Preachers swap pulpits for day
Monday 19th January 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
A PULPIT swap took place yesterday leaving many congregations with a different preacher for the day.
The swap was part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which aims to encourage Christians to mix and work together.
Twenty-six preachers visited a different church yesterday, including the Rev. Paul Chesworth (pictured), who swapped Les Camps Methodist for Holy Trinity Church.
‘It’s been wonderful,’ he said. ‘It has been a joy to be back here.’
This is the second time Mr Chesworth has changed with the Trinity Square church.
‘We do the swaps each year,’ he said. ‘This week is part of Prayer Week. It symbolises that churches can work together. It is quite special.’
He believes that the experience helps to build-up church connections. ‘It’s lovely to build relationships between different churches. We do live in an age when denominational barriers are being lowered.’
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I agree with Paul Chesworth – denominational barriers are becoming less of an issue among churches on Guernsey and there are an increasing number of “united” initiatives and events. Long may that continue and increase as IMO the more churches work together the better for the church and its witness to the island. After all, we all follow Jesus, who said that the world would know his disciples by their love for one another.
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It always amuses me how excitable Christians become when a”barrier” between their churches is breached and they all clap hands to sing harmoniously together.
They have only one God, they will tell us, but a multitude of interpretations (accepted that is a human failing) which segregates them into the fractious factions they are and always will be. It does annoy me that all this gratuitous back-patting should make front page news.
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………….oh and I forgot to add…there are no gods, there are no little neat packages of simple explanation tied up in blue ribbons to allow the ego of mankind to continue into eternity…so the whole concept of “Wow! we are all saved in the blood of Jesus, etc, etc, etc, etc,” is just the old millwheel turning for those still lost outside the realms of reality.
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I can’t say I was too surprised to read the thoughts of our resident “God hater” Vic Gamble, the Richard Dawkins of Guernsey. Although I have some sympathy with his opinion that this probably didn’t warrant front page headlines, sadly for Mr Gamble the church has survived much sterner tests than him so I doubt it will collapse under the weight of his bombardment, although he is of course entitled to try.
I do find it interesting why a self-confessed atheist like Mr Gamble should spend so much time discussing someone that apparantly doesn’t exist. Neither do I think his statements will convince anyone to “convert” to atheism any time soon. I must however give credit where it’s due as (unlike Mr Dawkins and the British Humanist Association with their rather woolly attempt at convincing people to turn atheist with their “there’s probably[??] no god” London bus campaign) at least he had the gumption to give a categorical statement of his views on God.
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I am not discussing “someone” that does not exist…I am discussing the very real existence of religious fervor and how damaging it has been and continues to be in our society.
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Hi Vic – can I recommend to you the following article recently written by atheist Matthew Parris in the Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece
Although certain types of “religious fervor” (e.g. militant islam, Westboro baptist church) are indeed damaging, would you acknowledge (as Mr Parris has) that is not always the case and in fact Christian faith has been – and remains – a significant force for good in the world?
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Paul…believe me, I respect your standpoint, but I am forever being asked by Christians to read another man’s viewpoint.It is almost as if I do not know my own mind and need gentle guidance. I do not ask you to read Dawkins,or Karl Marx. I suspect you already have.
I have had, recently, on three occasions, two vicars and a lay-preacher at my door asking if I would like to discuss religion. I have always politely told them,no.There is no point. I have discussed religion for many years with believers and fallen exhausted at the sheer lack of reality of what they have said to me… I have also had several telephone calls from very polite folk also wishing to engage me in religious debate.They have, on several occasions, been persistent, coming back with other calls.I have even been told that I am seen as a truck heading for a cliff edge and that it is “their” duty to save me from toppling over.I find that touching, but ultimately, sad.
Your perception of the goodness of Christianity is based on your somewhat insular belief…only last evening on the news I heard a lady from Gaza, deep in her saddest grieving say “God will revenge us”…against the Jews I assume…it is all a mind defying hate laced with superstition…and you probably do not see this, sat in the cosy little parishes of Guernsey; but on a wider spectrum,on the bigger picture of it all, there are more devils worshiping God, than there are worshiping the Devil.
My two biggest experiences of blind hatred and total lack of humanity were in South Africa where white supremist s**ts used the bible to justify their oppression of black people, to the degree of bloody murder; and the other was whilst I livedin Northern Ireland where Christians segregated themselves into Protestants and Catholics and then kicked each other to death. And there really has not been such a big change in that country, no matter what the spin doctors tell you.
So Paul,your perception of christianity being a “significant good in the world” falls somewhat short of my definition of the word ‘good’. I really cannot understand how you, and people of your persuasion, can slip through life clutching the short straw of sensibility.
I leave for France in two days and will be without internet connection for about a month. Any silence to any responses you make will be for that reason…but I do wish you well in your quest for the Holy Grail of eternal life.
Vic G.
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Hi Vic
Many thanks for your response – don’t worry, I won’t join the line of people trying to pursuade you, although considering the length of it you must be a great catch!
The only point I would like to make before closing this little discussion is disputing your view that I hold an “insular belief” which in fairness is born of an ignorance of me personally, so is understandable. I too have travelled around and seen the damage religion has caused. Although I haven’t visited SA (I have friends from there) I have however visited Israel twice (no more hotbed of “religion” on the planet I’ll wager!) as well as a few African nations & a couple from the Far East. During these visits, as well as a regular reader of international news, I have both seen and heard of the good and evil perpretrated in the name of Christ (as I am a Christian, I don’t feel I have to answer for the behaviour of other faiths).
I won’t spend ages making a case as I’m sure you’ve heard it all by now, suffice it to say that Christ (and Christianity) should not be judged on the actions of His followers but on the validity of his claims (which incidentally those South Africans you met could do with reading a little better and placing them in their correct context).
As for these claims of Christ’s, as you appear well versed (no pun intended!) in the gospel message I am content that if you stand before God unrepentant, it won’t be for lack of information. I therefore feel under no obligation to pursue you trying to pursuade you to convert – I leave that to God who is far better at it than I!
I too wish you well on life’s journey – it would be great to meet you one day…I do enjoy your writings on religion and royalty! :-)
Enjoy your France trip.
Take care
Paul Le P
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Paul…an excellent response..and balanced…a rare thing to find in the heat and dust of debate on this particular topic.
My apologies for using the word insular, but I was really referring to the Press article and the local reaction to it..in the snuggery, that is Guernsey it is easy for folk to congratulate themselves on these style of issues….
Yes, I think maybe we two might have got along quite well…I am not gone forever, so who knows…?
With kind regards,
Vic.
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