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Melissa Iddles
1st February, 2009
9:13pmI enjoyed this morning’s service. Dr Macnab’s message today was called: ‘What it takes to turn a “NO” religion into a “YES”. He taught us about: facing change with courage and creativity; and the power and joy of positive affirmations. Once again Dr Macnab reminded us that God accepts us, and again used the teachings of Jesus as his central reference.
The formal tradition of this morning’s Holy Communion was conducted with reverence, as is usual at St Michael's. Today I was moved by the sincerity and innocence of this ritual.
I am enthusiastic about the challenge that St Michael’s poses to old doctrine and religious rhetoric. And I am equally glad to participate in the time-honoured rituals which signify our history as a Christian institution, dating back to the leadership of Jesus.
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Terry
17th October, 2008
4:29pmI no longer attend St Michael's. For a few years I was deluded enough to believe that it offered what it promised. However, at an extremely critical time in my life (the death of my partner, the loss of my job) I phoned the church office to ask for an audience with Dr McNab. I may as well have asked for the moon and stars. It took that experience to make me realise what a shallow and meaningless place St Michael's really is. I watched the bestowal of St Michael's medals and medallions a few weeks later and it dawned on me that this was the sort of place that is only interested in fine music and eminent people -- not ordinary folk like me. Looking back on it, I still feel hurt and disappointed. I asked for bread but St Michael's gave me a stone. Now that Dr McNab has pronounced a 'new faith' , I can see why the services became so trite and incoherent. I was trying to reconcile the liturgy and celebration of Communion at St Michael's with the words of Dr McNab's sermons. An utter impossibility ... -
Terry
17th October, 2008
4:07pmWhy reinvent the wheel? Dr McNab's 'new faith' sounds very much like Robespierre's Cult of The Supreme Being (see http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/cult_of_the_supreme_being/). Inspired by Voltaire, this cult espoused deism. 'Deism is a philosophical approach to religion that concedes the existence of a creator god, but stipulates that he/she/it exerts no influence over human affairs or the physical universe (an argument designed to circumvent logical objections to free will in a universe run by an all-powerful god).' The Cult of the Supreme Being was celebrated with a colourful festival and splendid rituals, both of which St Michaels would do well to emulate. Unfortunately, Robespierre finished up on the guillotine. We can only hope that an equally nasty fate does not befall Dr McNab. -
Marcia
9th October, 2008
11:38amthank you to Daniel (different Daniel) you have written what my heart was screaming but my fingers could not find in the bible, except for that last passage in Revelations! I don't like the new commandments! Why change God's WORD! THE WORD is GOD!! Any one with the HOLY SPIRIT inside them feels it and knows it! I will pray the pastor sees the trick of false religion Satan is playing on him. -
Brendan
2nd October, 2008
9:56am2 Timothy 3: 1-5
Verse 1-2 But know this that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy..
Verse 5 - Having a form of godliness but denying it's power. And from such people turn away! (NKJV)
Yes Lord, i shall turn away! -
Rev Don Dowling
30th September, 2008
4:21pmI have read and viewed last weeks video address with real interest. As one who has traveled a similar road of becoming increasing disillusioned with the mainstream church. a church which seems to be holding on to a belief system and creeds that are archaic and irrelevant. I am also one who works hard at connecting the love of God to those who don't normally have contact with the church. I wish to offer my support for what you are wanting to say. I have recently read Gretta Gosper's book, 'With or Without God' and I think she is another theologian who is challenging us to rethink how and what we believe as the church. Gretta is a minister in the United Church of Canada.
Well done Frances and St Michael's for placing issues of faith before people again.
Regards
Don -
Daniel (different Daniel)
26th September, 2008
9:26pmI read in the age article on the web today that Dr Macnab said ‘the Ten Commandments were full of what people could not do, and were given by a patriarchal figure, Moses, who was a mass murderer. The Bible records that Moses killed 3000 Israelites who worshipped the Golden Calf.’.
Let me explain.
The reason behind Moses giving a commandment to have the Levites destroy some of the Israelite population, is because God himself commanded Moses to.
Ex 32:27 Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbour.' “.
The main reason was they broke the first commandment. Which was ‘Thou shalt not have any gods before Me’, And because they were idolising and worshiping the golden calf. Just like Noah & the great Flood. God used a way to prove a point. The point was (and it kept happening constantly through the Bible ) That if the Israelites deny or defy God, then they would be Punished. Moses was doing what God commanded him to do.
Also Dr Macnab is incorrect again. The 10 Commandments were given by God and delivered to the patriarchal figure to transport the documentations of the Commandments.
Dr Macnab says Abraham is probably a concoction, Moses was a mass murderer and Jesus Christ just a Jewish peasant who certainly was not God. In fact, there is no God, in the usual sense of an interventionist deity - what we strive for is a presence both within and beyond us. - Again from the Age.
This man is a corrupt man, He is the leader of a church and he says ‘There is No God’. The Bible says this about False Teachers. There is NO rebuttal to saying ‘In fact, there is no God’. Once you deny God’s existence you are contradicting yourself in what you had been preaching for along time.
2 Peter 2:1
[ False Teachers and Their Destruction ] But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Again
Jude 1:4
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
"The old faith is in large sections unbelievable. We want to make the new faith more believable, realistic and helpful in terms of the way people live," he said.
Regardless of whether DR Macnab wants to believe this next quote from the Bible or not, but
Revelation 22: 18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
By him making this ‘New Faith’ He is to be bluntly honest, Heading down the way to Destruction.
And my final point. He also said ‘Jesus Christ just a Jewish peasant who certainly was not God.’ That is one of the biggest insults, to Me, other Christians, the entire Faith & to Christ Himself. As stated above, Anyone who deny’s Christ is heading the wrong way. Also Christ served people on this earth, He was not a peasant.
I have no problem typing this statement As I know that what I have typed is correct & Unless this man turns to God & repents He is leading in false teaching. -
Patricia Martin
16th September, 2008
8:16pmI went to a service at St. Michaels recently as a visitor to Melbourne and thought it secular, did not sense God's presence at all. I now know why. I am a Uniting Church member of a country church and Jesus is Lord. -
Peter
16th September, 2008
6:56pmI think it is a case of someone being to immersed in their own self importance and academic theology ,trying to create a watered down version of christianity to the point that it is far removed from the simple truths by which Jesus has shown us how to live .
I fear for St Michaels church who are being decieved by a false witness and are being led away from the blessed truths as written in the bible.
Let us who know the truth pray that the leaders will not be blinded anymore and lead the church back to a Jesus is lord , bible based church.
The bible does not need to be watered down nor changed in any way . The truths that are there can change our world if only we can bow down humbly before our Lord.
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Daniel
16th September, 2008
4:22pmI fear that Dr Macnab's 'new faith' (as described in today's newspaper) is not new at all but yet another attempt by humans to be better than God, moulding God in our own image rather than submitting to Jesus, and allowing Him to mould us in His own image.
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. " Colossians 2:8
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