The tyranny of "do more, try harder” moralism

Hello - I've had mixed experiences of these sorts of groups over the years.  Interesting article - have a read and let us know what you think...

"Are you tired of being told that if you’re really serious about God, you must be in an “accountability group?” You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones where you and a small group of “friends” arrange for a time each week to get together and pick each other apart–uncovering layer after layer after layer of sin? The ones where all parties involved believe that the guiltier we feel the more holy we are? The ones where you confess your sin to your friends but it’s never enough? No matter what you unveil, they’re always looking for you to uncover something deeper, darker, and more embarrassing than what you’ve fessed up to. It’s usually done with such persistent invasion that you get the feeling they’re desperately looking for something in you that will make them feel better about themselves.


Well, I hate those groups!"

Praying for those with depression

Matthew Hosier leads a church in Poole on the South Coast and is a formidable theological thinker.

As this article shows he is also a genuine pastor and applies some biblical truth very helpfully here for those of use who are praying for friends and family who suffer from depression.

"Anxiety and depression have reached almost epidemic proportions in Western society, and the church is not immune from this. At Gateway we have called a day of prayer and fasting today for those who are struggling with depression, but knowing exactly how to pray can be difficult. How, then, should we pray for Christians who are suffering from these illnesses? Here are a few pointers…"

Click here to read the rest of the article ... Praying for the depressed

Stanley Hauwerwaus - born into a story

Hello,

I am hopeful that you will all enjoy this article,  so I am sharing a link to it with you, and a short excerpt:

"The story of modernity is the story that you should have no story except the story you chose when you had no story. We call that freedom. But as Christians we believe that we are creatures born into a story that we haven’t chosen. I was very fortunate to be born into the story of Hannah’s Child. Part of what the book is about is my account of what it means to become part of a story that you haven’t chosen."

read the entire article by clicking here.