Skip to main content

Separation?



A couple of years ago the Church of Sweden, was separated from the state.

The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden, a Lutheran church

The Church adopted, at the time that it was still a state church, an administrative structure largely modelled after the state. Direct elections are held to the Church Assembly.

The electoral system is the same as used in the Swedish parliament. To vote in the Church general elections, you must be a member of the Church of Sweden, at minimum 16 years of age, and nationally registered as living in Sweden.
The groups that take part in the elections are called nominating groups. Also political parties take part in the elections.

The church of Sweden suffers. Many people are leaving the church and together with that many immigrants who have other beliefs system , the number of members decreases.

Media and the church itself talk about a country that becomes more and more secularised. The media never talks about other churches growing in Sweden. It is true that many of those who leave the church are not believers, but the matter of fact is that many of those who have faith also leave the church of Sweden because of the political influences. Politicians in Sweden in many ways declare what is appropriate in the church.
Often when attending the church of Sweden you feel the real biblical values are left behind, on the other hand, I know it is tricky to talk about biblical interpretation.

Last week the church of Sweden had a very big meeting where they talked about trying to boycott Israeli merchandises. I wonder, is that political influences or?

In many official documents not related to the church of Sweden it says: your member status in the church! Why, when the state and church are separated?
I honestly think that the church of Sweden, if they want to survive as a vibrant and real church, they have to go back to the roots. Politicians and humanists are not the ones who should be in charge.
Stand firm in your faith as priests and deacons.

You can fool people around you, you can even fool yourself, but God, you can't fool him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Debate

A year ago I saw a debate on tv between one Christian British mathematician and philosopher of science named John Lennox and an evolutionary biologist named Richard Dawkins. The two seams to know each other very well and even if they sometimes really disagree on God's existanse they seem to have a rather good relationship. It is a bit pointless to have these debate since none of them want to change their oppinion no matter how wrong or right they might be. As a follower of Christ I support Mr Lennox but I have respects towards mr Dawkins. What stroke me the other day when my wife and I were at the bookstore was the many books written by Richard Dawkins where he really tries hard to convince us that there is no God. If you are absolutely confident that there is no God, why on earth do you have to write all these books!? If people don't believe there is God, why go so hard? You don't believe in Him yet you hate Him. Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There
7 comments
Read more

Forgiven

Saul who later on changed his name to Paul was once a dangerous enemy to Christians. He did almost everything to hunt them down. Saul was a cruel man, responsible for the stoning of Stephen. In my view and in many others he deserved to be treated the same way, he deserved to die. But God had another plan for his life. God wanted him to serve as an example of grace (1 Timothy 1:13-16). Jesus reached out to Saul in a direct and startling way (Acts 9, 22, 26). Saul came to realise that the Gospel was true. He recognised the seriousness of his crimes against God On the road to Damascus Jesus revealed himself to Saul who was stunned and afraid but he did what Jesus told him to do. Blind for three days he waited. Imagine how terrified he must have been not be able to see. Not to be able to really understand what was going on. Once so feared but now so vulnerable A man named Ananias was sent by Jesus to lay hands on Saul and when he did so Saul did three specific things that
2 comments
Read more

Task oriented!

I read a small article by Pastor John Ortberg from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California. He said that: "If you are a Pastor or a Church leader you have a calling far more important than you may know". Lots of Pastors or leaders are very "task" orientated. "The great danger in ministry is that we think about the task before us in ways that are too small!" Make budget, trying to fill up the church hall every Sunday, launching nice programs, Working hard to make the church and its vision so easy to understand and handle. We have a task all of us. Jesus said: " Go out in the entire world, go and make disciples. "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you" Lets go out there....
Post a Comment
Read more