Why did Jesus come?

A quick hello to poetreehugger and anon from Australia (and don't worry, Catriona, I didn't think you were accusing me of anything!)
A very brief post, inspired by Sunday's service.

So the question is:
Why did Jesus come?

That's it! I am really interested to know what people's answers are, so post away...

universalist?

Catriona's comment got me thinking. Am I a universalist? Not really. I think there is such a thing as hell, and that if people choose it, then God will respect their freedom to make that choice.
(Although I do wonder if heaven and hell might actually be the same thing - being in the presence of God...)

What does make me extremely uncomfortable is that when I look at the Gospels, I see Jesus warning a particular group of people they are in serious danger of hell. Who is this group? The tax collectors? The prostitutes? No, it's the Pharisees. In other words, it's the ones who take God and His Scriptures seriously, do all the right things, believe all the right stuff and tell others to do the same, because that's what God wants. It's the ones who think they know the mind of God and are justified in telling everyone else that their way is the only right way, because it's what God himself has said.
And yet, Jesus says to them that they are actually missing the point and in greater danger of hell than the very people they are convinced are going there.

church - helpful or harmful?

So I am trying to settle in to a new church. It's not easy. The people seem nice (but so did the people in our last church, and it turned out to be a veneer for public consumption only with some of them). Our musical gifts are in demand, and I can be as involved as I want. So what's the problem?
Quite simply, the theology: There are 2 types of people. If you're a Christian, then you're saved and will go to heaven when you die. If you're not, then you go to hell.
I know this is orthodox theology. But I have problems with (1) a one-off decision being the be-all-and-end-all (2) 'saved' meaning rescued from the penalty of sin which God himself had ordained (3) 'heaven' being somewhere where you go when you die.
I have problems with these issues anyway, as my understanding is that Jesus calls me to follow him, to be transformed into his likeness, to share his path of suffering and to work with him in establishing the kingdom of heaven here and now. All of which is an ongoing process.

But at present, it's not just an intellectual problem, it's an emotional one too. Because of the events that led to me becoming the missus of an ex-pastor and because I have depression, it is very easy for me to start seeing God (the Father) as someone who is judgemental, vengeful and sadistic. So having God presented as a judge who demands death for everyone (for breaking a rule that He set up in the first place, KNOWING it would not be kept) really does not help. Oh yes, I forgot the bit that says 'but because he loves you so much he provided a way out, but unless you do it exactly right you'll fail'. Well, thanks! Why set up such a stupid system in the first place?
Telling me about a judgemental God and a forensic explanation of the atonement really does not help me. Tell me about a God who is passionate about the world he created, to the extent that he keeps it going even while it is in rebellion against him, and actually becomes a part of that world; a God who loves, makes himself vulnerable, humbles himself, and gives all of himself to his creation and I might start wanting to know Him again.

And if I left the service feeling like that, I wonder what the people who don't normally go to church but who had come especially for a family event made of it...

new things

One of the things with moving house is lots of things change. In the manse, we had a shower curtain over the bath which was on an extendable pole with suction cups at the ends to keep it in place. Or I believe that's the idea of them... In our case, they worked for about 3 months of the year. The rest of the time the walls must have expanded slightly or something, because it had this amazing knack of waiting until you had just stepped under the shower, and then falling off the wall. Of course, the water went everywhere, so you had to turn the shower off, fix the shower rail (which could take some time), run the shower until it eventually reached the right temperature and then get back under it. So a proper shower cubicle where you don't have to worry about playing reverse Russian roulette (falls down 5 out of 6 times) with the shower curtain is bliss! And our new bath is amazing!!! It's long enough to lie down in without having to stick your feet up on the taps :-)))
Going to a different church is proving alot more challenging. The theology that is preached is quite a bit more Reformed than I'm used to, and is pressing alot of not very helpful buttons for me. The people seem nice and very caring, even though I don't know anyone particularly well. They also are very appreciative of my musical talents. Normally I'd just stick it out and tune out the bits I have problems with, but right now I'm not up to doing that. The green-eyed monster of jealousy is also alive and well. It's hard being somewhere where they are all excited about community outreach and praying for revival, when at the back of my mind is a little voice saying 'but that is what you and Mrpastasmissus were trying to do in your ex-church, and look what happened'. And then of course I feel bad for feeling that way. Why do I have to be cynical because of my past instead of being glad I am in a church that does seem to genuinely want to do these things? It could be a simple case of 'once burnt, twice shy' - our ex-church said they wanted to reach out into the community, but when that started actually happening and the power base within the church looked like being challenged, suddenly it was a different story. Actually, I suspect I just have a bad case of sour grapes.

trying to get organised

Well, we got everything out of the manse that we needed to, got the manse cleaned (many thanks to our friends for helping, and especially for the industrial hoover and carpet cleaner!) and keys handed back. So now we're in our new home, which is gorgeous. Carpets look like being another week, no curtains, boxes everywhere, sleeping on mattresses on chipboard floor, but that's fine.

Trying to get organised is a different matter. Today I went to register with a GP. It turns out I need passport/ driving licence AND proof of address. Then the form takes 2 weeks to process. Then you're supposed to go for a new patient check before making any appointments to see a doctor. So they were not impressed with me saying I only had 2 weeks worth of medication left. Why hadn't I got more before moving? Well, I thought 3 weeks supply would be enough. Can't I get more from my previous practice? Not really, as I'm now outside their practice area and so not covered by them any more. And yes, I do need to see a doctor (not a nurse) about my repeat medication, as some of it is a bit unusual.
Of course, I also don't have any bills at this address yet...
In the end I got a doctor's appointment for 10 days time and need to take my proof of ID and address with me to that. But I only managed that because I know the system and wouldn't accept being fobbed off.
It's easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle....