The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Funeral for our oldest church member


On Wednesday we said goodbye to our longest serving member Ken Rawlings. Ken died at the end of March. He was 84 and joined the church, I believe, back in 1954, over sixty years ago. (The oldest members currently joined the church in the early eighties. The oldest member in years is 90). Ken was a bachelor, one of three sons (both of whom died before him) and the son of a local man and a Welsh mother. He had health problems all his life and latterly was under constant care at home. We will miss him. I preached on the text in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12 ... make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. It was a small funeral. We sang Guide me O Thou great Jehovah and Stand up stand up at the chapel and Great is Thy faithfulness at the graveside.

1 comment:

Paul Burgess said...

We were wondering the other if Ken was still alive as I couldn't remember news of him passing away. I remember him well. Great text.