Sunday School:
On WLC Q191: 2nd petition "Thy kingdom come". We talked about "the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in..." It appears that the pastor took a bit of a dispensational view towards understanding this as well as Romans 11. That ethnic Jews still have a place in God's kingdom ethnically.
But I would say: Christianity is Jewish, though Jewish is not Christianity. More over, The city of God was Jerusalem, therefore we think of God's kingdom when we say Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is not the city of God.
Pastor also raised the suspicion the Q191 of WLC sounds sympathetic to Postmil ideology, which is held by Jonathan Edward, giving his time in the great awakening, the pastor reasoned, that the world will be becoming more like the Kingdom of God, gradually.
I believe this to not be the case. Or at least does not need to be interpreted that way. "purged from corruption", "the civil magistrate", they speak to culture mandate, a concept important in Reformed theology and offended by many fundamentalist Christians against the term "Social Justice" which Tim Keller applied at Redeemer. Of course, we must also remember that WLC was made in England, where Civil Magistrates were expected to hold to Christian faith, without the separation of Church and State.
Loved Renee's comment today. I think that takes the cake of all comments during Sunday School. She stressed on the importance of being bold to talk to others about the Gospel, strangers or not; while the pastor though did not object hers completely, but did emphasize, especially after Renee mentioned that we as Christians haven't really been boldly spreading the Gospel, as he usually do whenever this topic comes up, that American evangelism is all about works, about how many souls we win, we convert, as if God's not the one doing the conversion. He equate making disciples = making friends (and living a testimonial Christian life by example), confusing witnessing and preaching of the Gospel. The problem with this is we are not the perfect example, Christ was and is! Our good friendship only affirms the Gospel, it is not preaching the Gospel. Preaching of the Gospel is opening the mouth and speak the word of God. So, it doesn't matter what means we use as called by God differently in the individuals (on the streets to strangers, with friends, etc.), whichever wisdom we apply (seek opportunity rather than land the Gospel on people like bombs), in the end, we are still require to boldly open our mouths and lay the word of God, the Gospel on the hearers. Our witnessing lifestyle and testimony are insufficient for the Gospel. I wonder if Pastor Chris was traumatized by the American Evangelism when he mentioned here that he'd done it in his teens. Wonder who forced him? That he now thinks he would never do it anymore because he wouldn't want people doing it to him (strangers talking to him about religion or giving him tracts which he would consider all these are garbage), and therefore it would be hypocritical of him, so he thought, to do the same to others.
Interesting also that after the fellowship meal, there was a bat that somehow made its way in our dining area at church, flying here and there. I opened the door to let it out smoothly.