Your answers
How should I minister to the
enthused Christian whose misinterpretation of biblical texts
results in in-your-face and inappropriate demands to know "Are you
saved?"
I think that when Christians of a
certain kind ask the question "Are you saved?", what they are
saying is: "I have had an experience of God which made him really
real to me. Have you had any sort of similar experience?"
This is something, I am sure, that we
shouldallask ourselves.
(The Revd) J. D. Wright
Whitehawk, Brighton
I remember being asked this question
when I was out walking in Kenya. I had a similar reaction to the
questioner, and talked about it with a priest friend, who said:
"What you need to understand is that he was asking you if you are a
member of the club."
I found this helpful, and wonder if
maybe the questioner might find himself ministered to by his
"enthused Christian".
Peter Rivers
Upminster[To be continued.Editor]
Your questions
I recently visited another
diocese on holiday. At the Sunday eucharist, I was surprised to
observe that the Gospel was read by a lay person. This same person
prepared the altar at the offertory, assisted at the distribution,
administering individual blessings, and then performed the
ablutions. I was later informed that he was not in holy orders, but
was a "lay deacon". Am I mistaken in feeling that this is a
contradiction in terms? Can anybody please enlighten me on this
practice? Is it widespread, and what is its
legality?
P.
C.
How do Evangelicals and
Protestants justify the use of grape juice and non-alcoholic wine
for holy communion, given the Lord's use of wine, and his command
to "Dothisin memory of
me"? R.
W. C.
Address: Out of the Question,Church
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0TG. questions@churchtimes.co.uk