happy 200

wow - a double century of posts - who would've thunk it?

but despite roughly a post per week since my first post way back when, i'm still not sure who gets to say hip hip.

a big thanks to those who have me on their blog reader - i'm sure noone else could have continued following me with my irregularity in posting - either that or you need some more blogs to follow if you keep checking here every day to see if i've done anything or not!

since i started using google analytics* in May last year, i've had 4,771 visits from 54 countries, with a peak of 93 visitors on one day (was it something i said, hillsong?)! although, it would be interesting if it turns out he was right, after all.

thanks anyway, i'll try and keep the balance of inane to incomprehensible that you've come to expect.


duck5

* the word analytics always makes me giggle now - thinking of Tobias Fümke the analyst+therapist=analrapist

Hillsong loves a cheerful tither

on my day off yesterday, before auditioning for ready steady cook, i was watching whatever the channel 7 morning show is (the one with larry), and they were interviewing some Hillsongers

having several people in my faculty at uni from hillsong, and other denominations i'm not 100% on the same page as, i've often tried to pin down why i'm uncomfortable with a lot of what they say.

there are many areas of agreement, but it's not good enough to say "i like some of your stuff, but not this," as there must be an underlying thing behind it.

and i think larry's question on tithing might have triggered the answer.

the atheist society at UNSW had a sign up saying, "Hillsong: God's ATM Machine (sic.)"

larry's question was along these lines, and the answer was, "tithing is a biblical principal. I give 10%."

and i think i've got it
it's all about biblical theology.
the way they read the bible, beginning to end, is fundamentally different. questions i have from Hillsong members, and other AOG* churches, betray a lack of understanding in the cohesiveness of the whole bible. a superficiality of understanding, of Jesus' fulfillment of the Law.

so Paul's exhortation to give generously, with a joyful heart, supplying others' need out of your riches; has been summed up in the Law - give 10%, as opposed to the other way around, where 10% was a number, due to the hardness of people's hearts.

i hope this is the sympathetic reading i've been searching for.

* Assemblies of God, the bigger denomination Hillsong comes under

vote #1 hillsong?

a photo from o-week at UNSW.
by choice or by design, that is the question.