Statsminister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Kirke- og kulturminister Bertel Haarder
Finansminister Claus Hjort Frederiksen
Justitsminister Søren Pind
Til Kirken i Danmark
- Biskopper, provster og præster i folkekirke valgmenigheder, frimenigheder og frikirker
Til danske medier
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"Ifølge Lars Løkke Rasmussen vil Venstre inden 1. september fremlægge et kasseeftersyn, og det vil formentlig ikke blive et kønt syn, må man forstå på den nye statsminister."
http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/danmark/loekke-om-kasseeftersyn-frygter-det-vaerste
Kristeligt Dagblad 11-08:
Taxabranchen er i chok over Uber, en app, der gør det muligt at hyre en privatbils-taxi. Mange har en oplevelse af, at kirken lider af samme mentalitet som taxabranchen, der desperat forsvarer det, der én gang for alle er bygget op, mener sekretariatschef Birger Nygaard
Taxi-branchen er i chok over Uber, den lille app, som gør det muligt at hyre en privatbils-taxi til en betydeligt lavere pris end en normal taxi.
Jeg har netop været på min første tur med en sådan Uber-taxi. Efter al snakken om Uber havde jeg af nysgerrighed downloadet Uber-app'en og stod nu et sted i udlandet, hvor jeg ikke havde nummeret på et taxi-firma.
Jeg åbnede app’en, der viste, at der var en ledig bil tre minutter væk. Jeg trykkede på bestillingsknappen.
Tre minutter efter sad jeg i en pæn bil, der kørte mig til min destination. Betaling skete ved automatisk træk på mit kreditkort, og straks lå der en kvittering med alle data for min tur i min mail-boks. Det virkede perfekt til halv pris.
Det er naturligt, at taxibranchen vil gør alt, hvad den kan for at få dette konkurrenceforvrængende uvæsen stoppet. Så man er i flere lande i gang med sagsanlæg mod Uber-softwarefirmaet, der udfører det simple job med mobilteknologi at sætte folk i forbindelse med hinanden. Men Uber er blot ét eksempel på tekniske eller kulturelle udviklinger, der radikalt har ændret brancher, samfundsindretning med videre.
For en generation siden hørte vi typografer, der hånligt sagde, at man aldrig ville kunne lave en grafisk acceptabel avisopsætning på en skærm. I dag findes der ikke længere typografer. Og for nogle år siden var der en college-studerende, der brugte nogle dage på at lave en lille app, som han kaldte facebook.
Mange har en oplevelse af, at kirken lider af den samme mentalitet som taxibranchen, der med alle midler forsøger at forsvare det, der nu en gang for alle er bygget op.
Kirken består i sin ydre form af en enorm struktur, der over de sidste 2.000 år har udviklet sig til verdens største organisation. Kirkebygninger, ansatte præster og andre medarbejdere, uddannelsesinstitutioner og andre tilknyttede specialtjenester. Alt sammen organiseret i forskellige samfund og former for hierarkier og netværk. Denne struktur er set indefra så veletableret, at det er vanskeligt for os at være kirke uden alt dette.
Når vi siger ”folkekirken”, danner der sig hos de fleste hurtigt et billede af kirketårne, præstekjoler, bispevielser med mere. Som med de store finansinstitutioner før finanskrisen kan der være en fornemmelse af, at denne struktur er ”too big to fail” (for stor til at fejle, red.), hvilket medfører, at der beslutsomt arbejdes for dens videreførelse som institution.
Men i disse år ser vi i stigende grad et skifte fra fokus på det ydre til det indre. Danskeren anerkender nok, at vi har en folkekirke med alt, hvad dertil hører. Men de forbinder ikke nødvendigvis denne kæmpe struktur med deres trosoverbevisninger og med troens væsen, som de oplever som noget meget mere personligt og individuelt.
Det giver sig nu udslag i, at flere ikke lader deres børn døbe. Forældrene ser dåben som noget, man personligt skal stå inde for. Derfor er det bedst at lade børnene selv bestemme, når de vokser op, frem for at påvinge dem en barnedåb (se rapporten ”Dåb eller ej”, Center for Kirkeforskning, Københavns Universitet).
Den faldende dåbsprocent er nu med god grund kommet i fokus i folkekirken. Men der er to vidt forskellige måder og motivationer at gå til dette på:
Den ene måde er taxibranchens tilgang, hvor man ønsker at videreføre den institution, vi nu engang har, i den form vi kender, skønt andre former måske synes mere naturlige for de mennesker, som kirken er til for. Denne tilgang kan eksempelvis udmønte sig i at kirken opfører sig så anonymt og utydeligt som muligt, så eksisterende medlemmer ikke provokeres og melder sig ud. Dette er en nærliggende strategi at forfalde til for folkekirker med mange passive, men aktivt betalende medlemmer.
Og for dem, der ikke lader deres børn døbe eller er ved at løbe over til konkurrenter, at sørge for, at de kommer tilbage i folden, eksempelvis ved at præsten skal besøge alle nybagte forældre og bruge babysalmesang og spaghettigudstjenester for at få dem til at bringe deres barn til dåb.
Dåben er naturligvis i sig selv værdifuldt. Men det er et problem, hvis succeskriteriet er, at dåbsprocenten skal holdes intakt. I så fald lugter det af, at systemet bruger mennesker til egen selvopretholdelse – læs kirkeskat - frem for at være godt budskab (evangelium).
Det kan vi se ildelugtende eksempler på forskellige steder i verden, hvor man oplever større pres på kirkeøkonomien end i Danmark.
Den anden måde at takle den faldende dåbsprocent på er ved at lægge større vægt på en dybtgående lytten til og samtale med de mennesker, for hvem den blinde videreførelse af den ydre tradition ikke længere giver mening eller føles uærlig.
Netop disse medlemmers, som ikke-medlemmers, spørgsmål og overvejelser kan være den store gave til kirken, idet de udfordrer den til mindre fokus på institutionel selvopretholdelse og tvinger den til en refokusering på troens sprog og væsen.
Dette indhold er den eneste grund til, at vi har institutionen. Men vi ved kun alt for godt, at institutioner har en evne til at blive begrundelse nok i sig selv. Det gælder også for den institution, vi kalder kirken.
Kirken skal ikke undervurdere opgaven med at genvinde et meningsgivende kristent trossprog og -univers. Det er en stor proces, der må lægges vægt på blandt kirkeaktive, så de selv opøver sprog til samtale med kirkeskeptiske.
I en stor del af den gamle vestlige kristenhed er der en fornemmelse af at forvalte et trossystem, hvis batterier er ved at miste den sidste strøm, uden at man har fundet en alternativ energikilde.
I den situation er det godt at være en del af en global kristenhed, der de næste 40 år skønnes at vokse med endnu en milliard mennesker. Fra nye kirker i hele verden lærer vi, at kristentroen igen og igen lader sig oversætte til nye folk, sprog og kulturer. Der er intet, der skulle tilsige, at det ikke også vil ske hos os.
Birger Nygaard er sekretariatschef ved Folkekirkens Mellemkirkelige Råd og skriver kristendomsanalysen ved kristendom.dk.
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3 Causes of Division by Jeremy Caris
If we, the Church, share the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, and we share the same mind of Christ, why do we still have division in the church and between believers (1 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 8:11; Eph. 4:13)? I see three primary reasons.
Cause #1 - Selfish Motivations
The apostle Paul instructed Titus, "As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." (Titus 3:10-11 ESV) And yet, Jesus said that He Himself came to bring division.
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Luke 12:51 ESV
Why? Because His presence, His works, and His words polarized people to choose between following God for His glory or pursuing their own way, usually for selfish gain (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19).
There are two types of Christians: those whose steps are being ordered based on what God reveals, and those who are ordering their steps despite what God reveals.
There will always be a clash between people who are attending church but are not actively walking by the Spirit and those who are. I believe that's why Paul felt it was necessary to tell us, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."(Galatians 5:25 NASB) As believers, we have all stepped into eternal life by the Spirit, but we must learn to walk by the Spirit also.
We each have the privilege to continue to follow God actively, or like Adam and Eve, to turn and pursue a way which seems right in an attempt to fulfill our own selfish desires and ambitions (Pro. 14:12; 16:25). The devil needs to do little more than encourage us to take our selfish desires and ambitions, our greed and pride, or our demands for power and wrap them up into a nice "Christian" package that we can feel justified in maintaining.
Division will come to a church when influential people, whose underlying motivations are actually selfish ambitions, produce the fruit of that pursuit and that fruit becomes evident, causing those who are motivated by the leading of the Spirit to stand out in contrast.
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 1 Corinthians 11:18-19 ESV
Division is caused because the fruit of selfishness is becoming evident and there is no repentance. But, God turns the situation around for some good by causing those who are genuine in their motives to be recognized. These are believers who are not living for recognition or any ambition other than to fulfill God's purpose or calling on their lives. Yet, those with selfish motives will often accuse those who are genuine of being the cause for the division that comes. However, the Bible clearly states that it is those living out the desires and passions of the flesh that are at fault.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?James 4:1 ESV
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other… Galatians 5:17 ESV
There will always be opposition between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. Therefore, division between those who live out of each is inevitable - even when division is not the intended result of those involved.
Cause #2 - Divisive Actions
Division will come to a church when people are permitted to intentionally promote that which is contrary to the doctrines of the New Covenant or the established culture of that church.
Sometimes division is not just the fruit of selfish motives becoming evident - it is intentional. This happens when people are allowed to drastically and suddenly change the doctrine or culture within a church. This may include worship, teachings, and ministry, among many other things. Deliberate division will most often be blamed on God by those causing it and it will somehow be in their own best interest.
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Romans 16:17-18
This scripture makes it clear that the underlying motivations of such people is their selfish ambition. Further, it reveals how they cause divisions and create obstacles: "by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." The implication is that there are others who are not deceived, and they are sternly instructed to watch out for and avoid those who are the source of such division.
Smooth talking people employ manipulative methods to make it appear that those who distrust them, avoid them, or separate from them are the divisive ones. They will even appear to have the best in mind for others and act as if they are genuinely concerned for those who stand opposed to them, often using self-pity to invoke concern from others. In reality, they are serving their own appetite and ego, creating cause for opposition, and taking the naive hostage in the process.
They employ flattery to gain and maintain a following of people that they view as important or special. At the same time, they are often in "damage-control" mode, working to keep up appearances, attempting to bring back those who are straying away from their influence, and manipulating or discrediting those who are questioning or opposing them. They distrust anyone who doesn't respond to flattery or won't take on the obligations and loyalty that they seek in exchange for the special attention being given.
Since they are limited to the number of people that they can actively flatter, they may be limited in their effectiveness - unless they can recruit a team that will replicate their efforts. Since there are always others that they feel the need to flatter or control, they will quickly divert their focus away from those who seem to be under control. Concerning those people who respond well to flattery, it is typically only a matter of time before they "act out" in some way due to the lack of attention and treatment they have become accustomed to receiving. Thus, a cycle of co-dependency is created between the divisive person and the naive.
Cause #3 - Restrictive Control
Division in a church already exists when there is no honor for the variety of people God leads to it and when there is a restriction on the differing gifts and callings that those people carry.
…But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:24-25 ESV
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? 1 Corinthians 12:18-19 ESV
As someone once said, I believe we should "get in where we fit in." However, it's also true that God sends people to be planted at certain places for specific times and seasons. Either way, as 1 Corinthians 12 says, God deliberately made us different and then composed and arranged the Church so that there would be no division. This is not only true of the body of Christ in general, it is true for individual churches as well.
The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. Matthew 10:41 ESV
Our churches only benefit from the grace of God on the lives of those He brings alongside us to the degree that we receive them for who they are. Unfortunately, it is far too common for believers to find themselves in a situation where they are pressured to conform to a mold that does not fit or they are restricted from ministering or contributing to that church out of the particular grace of God that is on their life.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;Romans 12:6 ESV
Clearly we have gifts and callings that differ according to the particular grace of God toward us. We are not all the same because we are not meant to be the same. The purpose in this is so there may be no division in the Church. But, division is already present in the spirit in any place where believers, who, because they are gifted differently, are controlled or restricted from living or ministering according to the grace of God which empowers them.
Those believers who do not fit into the permissible mold dictated to them will eventually lose their passion for the purposes of God on their life as they try to conform or they will eventually move on to follow God freely as they mature in Christ and in the confidence of whom God created them to be.
Jeremy Caris
info@carisministries.com
www.carisministries.com
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From “Drawing Near to Christ- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 35” by Rick Joyner
"... I have lain out in previous articles how I think the greatest Christians are those who love the Lord the most and pursue Him and the understanding of His ways with a whole heart. One of the greatest of these that I got to know by studying history was Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf of Germany.
One of the first accounts of Zinzendorf’s life was when he was eight years old. Invading Swedish soldiers broke into his house and opened the door to the room where he was praying. They were so taken aback by the depth and conviction of Zinzendorf’s prayer that they backed out of the room and then out of the house.
Zinzendorf was obviously very wealthy, possibly one of the wealthiest of his time. Yet historians call him “the rich young ruler who said ‘yes’” because he gave his entire fortune to promoting the gospel. William Carey, who is often called “the father of modern missions,” rejected that and said that Zinzendorf was the true father of modern missions and had been his own inspiration.
There are many remarkable anecdotes about Zinzendorf that other great Christians have shared who knew him. One characteristic that stands out even from the earliest stories about him was his personal love for the Lord, and then his friendship with Christians from diverse denominations and movements. One of his best friends was a Catholic bishop. He had others who were part of movements that were very anti-Catholic. Zinzendorf simply refused to base his relationship to others on church politics, but rather by their love and devotion to the Savior and what he called “the basics,” or basic Christian doctrines.
Zinzendorf took a lot of heat for some of his relationships, but he never abandoned them. He wanted to be the friend of all who he considered to be true friends of Christ. He also, though being very wealthy, spent most of his time with refugees and others from the lower classes. He was drawn to those who were drawing near to Christ regardless of the external issues of their life. That, I think, is another characteristic of a great Christian life. We have been addressing the elements or characteristics that make up the greatest Christian life. Of course, this is from my perspective, and others may have different ones. That is the beauty of the body of Christ—we all “know in part,” so to get the whole picture, we must put what we have together with what others have. I would count that as another characteristic of a great Christian life—the humility to be open and teachable so we can learn from others.
It does not mean you do not a have sound biblical foundation, or that you compromise your convictions when you relate to others who may have other persuasions on some things. It is the humility to realize that you do not know it all, or have the whole picture without considering the parts others have...."
Med venlig hilsen Daniela Skov og Lars Skov Krøgholt
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Please be aware of the two above articles, which only appear this once, and in English!
"According to Lars Løkke Rasmussen will the government by 1. September present a box overhaul, and it will probably not be a pretty sight, one must understand according to the new Prime minister. "
http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/danmark/loekke-om-kasseeftersyn-frygter-det-vaerste
Analysis in Kristeligt Dagblad (Danish newspaper) 11 August. By Birger Nygaard
The Church suffers from the same mentality as the taxi industry
The taxi industry is in shock over Uber, an app that makes it possible to hire a private car-taxi. Many have an experience of that the Church suffers from the same mentality as the taxi industry, which desperately defends it, once and for all is built up, believe Chief of Staff Birger Nygaard
Taxi-industry is in shock over Uber, the little app that makes it possible to hire a private car-taxi for a significantly lower price than a normal taxi.
I've just been on my first trip with such an Uber-taxi. After all the talk about Uber I had downloaded the Uber-app out of curiosity and was now a place abroad, where I did not have the number of a taxi company.
I opened the app, which showed that there was an available car three minutes away. I pressed the order button.
Three minutes after I sat in a nice car, that drove me to my destination. Payment by automatic flushing on my credit card, and immediately there was a receipt with all data for my trip in my mailbox. It worked perfectly for half the price.
It is natural that the taxi industry will do everything it can to get this competition distorting abuses stopped. Therefore, in several countries they have started with lawsuits against Uber-software company that performs the simple job with mobile technology to empower people to get in connection with each other. However, Uber is just one example of technical or cultural developments that radically changed the industries, social interiors, etc.
A generation ago, we heard the typographers, who mockingly said, that one would never be able to do a graphic acceptable newspaper Setup on a screen. Today there are no longer typographers. And a few years ago there was a college student who spent a few days to do a little app, which he called facebook.
Many have an experience that the Church suffers from the same mentality as the taxi industry, which by all means try to defend it, which now once and for all is built up.
The Church consists in its outer form of a huge structure that over the last 2,000 years has developed into the world's largest organization. Church buildings, employees, priests and other employees, educational institutions and other associated specialty services. All this is organized in different societies and forms of hierarchies and networks. This structure is seen from the inside so well established that it is difficult for us to be the Church without all this.
When we say "people's Church", with most people quickly is formed an image of church steeples, clergyman, Bishop's initiations etc. As with the major financial institutions before the financial crisis there may be a feeling that this structure is “too big to fail”, causing that it is decisively being worked for its continuation as an institution.
But in recent years, increasingly we see a shift from a focus on the exterior to the Interior. The Dane recognizes surely that we have a State Church with all the bells and whistles that come with it. But they don't necessarily associate this huge structure with their religious beliefs and faith, which they experience as something much more personal and individual.
This is now reflected in the fact that more and more do not let their children be baptized. Parents see baptism as something you personally must vouch for. Therefore, it is best to let the children decide for themselves when they grow up, rather than force a christening upon them (see report "Baptism or not", Center for Church research, University of Copenhagen ).
The declining birth rate has now rightly come into focus in the people's Church. But there are two very different ways and motivations to approach this:
One way is the taxi industry's approach, where you want to continue with the institution, we now even have, in the form we know, although other forms might seem more natural for the people who the Church is there for. This approach could, for example, translate into the Church behaving so anonymously and indistinct as possible, so that existing members are not provoked and opt out from it. This is a strategy that fall into the public churches with many passive, but actively paying members.
Birger Nygaard Photo: Private Photo
And for those who do not let their children be baptized or are about to go over to competitors, to ensure that they come back into the fold, for example, by the pastor is to visit all new parents and use hymn singing with babies and spaghetti church services to get them to bring their child for baptism.
Baptism is of course in itself valuable. But it is a problem, if the success criterion is that the baptism rate must be kept intact. In this case it seems that the system uses people to its own self maintenance – read the church tax - rather than being good tidings (the Gospel).
We can see these smelly examples at different places in the world where they experience greater pressure on the Church economy than in Denmark.
The other way to deal with the declining baptism rate is by putting greater emphasis on a profound listening to and conversation with the people for whom the blind continuation of the outer tradition no longer makes sense or they even feel dishonest to do so.
These members’, as well as non-members’, issues and considerations can be the great gift to the Church, because they challenge it to less focus on institutional self-sustainment and force it to a refocusing on the language of faith and service.
This content is the only reason we have the institution. But we know only too well that institutions have an ability to be grounds enough on their own. This also applies to the institution we call the Church.
The Church should not underestimate the task to regain a meaningful Christian religious language and universe. It's a great process, which must be an emphasis on among the church active, so they themselves are helped to provide language for talking with church skeptical.
In a large part of the old Western Christianity, there is a sense of managing a belief system, where the batteries are losing power, without they have found an alternative source of energy.
In this situation, it is good to be part of a global community that within the next 40 years is estimated to grow by a further one billion people. From new churches throughout the world we learn that Christian faith again and again lets itself translate to new peoples, languages and cultures. There is nothing which would suggest that it is not also going to happen with us.
Yours sincerely Daniela Skov and Lars Skov Krøgholt