Dialogue Over Debate - The Conversation of our Community Part 1

Michael Angelo
Conversation forms or destroys relationship. Context and circumstance effects our view of the world. Angle: the way that we view the world effects not only the content of the conversation but the way that we approach conversation and relationship.
 Debate - people from opposing view points attempting to use reasoned arguments to convince the other person to refute their particular view

Dialogue - people in relationship attempting to understand and learn from the other person's viewpoint


The difference = relationship


Debate - a brick wall between two people = no relationship


The Incarnation


'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!'


Jesus entered into a conversation, into relationship, into dialogue with us – He met us where we were at and went through the same struggles and hurts that we have gone through


The Church needs to be a community that engages in constant dialogue with each other and the world; we need to look at the hard questions of life, not in a vacuum, but in the context of a relationship with each other and with God

We need to know each others pains and heartaches and also rejoice together in all that is good in our lives

Does that mean that the Church will always agree: no

But it does mean that the Church will commit itself to taking time to understand a persons life journey, to understand the circumstances that have shaped that persons view of themselves and of the world rather than just dismissing them as ‘wrong’







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