Category Archives: church

weekend reflections

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It was Sarah’s birthday yesterday and rather than but a present she wanted me to go with her to Bluewater so she could chose something (not a vote of confidence in my choice!) and then have a meal somewhere.

This we did, and it was great to just spend a few hours together with no real time constraints upon us. It was quite odd though to see lots of people shopping on a Saturday night and quite sad to think this was happening every Saturday night.

Bluewater needs a YFC worker! Maybe I should look into this. The number of teenagers just wondering around was amazing. This is a place where a skilled worker could possibly offer support to young people – not sure if I like the sound of Bluewater YFC though!

Sarah was excited about her present trip and Beth was excited as she heard that she has got her first choice school of Chatham Grammar for Girls. It’s been quite scary to see the stuff in thenews about children not being allocated places. This can’t be right and I hope we are never inthat situation here. Congratulations Beth!

After church today, where we ate together, we had good friends come round and demolished good coffee and good wine. Interesting that this months theme is ‘fellowship’ as I think I experienced good fellowship this afternoon, and rarely experience it of the same quality in church. Is it possible to experience fellowship in a group of hundreds of people, or can it only really be experienced in smaller groups that can have real opportunity to get to know each other?

Whatever … it was experienced this afternoon and I enjoyed it. How can we experience this more I wonder?

The waste of worship

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Tonight I spoke around Mark 14:1-11 and called it the waste of worship.
While looking at this, a number of things struck and challenged me.

The extravagant way Mary selflessly cracks open this perfume, that cost a year’s wages, and poured it over Jesus contrasts sharply with the controlled and self interested way in which Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. As an aside, Judas’ fee equates roughly to the fee for a slave. Mary gave her most treasured and expensive possession while Judas sold Jesus for the price of slave.

Judas is one of those bemoaning the great waste of this act of Mary, asking instead why this was not sold and the money given to the poor. Mary seems, however, to have deep understanding of who Jesus is and so is sold out totally for him. Judas just sees to be sold out.

But I can relate to Judas in part. This does seem a waste. A better use would seem to be to sell this and use the money to further the kingdom. What does Mary gain from this? Are we supposed to gain something from worship? Or is worship more about serving Jesus and showing how much we value our relationship? But our waste of time, or money, of activity in this seemingly ungainful act of worship, does seem to mysteriously change us in some way. I guess how much depends on what we will invest of ourselves.

Judas had his price, and in an elaborate way Mary shows hers, or maybe she doesn’t have a price as such. Her price is ‘whatever I have’.

This has challenged me to ask how much Jesus is worth to me, or rather …
What is my price?

questions on funerals

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The weekend was surprisingly an excellent weekend. Justine was superb at leading the weekend and as well as offering training, offered space for us to think and explore. I think I learned a lot this weekend. There is no way that just a weekend teaches us all we need to know about death, dying and bereavement for our future roles, but this was a good start and we have been given some wise insights and ideas.

Just one simple thing – I guess I had not focused before that vicars do more funerals then they do of other things such as baptisms and weddings. Unlike the former, funerals cannot be neatly slotted in and planned for as death is outside of our control.

It has made me think in my role within emerging/fresh expressions of church. What will funerals look like in this setting? Is there a need to develop something ‘contemporary and significant’ to enable people to say goodbye or will there be a need, in fact a desire and expectation, to have a more traditional approach? I certainly feel there could be a need for personal involvement in the ritual rather than a sit back and watch consumerist default. I find myself asking, however, what this may look like?

Certainly the two major funerals this country has experienced over the last decade or so, those of Diana and The Queen Mother, seem to imply there is a ‘both and’ need here. With Diana we saw a national contemporary response with thousands of bunches of flowers. With the Queen Mum there was the more traditional walk around the coffin. Interestingly people of all ages did both, and the likelihood is many of the same people attended both events and marked both in these significantly different ways. But I guess both involved doing something.

Maybe then, the important thing is to remain open to peoples needs and desires which could include mixes of both the contemporary and traditional … or maybe even something else.

Anyone ‘out there’ got any experience or ideas?

Ali’s 65th .. will and skill

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This week one of my hero’s celebrated his 65th birthday.
Muhammad Ali was 65 on Wednesday.
Great entertainer, great sportsman and who will ever forget the awesome sight of him climbing the steps of Olympia to light the Olympic Flame in 1996.
Ali has also said some interesting things over the years, and the BBC have set up an Ali quotes page.

I’ve been thinking a little about champions recently and was interested in this Ali quote:

Champions aren’t made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.

The will must be stronger than the skill.

Seems to me today that even in church circles, there are a lot of people who have the skill but not the will.
I meet people who could be ‘champions for Christ’, running the race before them … they have all they need, but they lack the will, the desire is great but it seems to be far outweighed in their minds by the cost. They want the privilege and excitement of ministry, but are not willing to pay the cost, live in the territory that comes along as part of that ministry.

On the other hand I meet different people. People who give up secure jobs to follow their dream, people who wonder where the next pay cheque is coming from even though they could get a good job in the city, people I cry with as they count the cost of what they are doing for God which does mean missing out, economising, being criticised, being taken for a ride … I could go on.

I think the latter group are champions.
They have the skill and the will.
But the will is stronger than the skill.

SORs

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Nice to see a different angle here on SORs from the evangelical world.
In all of this my concern has been what people have been seeing.
I pray and long for people to see Christianity as a faith of that displays love, acceptance and compassion irrespective of race, colour, sexuality, age, opinion, lifestyle… Too often we are seen as protesters who want to prevent… anything. I pray we can re-address the balance.

mission talk of unity in diversity

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I had two conversations today, in two very different places.

My first of the day was in Gillingham as a few got together to think about Love Gillingham later this year. We chatted about what we should be thinking about doing, who we should ask about what needs doing – basically how we can show the love of Jesus in a relevant and tangible way in the community that is Gillingham.

I then hopped on a train to Victoria and met up with Ian Mobsby from Moot for one of my supervisory meetings. Here again we talked about mission in the context of Moot and how it seeks to reach those who are searching in the context of city life with a postmodern and disenfranchised or deconstructed/reconstructing sense of faith.

Two communities that in many senses are miles apart from each other, but are united in their desire to become more Christlike in the spaces that they find themselves in during the course of everyday life. Two communities that seek to express themselves in their own ways that mean something to where they are, but would probably look a little odd if taken out of their prticular contexts. Diverse approaches underpinned by the centrality of Jesus Christ.

I currently have a frustration.
That frustration is that some think there is ‘one right way’ to do things.
One right, underpinned by scripture, way to worship.
One right, underpinned by scripture, way to be involved in mission.
One right, underpinned by scripture, way to baptise.
One right, underpinned by scripture, meaning of the Eucharist.
(yep … 4 points, not 3, which I know is the right way, underpinned by scripture…)

Why do we all have to do the same?
Is it conceivable to think that in early Christian times all churches with poor communications between communities, were able, or even felt the need, to do the same?
Would the same even have been appropriate for everyone?
Even then, would one size, one approach, have suited all?

I love diversity!
We only need to look around the creation to see God’s love of diversity.
On a smaller scale, a wander around any art gallery, will show the gift of diversity of expression that God has given to humanity.
With the complete richness we have been given, surely God expects us to use that richness in all we do – in our lifestyles, our worship, our mission.
If we use our diversity, uniformity is not only impossible, but would be ludicrous to attempt.

But what of unity?
I’m told to be united as ‘one church’ we all need to do the same.
But … what about …
A unity, where we know we are on the same journey, being loved and accepted by the same God, searching for that same God in our own lives, living where we are.
A unity that allows us to share, laugh, talk, discuss, respect, love each other no matter what our opinion would be.
A unity that allows us to stand around one table and share one bread.
That’s my dream!

Come to Bethlehem village (2)

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For the afternoon Christmas Eve service we converted the church into Bethlehem village with shepherds, market stall, wise men, the inn and so on. Some people seemed to enjoy coming in and interacting with the characters and others just enjoyed sitting down and watching what was happening around them. The time was relaxed enough to show that either was acceptable and the ‘right thing’ to do.

Darrel was one of the wise men and had the excellent idea of presenting our journey using Google Earth to explain the journey we had made to get to Bethlehem. People were fascinated! It was a stroke of genius from my friend!

more on the ‘whatever it is but not a covenant ‘…

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David and Gareth write more on this.

I share their sadness over this whole thing as I do not think there is a need or a point when we can instead be excited and focussed on the exciting mission opportunites that we have before us.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we stopped trying to work out who is out and who is in, or who I should work with and shouldn’t … and just get on with the mission that God has called us all to together!

Come to Bethlehem village

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Last night I met up with good friends Darrel and Gary to talk about Christmas Eve at St. Marks. Sarah’s plan is to set up certain Bethlehem scenes within the church and she has asked us three to be the wise men. Of course, those of you that know the three of us will fully understand that we are being type cast here!

People will mill around the church, talking to Shepherds, the inn keeper, the wise men and others as we look back and remember that year when the King was born.

If you are in the area, why not pop in?

a covenant … or throwing toys out the pram?

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This has been in the news quite a bit over the last few days and summed up by Dave over at cartoon blog.
It’s the season of peace and good will – unless you want to take an opportunity to be divisive of course which is what this seems to be.
Tom Wright responds well here and it’s very well worth a read.