Monthly Archives: March 2010

church: an echo chamber for the divine word

Posted on by
Reply

I went to the changing the landscape conference yesterday in Lincoln which was excellent for me on a variety of different levels.

First it was great because I was able to catch up with some friends from my past. Vaughan and Karen Pollard were on the staff of Holy Trinity Nailsea, when I was the youth pastor, there and now run Connect, a new Fresh Expression in Spalding. Secondly I managed to grab coffee with new friends such as Heather who I have been chatting with over things like Twitter for a little while. It always amazes me how the emerging/fresh expression world is quite small but well connected, which I think is important for us if we are to survive!

The conference was amazing with Archbishop Rowan being his normal outstanding self. I think Heather best described his address when she likened it to steak …. amazing at first sight but then as you chew you realise how amazing it really is. Rowan said a lot in 40 or so minutes which needs to settle in my mind; but some highlights:

 – church is simply what happens when Jesus Christ is around and church is always a verb before it is a noun

– it takes time to be a Christian, and so we need patience and respect to let things unfold and not put new churches under pressure for results in a short space of time.

– for all we know, we may be the early church!

– we are not about membership, or a great new product – church is about transformation in both individuals and communities.

and my favourite ‘steak like’ comment which is going to stay with me for a while and no doubt appear in a  lot of blogs and sermons over the next few months: 

– the church is an echo chamber for the divine word; it resounds in us from our inner being. Christ needs to be audible and visible

No doubt the whole text will appear on his website or the Fresh Expressions website soon. 

Posted on by
Reply

As I have said before I am reading Maggi Dawn’s ‘Giving It Up’ during Lent.

I have been moved close to tears by this morning’s reading and thought. The reading is Exodus 3:1-4 where Moses ‘turns aside’ to investigate the burning bush.  Maggi uses this to outline how Moses has seemingly got into a rut, trying to stay below the radar, so not to get into trouble for his past life.

When Moses turns aside and follows his curiosity that he hears God’s voice. He did not do the sensible thing – the sensible thing would have been to stay away from fire and protect the sheep that were in his care. He left the sheep to look after themselves and went to see what was happening – he was attracted by the bright sparkly thing …. and in the bright sparkly thing which he was naturally interested in he found God.

I chat with too many people today who seemed trapped inside their own minds. People who feel the call from God on their lives means lots of hard work and little fun. It’s the ‘Oh I don’t say I’ll never go to Africa – because if I don’t want that God is sure to send me there’ syndrome.

How doid we get here?
How have we missed one simple fact which oozes from scripture.
GOD LOVES US AND WANTS THE BEST FOR US!
yep – that’s in capitals, yep its bold, and yep I was shouting it!!! No … it’s not netiquette!

If you love dancing and that gives you joy – dance for God!
If you love singing, sing. It’s its football, play for God.
If you love numbers, solve sums with God!
If it’s serving in the armed forces, serve for God!
Follow your dreams – they come from your creator!
Don’t believe all callings are into full or even part time ministry -God needs people who are fully alive, and you become fully alive by following your dreams and using the gifts you have.

Maggi ends todays thought with this paragraph:

Put aside what other people say you ought to do, and put aside your own mental commentary about what you think God will make you do. Instead, do what Moses did. Follow whatever you find intriguing, intellectually or artistically stimulating; go where your curiosity and your natural gifts lead you; and when you do, keep an ear open, because sooner or later you will hear the voice of God whispering your name.

Go be …..