Australian Gospel Music Festival

I'm sure this won't be my only post on AGMF 06, as the three-day festival gave me a lot of food for thought. I think I'll do three more posts, around the following themes:

• the event itself. I was so impressed with the length of the queue for the loo (or rather, lack of length).
• the music. M is for Music. While I enjoyed much of what I saw, I was only really blown away by one band in particular.
• going as a group. Our little group of 9 (six adults and three young people from the youth group) had mixed reactions to doing things together.

But now, I'm still fuming after hearing the 'gospel' presentation last night. There were so many ways that the combined churches service was amazing, that I almost feel petty taking issue with one aspect of it. But it is kinda important to get the gospel right, so I'll vent a little bit.

• When we die and our soul leaves our body it can only go to one of two places (heaven or hell). Does the Bible really say that when a person dies, that their soul leaves their body? Assuming it did, someone mught ask why it could go only to one of two places. Why not a third (purgatory), why not many heavens, one for each dismbodied soul?
  Rather, doesn't the Bible say that those who are in Christ experience the same kind of resurrection that Jesus did? Surely Jesus' resurrection wasn't just the appearance of his disembodied soul in a less than physical way?
  
• God cannot simply forgive everyone's sin because this would not be just; this wouls be like a judge simply acquitting murderer. And that had it been my friend who was murdered, I would want justice. Fair enough (especially if you are able to keep from confusing justice, punishment, and vengeance). Except that he goes on to say that being a Christian means that "we do the crime, Jesus does the time". How is this justice? In his scenario, a murderer walks free and an innocent man is punished for a crime he didn't commit. This only includes greater injustice. Not only that, the murderer is free to kill again and again, and the his punishment will only be added to the innocent man's sentance.

There are far more than two things I really enjoyed about the rest of the service. But here are my top two in the interest of balance:

• The pastor who gave the offering talk simply intorduced himself as "a pastor at one of the churches in Toowoomba". I liked that. As someone who is part of movment that wants to be 'Christians only' I thoroughly enjoyed the lack of denominatial brands and logos, and marketing of a particular congregation.
• The worship leader would often stop siging into the microphone so that the thousands gathered could hear their own voices. In effect these little pauses communicated that those not on stage were not simply passively watching a show, but were expected to be actively involved. I often worry about pursuing 'excellence' at the expense of participation: there must be a difference beween being physically present at a worship service, and simply watching the latest worship DVD at home.

Now I'm really starting to think about the next three posts. But I hope that this rant is food enough for thought.