apokatalasso

Understanding Church and Sexuality in our Generation (excerpts) It is out of a sense of urgency that the church know on what foundations she is building and that her prophetic voice to wider society sound out with clarity to those who wish to hear. More than a few in church and I suspect in wider society do not know how to make sense of the cultural shifts in society particularly around the gay marriage and wider relational and sexual issues that this current dilemma raises. Many Christians may be struggling to understand from a faith perspective how to approach this in the strange absence of a coherent voice of church and leadership. The following is a brief excerpt, of an in-depth treatment of the issues at hand, historical, philosophically, psychologically and biblically and then ask the question of church’s response. i. History Some have sought to argue from Greco-Roman practices during New Testament times. It is true that many men from emperors through many stra...

Lk.19:1-10 Zacchaeus Story The encounter is set in Jesus' onward journey having passed through Jericho to the entry Jerusalem as final destination. The “entering” portrays this sense of onward journey, less of a preplanned encounter more of Jesus meeting Zacchaeus in a spontaneous way and responding to the present circumstances. This reinforces the meaning of the journey, the learning, lessons, experiences that can only be experienced with this perspective on the moment present. Zacchaeus’ significance was his position as “submagistri” (Gk. “architelōntēs” ) in that he was in charge of a territory in the Province as overseeing the tax collection officers. His abundant wealth would have come from his ability to pay to Rome less than he collected from the territory. This was his art. The enmity towards him as a Jew and collaborator with the Romans would be intense and socially evident. He combats this social stigma by climbing a tree to see ( “oida” more than physical, perc...