A Leap Year of Affliction?

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Thirty days hath September,Pirates of Penzance
 April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty-one
 Save February, she alone
Hath eight days and a score
Till leap year gives her one day more.

The 29th February plays a pivotal role in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. In the story the hero Frederic realizes his pirate apprenticeship binds him till his 21st birthday, but as his birthday falls on the 29th of February it only occurs every fourth year, meaning he would have to wait to his 84th year before he was released from his bonds.

Frederic is a pirate who wants redemption!

Here is a question to consider. What makes our burdens and afflictions so difficult?

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Movie Review: Risen

Risen

By Stephen George (Minister: Trinity North East)

Last week I saw the pre-release of the movie Risen, and as I walked out of the cinema I thought to myself, “I can’t believe we are about to let a massive evangelistic opportunity pass us by unnoticed”.

Let me give you the background story. I am a minister in the Trinity Network in Adelaide, Australia, and I had heard nothing of this movie until someone in my congregation sent me an email link to the trailer, along with an invitation to the pre-release. When I got that invite, I have to admit that my immediate thought was, “Oh great, another mediocre ‘Christian’ movie”. However, when I followed the link and saw the trailer I suddenly doubted everything I thought I knew about Christian movies. It was actually very good. So I went to the pre-release and, while I don’t think everyone is going to love everything about this movie, I think it provides a great opportunity for evangelism.

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Why leave a ‘church’?

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The question ‘Why leave a ‘church?’ may be a dangerous question to ask, especially on a church blog!

The reality is that all churches have people leave them – for both wise and unwise reasons. It is worth spending some time thinking about why one would take the step of leaving a ‘church’ and then further considering how to do that well. That said, I am hoping that no one reading this will in fact leave 5pm Church as a result!Trinity City 'Five by 5' Challenge - hand

In the previous two articles we have considered ‘What is ‘Church’?’ and then ‘What to expect of ‘Church’?‘ which as background should help establish that leaving a church should be thought about carefully – that is not a decision that should be made hastily or prayerlessly. If ‘church’ is about God’s people gathering as a family in Christ around his Word, it should give some pause for thought to a person when deciding to stay or to go. Leaving means leaving a family and a place where God’s word should be key to their fellowship.

Changing churches or leaving church altogether is no small thing.

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What to expect of ‘Church’?

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The beginning of the year is often the time when people check out church (‘It is a new year, thought I would give it a go’), join church (‘I have moved and want to make this my church’) or leave church (‘I am making a life change’).

As such, it is reasonable that one consider ‘What should I expect of ‘Church’?’.

In the last update Trinity City 'Five by 5' Challenge - handwe considered ‘What is Church?’ and suggested that church was a place for believers (whilst still open to not-yet believers) and a place where God’s people gathered as a family in Christ. Expectations of church then are important because they help a person decide whether this church is doing what it should be or not.

There are a couple of ways to arrive at an answer.

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