The problem with culture
So Saturday seemed to be spent grappling with the problems of culture. More specifically where the church sits within modern culture and how the church speaks into modern culture. Acknowledging that we now live within post-Christendom the latter is increasingly hard to do. The church is no longer an influence on many peoples life. As a minister I suppose that I should grieve for that day but to be honest I don't. In fact waking up to that fact I believe can liberate the church or more importantly set faith free.
This is not an issue of theology of ecclesiology but one of faith. We as Christians I believe are charged with making disciples. Encouraging others to share a journey that is walked with Jesus. Studying his life trying to understand how God wants us to live alongside one another. Understanding that God wants to have a relationship with us.
So much of what we do in the church has nothing to do with this, yes some of the other stuff we do is important and I guess the statement I have made above is not all encompassing but it is a starting point it gets us to the heart of what matters.
Sadly, the church seems to have exalted itself above Christ, it has fallen into the trap of thinking that it is the church that is important, not the faith it gathers to proclaim. If we can get back to sharing faith and not maintaining institution, if church can once again be the place where we give praise and thanks to God, feel encouraged and equipped and challenged as to how we should serve and share our faith, then surely we will then be more authentic towards our own faith and be better placed to share it in the culture that we all are, after all, part of. Or as Paul puts it:
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Labels: Church, Faith, Ministry, Mission, MSM
Failing Forward
I started the Mission Shaped Ministry course last Tuesday. They encouraged us to keep a journal. Many have gone before them and encouraged me to do that and they didn't succeed. Perhaps I'm mellowing. perhaps I've run out of the energy to argue, perhaps I'm just putting off that which I really need to be doing who knows? Regardless of the reason here I am, my attempt at recording my thoughts.
It is two hours before the church weekend at home, we are looking at mission, how it has changed in a post modern, post Christendom society, what should the response of the church be? Perhaps I'm in the wrong place, my glass is half empty. I just can't help shake the feeling. What is the point, why go through the motions, what will change as a result of our efforts. People will still argue over chairs, flowers, coffee and the myriad of other tiny insignificant details and fail to argue or debate the challenge the gospel presents. Mission will still be how much we should give to Christian Aid or the church on the council estate down the road.
The MSM course on Tuesday encouraged us to be prepared to fail. Fail but fail forward for failing forward means we learn from our experience we grow, we carry on trying new initiatives because of our past experiences and not despite of them.
So I'll go tonight, I'll offer my presentation I'll argue in favour of the large body of evidence and hope that by Sunday lunch time God may just have challenged some people to think and act a little differently. At least if I fail I will have done going forward!
Labels: Church, Faith, Hope, Ministry, Mission, MSM
Guillemots - Take Me Home
When all the world's been dreaming
I've been burning all my feelings
I wish that I was dreaming too
I wish I was asleep
Oh, take me home
Take me home
Take me home
Take me home
Take me home
Been a strange day today, all I have wanted to since I got up was to go back to bed. Not really because I was tired rather because I didn't want to engage with the world. I just wanted to shut the doors, draw the curtains and hideaway. Instead however, I had a meeting all morning followed by lunch, the meeting was ok but still I wanted to be at home. This Sunday's reading is Mark 6 v 30 - 34, 53 - 56 Jesus and the disciples withdraw to pray, perhaps this is where I am at. A busy few days with work and family and perhaps now I need to recharge physically, emotionally and spiritually. Instead tomorrow I have a plan setting meeting and then into school for a meeting with the headteacher. Perhaps I can find time to be still at some point, I know that I need to spend time being and not just doing but at times if someone would only just Take Me Home.
Lord God, in the busyness of our days help us to stop and listen for your voice. Remind us that it is your strength we serve and not in ours, so help us to learn to rest in your presence and find refreshment in you.
Labels: Church, Faith, Life, Ministry, Soundtrack
The Terminal
I could have posted so much, written so much, said so much over these last days. Words however, are insufficient, pictures do no justice yet, still we need to tell their story. A story of occupation of hurt and of pain, yet in the midst of it all signs of hope glimpses of God. Incarnation once more born again in these amazing people.
Today I witnessed the most disturbing event I have seen since arriving. Palastinians wanting to work in Israel, horded into a pen, driven like cattle to make there way to the terminal where their documents are checked and if they smile right, the wind blows n their direction they will be allowed through. No pictures, I don't want to show their humiliation yet I need to ell their story. I need to make someone hear I NEED TO SHOUT TO MAKE PEOPLE LISTEN. Oh God hear your people cry!
Today we leave Bethlehem and make our way to Galilee time to reflect, a stop in the desert, a time in the wilderness, time to be alone with our thoughts and to remember what we have seen.
Oh God of justice,
be with your people,
wherever they are from,
help them to see in each other signs of hope,
glimpses of you,
that they may search for you in each other,
and be consumed your love.
Amen.
Again the words of Micheal Franti
To the East to the West
One love people never gonna stop
One to creation, one to the sun
One to the mornin, one to the one
One to the air and the freshness we breathe an
One to the force of the change in the seasons
One to the mother from which all things come
One to the daughters and one to the sons
One to the Father who helps us believe that
Nothin's ever gonna harm you see an
One to the soldier who walks city streets an
One to the soldier who fights overseas an
One to the man who gets down on his knees an
Prays for god and send protection please
Labels: Faith, Friends, Greenbelt, Holidays, Ministry
Room in the Inn
Inn the Beginning
Where to start? I've had a night now to reflect on my first experiences, I was shell shocked when we first arrived. Just clearing the airport the scrutiny, individuals picked out, singled out, questioned, strange to see from a nation who suffered so much so similar. Our guide met us and welcomed us and began to share stories.As we drove from the airport our first glimpses of what our guide labeled as the apartheid system that is in operation here. Men running from one area to the other to cross borders and find work. The wall such a big feature of this modern and changing landscape. So much of the Biblical landscape being stripped of it beauty and replaced with concrete. The wall on the journey from the airport built from attractive stone to make it more 'acceptable'.
That was a post I never managed to finish. Since I arrived here I wanted so desperatley to write something, not particularly that made any sense to others but made sense to me. Others here have written much some of it profound but what does it mean to me?
I wondered before I came how this place would make me feel I thought I had prepared but no nothing can prepare you. There have been so many stories of injustice. Houses demolished because the Israeli government can. People prevented from working, forced to queue from midnight in order to work the following day. We have seen conditions of living which you would think we illegal. Yet through all these stories through all these people comes grace. Grace to accept, grace to try and make sense grace to want to forgive. Our experiences are but a snapshot of their lives. Thank you for letting me in for you have changed my life forever.
Gracious God,
who sees beyond what we see,
who understands more than we can ever know,
help Palestine to be a land of peace,
to once again become a land flowing with milk and honey,
and may her people experience HOPE once more.
As we drove away from Hebron yesterday having been prevented by Israeli soldiers and settlers from going where we wanted. As we left Hebron yesterday having witnessed an Palestinian young man held a gunpoint for daing to ask (politely) why he could not continue I listened to the words of Micheal Franti on my Ipod and I leave them with you now.
I don't need a passport to walk on this earth
Anywhere I go cause I was made of this earth I'm
born of this earth, I breathe of this earth, and
even with the pain I believe in this earth So I
wake up every morning and I'm stepping on the
floor I wake up every morning and I'm stepping out
the door I got faith in the sky, faith in the one,
I got faith in the people walkin underneath the
sun Cause every bit of land is a holy land, and
every drop of water is a holy water, and every
single child is son or the daughter of the one
earth mama and the one earth papa So don't tell
a man that he cant come here, cause he got brown
eyes and a wavy kind of hair And don't tell a
woman that she cant go there, because she prays a
little different to a god up there You say
you're a Christian cause god made you, you say
you're a Muslim cause god made you, you say
you're a Hindu and the next man a Jew And then
we all kill each other cause god told us too?
Labels: Faith, Greenbelt, Holidays, Ministry
Speechless
I feel
this story needs little comment, just read it and you will see why. The church often wonders why it cannot attract anyone towards the love of God and the Gospel which has at its heart, love and justice, with actions like this, is it any wonder?
Labels: Church, Faith
Suggestions For Lent 2
In trying to decide what I should give up for lent I came across
this idea on the Ship of Fools website.There is a different suggestion for each day of lent. Liz, don't worry I didn't see anything that suggested you should stop buying shoes!
Incidentally, following
Sally's post about the purpose driven life course, I realised that I still have the book, so in an attempt to give impartial
feedback I'm going to use it as a personal study over lent and try (note the word try) to let you know how I found each day.
Labels: Faith, Lent
Sometimes it's SAD To be Right
As if to illustrate my point, I came across
this news story this morning. So as I was saying its time to stand up and be counted. Forget your
politics, race, creed, colour or religion and lets focus on the
sanctity of human life! Then I saw
this and came back and edited my post, I think i'll go away and cry!
Labels: Faith, Stuff
Suggestions for Lent
Came across
this suggestion from the Methodist church. The idea is that in a stand against consumerism we all stop buying shoes for the period of lent. Now whilst for me that would neither be much of a problem or much of a sacrifice for
others of us I suspect the task may be a little harder. So what are you ditching for Lent and why. I'll come back to you when I've made my decision, so come on Liz I think you know what we are all challenging you with!
Labels: Faith, Lent, Stuff
These Mean Streets
*Warning Serious Post on its Way*
Many others of you cannot have failed, just like me, to have been shocked by recent events on the streets of London concerning the deaths of teenage boys. The levels of violence seen over recent weeks surely will have shocked even the hardest hearts. However, the sad thing is for London read Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, many of our major cities have experienced similar problems over recent months, years.
It will sadden at least one who reads this blog to know I’m not a huge David Cameron fan, however, I read a quote today that I could not help but agree with he says
“This goes beyond any one policy or any one government. I think what we need is to recognise our society is badly broken and we need to make some big changes, starting now." I find myself for once agreeing with his words if not perhaps all the sentiments I suspect that may lie behind them.
The problems we are seeing today across our cities are much bigger than individual governments or policies. I wonder how much it has to do with the nature of a keep itself to itself society. I know that often fear (and with good justification) prevents us from becoming involved, however, there becomes a stage when we need to stick our heads above the parapet and say enough is enough.
For those of us with faith are we not indeed called to this way of life. When Jesus calls us to follow him, it is a call not into a comfortable existence but rather to costly discipleship. It is not as many would have us believe all about raising our hands in the air in constant worship. Rather we are called to roll our sleeves up and get stuck in. These problems are not ones we simply can throw money at or send a couple of youth workers out in a gesture of mission. These problems exist across our society and require us to become involved with our neighbours.
I spent two years working with and worshipping with the people of Moss Side. Moss Side, Manchester famous for its own drug and gun culture, yet strangely they are not my lasting memories of the place. The lasting memories I have are of the people and their struggle to let the world know that there is life behind the headlines. That beyond the newspaper stories and human tragedy is a community struggling to live alongside one another.
Within the churches there are people who daily witness to the kingdom of God, who live that costly discipleship not afraid to engage with those around them both young and old in the hope that they can witness to another way of life. When I went to minister among them I wonder what contribution I made but have no doubt about the impact they had on me. This is not a community that is unaware of its problems or a community that is afraid of facing reality. It is however, a community sick and tired of the rhetoric and empty words delivered by politicians (now matter if for once they are right or well meant).
The problem is the very society these politicians now create, a society that we also have to blame ourselves for. A society of increasing personal wealth and greed, a society where individual status means value. A society where power equates to having a voice, a platform, a medium in which to be heard and therefore to have an opportunity to change your circumstances.
Working in the prison has brought me into contact with members of ‘The
Gooch’ and ‘The
Doddington’ two of Moss Sides infamous drug gangs; they have all shared the same characteristics. Just below the
façade of bravado and strength lurks the fear of a small child. When a Twenty Seven year old gang member (he had done well to make it to such a grand old age) was asked “how do you live every day looking over your shoulder wondering if it will be your last” he broke down in tears and replied “you just gotta be tough”.
Have you, is this the society we have created, where kids from the age of nine or younger need to be tough and carry guns in order to be heard. I hope those of us who hear the call of God in our lives and indeed those who don’t have the courage to stand up to the way of costly discipleship and enable glimpses of how the kingdom of God could just look. When Jesus was asked what should be done to receive eternal life he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ Is this not what lies at the heart of the Christian gospel, at the heart of the Good News we are called to proclaim and live?
I want to finish this post with the story of Patsy
Mckie. Patsy
Mckie lives in nearby
Hulme. She is a member of New Testament Church of God and chair of an organisation called Mothers Against Violence. One day in 1999 her son Dorrie left home to play basketball as usual, however he never returned. Dorrie died after having been shot three times in the chest. Whilst it would appear that he was not involved in a gang, he had through association (he lived in the area and had friends) become mixed up with the drug culture that exists in this part of South Manchester.
Patsy told me, “The Church needs to become involved with the community. Too often we become hung up about places, but it is the people that matter”.
Her belief is that the church needs to be involved in bringing about social change not just spiritual change. “In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us that when he was hungry we fed him, naked and we clothed him - the church has a responsibility to feed and cloth the young people of our community.”
Patsy continued by saying, “The Church needs to pray, support and educate these young people”. She finished by telling the story of a young man who, when asked “Why do you carry a gun?” answered, “People don’t listen to me, when I carry a gun everyone listens”.
*Post Script*
By the time I had finished writing this post and came to link the Cameron quote it had been moved, to be replaced by more news worthy stories like Celebrity
BB's Danielle having got back with Teddy
Sheringham, need I say more about our society and our media!
Labels: Church, Faith, Ministry, Stuff
