laws were sort of health and safety instructions and were applicable to the time - dietary, clothing etc.

But the moral laws were in existence from the book of Genesis and still hold true today.

But aside from that - if I was talking to anyone who had a fear of death or hell I would share the love of God and encourage emphasis on getting right with God - in appropriate language of course.

Thank you all for your advice and support. I've only just been able to log on but I'm exhausted so I'm off to bed but will have a good read in the morning.