Chapter 3. Consider doing with chapter 8.

Blue Rose Tuesday's - End of Religion asks the question do we need to hit the reset button? Blue Rose Tuesdays is a parable! Parable - Jesus taught through stories Jesus doesn't do detailed theology - not saying detailed theology is wrong. Question is why does Jesus use stories? Emphasis is on ethics, on heart issues Picture worth a thousand Words Parable worth many theology books Greatest need in human heart in our journey to God is not accurate information but meaning? Stories good containers for dealing with meaning than systematically/mathematical logical linear textbook Different part of brain working when considering pictures versus linear thinking Our lives are a story - universal human language is story Tension between form and substance expressed better in story form and then glean from that transferrable learning. BRT is a parable between husband and wife who get trapped in tradition of a regular date night going through certain routines and end up missing the heart of their relationship in this tradition. Husband's agenda is to maintain tradition and thinks that he is serving his wife when in actual fact he has forgotten about his wife and her desires in this religiously systematised date routine. Mistake is mistaking form and substance Form - what the container is that is capturing experience Eg Christmas dinner meal gathering - practical expression Substance- not the individual concepts - relational time around the table Form - great memories - has brain effects If you bond with form and loose sight of the heart - destructive Mother likes to cook large meals - good tradition but as mother becomes old tradition becomes a chore and begins to hate - bonded to form Served a purpose for a season Tipping point where form becomes detrimental Need to develop new traditions Form build incredible memories and associations eg with smell Then you can smell something and memories come flooding in =Value of Tradition Downside of tradition - bonding with the form and loose sight of the heart of

what it's all about When new people join a community may need to hit a reset button- because traditions will not work for them Church - why no young folk present- because church is wired for older and vice versa Form here segregatesHow make church inclusive Church fighting about traditions and styles ie forms Defending how I connect with God and you are taking this away from me Eg hymn that moves them cf young person with new music/fresh expression Need approach - How can I meet God here Maturity = value the relational aspects more than what's served up around the table- appreciate the different forms! Hypocrite can mean - actor - a pretender To hold one thing true but act differently Mask wearers - think of Greek theatre Hypocrite also used by Jesus to mean someone who focuses on the surface of things ie externals Eg Luke 12 v 56 Disciples keep missing the point - always interpret according to the surface Don't dig deeper- you are surface dwellers How do I craft my life for relationship - to reconcile, to serve - working for justice- not how I feel Emotional response is icing on the cake Application If it is a universal human tendency to - Emotionally bond with surface and equate that with true spiritual heart connection with God. Why then should I be immune to this? What are the Implications for me? Need to keep prioritising Jesus in the midst of our traditions. Self-reflection by faith community which needs to be ongoing and need to press the spiritual reset button Is relationships meaningful- why am I doing this? Is it rote- am I going through the motions? - Prayer life -Bible reading -Singing songs Have I bonded with being critical of other peoples tradition? Am I doing the hard work of building the type of relationships that God wants? Am I passionate about Justice? Am I passionate about seeing Lives changed? Am I passionate about the Disadvantaged? Am I reconciled and a reconciling person? Is your wine skin - is your form keeping you trapped and you are not caring

and serving people the way Jesus has called you too? NT church is stark in its ritual ie minimal symbols and forms -note exception baptism and Lords supper- very plain and simple! Once in your life time get wet and then have meals together and remember me Jesus Used most common drink most common food Symbol is dangerous How much do I use symbol as my connection with God rather than relationships? James 1 - v 26 27 only positive use of the word religion in the NT The form of religion that God champions is helping those in need Nothing to do with rituals!

Any Christian should be able to find God - to find Jesus in any church where they are teaching from the Bible regardless of its tradition and style Should be able to celebrate this diversity even if you don't connect emotionally well with a certain traditionTradition explored further in Chapter 8 - a fence around the law. Test consider a love relationship Image of husbands and wives Bride and bridegroom In answering people's questions methodological questions about their faith Eg how should I pray- how does God want me to do this or that When put in context of love relationship the answers emerge! Eg If you were married to someone how would they want you to or how would you show you love