DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - The Cross has been banned in school, a sign of the times?

**DF9sLGSU** · 09-14-2006, 01:54 AM

So the challenge is to communicate the riches of our faith in a way that really communicates, and is relevant, so that we can gain further opportunities to help people develop and grow into the depths of Orthodoxy that are not so easily grasped from a first or second or tenth encounter.

Unfortunately if our faith is presented i
in a way that is not relevant then we may not get a second opportunity.

Dear Peter Theodore,

Your argument is a compelling one - provided (and I know it does) it goes with the thrust of Father Raphael's wise words about not cheapening the Faith. The problem, I suppose, is that the Western Churches have fatally devalued that useful word 'relevance', and it now conjures up 'guitar masses' and lady vicars!

Father Raphael's sombre but realistic statement that:

'Openess to those seeking God's truth is absolutely necessary. We must devote much thought and prayer to continually finding ways to such openess. But yet a fine line needs to be followed so that openess doesn't become an opportunity for living in an illusory world of 'if we build it they will come.' The fact is if we build it maybe few will come. But it's precisely this which we in the Church are called to understand within God's purpose so that we can learn how to properly live in such conditions.'

helps ground one, but we are surely commanded by Our Lord to preach His word? And if we do not do so in a language that can be understood (and that does not mean colloquial English) by the host community, we shall, indeed, be sending out the wrong message.

Still, when we reflect that the Church could once be accommodated in an upper room in Jerusalem, we can see what the Holy Ghost has accomplished.

Moreover, as your own work with the BOC shows, there are many out there who will 'come' if they know what they are coming to.

God bless your work,

In Christ,

John

09-14-2006, 01:54 AM	#28
DF9sLGSU Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 438 Senior Member	So the challenge is to communicate the riches of our faith in a way that really communicates, and is relevant, so that we can gain further opportunities to help people develop and grow into the depths of Orthodoxy that are not so easily grasped from a first or second or tenth encounter. Unfortunately if our faith is presented i in a way that is not relevant then we may not get a second opportunity. Dear Peter Theodore, Your argument is a compelling one - provided (and I know it does) it goes with the thrust of Father Raphael's wise words about not cheapening the Faith. The problem, I suppose, is that the Western Churches have fatally devalued that useful word 'relevance', and it now conjures up 'guitar masses' and lady vicars! Father Raphael's sombre but realistic statement that: 'Openess to those seeking God's truth is absolutely necessary. We must devote much thought and prayer to continually finding ways to such openess. But yet a fine line needs to be followed so that openess doesn't become an opportunity for living in an illusory world of 'if we build it they will come.' The fact is if we build it maybe few will come. But it's precisely this which we in the Church are called to understand within God's purpose so that we can learn how to properly live in such conditions.' helps ground one, but we are surely commanded by Our Lord to preach His word? And if we do not do so in a language that can be understood (and that does not mean colloquial English) by the host community, we shall, indeed, be sending out the wrong message. Still, when we reflect that the Church could once be accommodated in an upper room in Jerusalem, we can see what the Holy Ghost has accomplished. Moreover, as your own work with the BOC shows, there are many out there who will 'come' if they know what they are coming to. God bless your work, In Christ, John
	Quote