Thankyou!

Thankyou to everyone who participated in the sponsored fast for Oxfam - whether by fasting or sponsoring us. The Christis Committee and friends have managed to raise over £400 for the crisis in Africa, so thankyou very much. Congratulations especially to Wulf and Vicki for doing a 48 hour fast.

Joanna Chamberlayne

Dear Christis,

Thankyou to everyone who helped out with the "One Voice" stall in Vanbrugh and to all those who helped putting up the posters around the campus.

Paul Longhurst

Dear Christis,

Here are some thoughts I had on 'worship', which are too long for The Thinker and too short for an article, so I hope you can use them as a letter. What do we really mean by the term?

I believe that we, as the church, are responsible for the fact that the meaning of the word 'church' is so unclear. Jesus used it to mean the worldwide body of people who worship Him. Now, because of our flippancy in the past, the press and society in general think of a stone building, or perhaps even the local group of Christians. I also believe that we have allowed the word 'Christian' to become diluted - many people feel that having been born in Britain, been Sprinkled (sorry I mean Christened), or having been a three times a year visitor, they are Christian!

Anyway, I feel that we are heading that way with several words now. In Romans 12:1, Paul is very clear about what he deems the meaning of the word: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your Spiritual Act of Worship." In many churches (my own for one), we are using this word purely to represent the act of singing to God. There is nothing wrong with that (though in some churches it can become a request only for God to 'zap' the singer, not an offering of praise...), indeed we are told to do so, and it is therefore a part of our worship.

Please think a little - perhaps you'll disagree, but I feel very strongly that we will continue to mislead people and cause more problems if we are not careful.

Yours in Christ, Paul Hedderly