a personal mission statement

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One of my readings this morning in the Daily Office was Micah 6: 6-8:

How can I stand up before GOD
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would GOD be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what GOD is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously-
take God seriously.

Do what is fair and just, be compassionate and loyal, don’t take yourself too seriously – seems a pretty good aim to me!

a YFC advert

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Hi!


Last week I was chatting with a guy in my youth group about his plans for the coming year. After deciding to take a year out he soon became quite overwhelmed by the number of opportunities that were available – stay at home and work for the church, go traveling, join yfcone, get a job, do a mixture……….

I wonder if there are young people that you’re in contact with who are in a similar situation!

Over the last 25 years Youth for Christ have given hundreds of people the opportunity to take a year out to be involved in cutting edge youth ministry. This year yfcone have a number of options available for young people who have a real desire to serve God in Britain and beyond. Whether its general youth work, football, basketball, theatre, prison ministry, golf, dance, skate & boarding, music, film, further training, 3, 6 & 11 month options etc, etc. There could be a place for the young people you work with.

We are currently recruiting for yfcone and would love to hear from any young people you could recommend to us. Our next interview day is July 12th so if you know anyone who is considering applying, please let them know about this date.

Our new website is now up and running. There you’ll find lot’s of info about what we offer and people can also apply online.


If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

DAMIAN WHARTON

yfcone Senior Manager

Trinitarian Dance

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Ian links to this post on periochoresis- the idea that God dances together in Trinity.
The article is a good read.

I wrote an essay on this around a year ago and remember being struck by the idea of God creating out of this Trinitarian Dance – a dance where each part of the Trinity moves in intimate relation to each other. I was struck by the thought that God exists in relationship. That may be obvious to you, but I had not really thought about it. Yes I knew all about the 3 parts of the Trinity, but I guess I had compartmentalised and seperated them.

I concluded that as God lives and creates out of this dynamic relationship, that we, as humans, need to be dancing in dynamic relationship with God and others (a secondary trinity of God, me and you?)to live and create as well.

is God even there?

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I met up with good friend Chris today for lunch and we started to chat about (amongst other things) the sacred secular divide.
I agree with Hirsch saying ‘our task is to make all aspects and dimensions of life sacred—including family, work, play, conflict, etc. and not to limit the presence of God to spooky religious zones.’You can read more here.

I feel that there cannot be any sacred and secular divide as there cannot be anywhere where an all powerful God cannot be. If that is so, and I believe it is, then everywhere is sacred because God not only created it, but God is there.

Chris asked an interesting question: ‘What about in a meeting of a witches coven?’. That’s an interesting question I thought. My immediate impulsive answer was a ‘no’ but then …I believe God must be there … for there can be nowhere where God is not … but I do wonder what God is doing there … is God watching? crying? sighing? wishing? or what?

worship to give pleasure to God

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Now that I have finished SEITE for the year I have been able to get back to reading out of choice rather than out of necessity. I have returned to Frost’s Exiles which is resonating with me in so many different ways.

Towards the end of the book, Frost starts to look at the question of our purpose in life and he convincingly argues that our purpose is to bring pleasure to God. This another way of saying we glorify God.

He asks the question further, and this is where I find myself, ‘why is it that so many worship pastors suggest that the primary way we give God pleasure is through sung worship?’ Those of you who have read my posts in the past will recognise me questioning on this matter.

Frost suggests we glorify God in 4 ways:
through adoration – public worship, sung or otherwise
appreciation – through admiration and respect as we venerate God in our imaginations
affection – to take delight in and love God
subjection – we dedicate ourselves to serve God

So … I am not knocking sung worship, but I am questioning our attitude that seems to imply this is the only way to worship, because surely worship must be much bigger than singing a few songs every time we get together.

Eric Liddle (Chariots of Fire fame) said:

I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure’

As Eric ran, as he felt God’s pleasure – was this not an act of worship?
Surely this is what worship in our everyday existence means.
Worshipping God in our meetings.
Worshipping God while we travel to work.
Worshipping God as we protest for justice.
Worshipping God as we drink and eat with friends.
Maybe this what is meant by our whole lives being worship – that everything we do, we acknowledge and give glory to God, saying ‘God … I’m doing this for you.’

Invest in mission

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If you have a connection to the Weald of Kent and want to invest in some exciting and innovative mission please read this and consider Den at Weald YFC.

a new community ?

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This could be a dangerous post.
I could upset people – but this is not my aim.
I have been challenged over the last few months by two people.
These two people have been listening and praying with me for a little while.
Their challenge and question – to start to research a new pioneering community now, and why am I waiting?

So … this is one way through which I am looking for people who share this vision. I will also email on various local networks and would ask you to forward this to any that you think may be interested.

I believe there are a few people, and the number will be small, who live, or soon will live, in Medway and share a common vision.
These people long, maybe are even too scared to dream, of church being a place which really connects with people outside, but also with them.
They dream of a church where differences are celebrated and add to the communities flavour.
They are not worried so much about what people believe, but more concerned about how people believe: how they live out faith, how they are Christ-like.
They don’t care so much about worship style, but interested in something that’s authentic and enables them to connect with God where they are emotionally and spiritually.
They really do believe Christianity is a journey, and that we can all exist at different points on the road, or even off it, with no fear of condemnation.
A community that does not judge a person by how they look, sound or by what they believe.
They want to see a community that loves and has people at its heart rather than a program that must be delivered.
They believe a community should be one that meets throughout the week to enjoy relationship with each other and with God, and is not restricted to any one day or meeting.
They are willing to pay the cost that comes with developing relationships.
They want to see this as a place where people belong because they are connected and on the journey, not a place where they can only belong if they turn up at a particular time, day and place.
They want to see a community that really believes in mission, that not only welcomes in strangers, but expects and allows the community to change due to what that new person brings with them.
They believe church is about participation and engagement of the majority, rather than being consumerist and led by a few specialists.
They are tired of being told the same stuff and want to discover together how to live Christian spirituality in their world!
They long for their experience of church to inform their experience of the world and vice versa.

This journey will be tough.
Not many in church will want to share it.
But a few will.
I am not looking for something better than we have.
I am looking for something equally valuable.
Something to add to the mixed economy of church.
But I’m putting this out there as I would really love to meet people that share this vision.
In particular…I am praying for 2 or 4 other people who share the vision as a start so that we can pray.

So … if you have something to add to this, please get in touch.

a disturbing day on faith?

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Lev started me thinking on this whole silver ring thing today in the news.
After reading Lev’s blog and commenting I had lunch with the 1 o clock news on BBC1.
i saw the girl, Lydia Playfoot, being interviewed and she said
‘Christians have been pushed aside a bit ….we’ll fight for what we believe, we’re not going to be walked over.’

As I heard those words everything within me wanted to scream ‘no’. I can’t help but think What Would Jesus Do in this situation. I can’t be sure, but based on his trial, would he fight for his rights? Would he decide it was time to make a stand? Would he stop people walking all over him? 1 Peter 2 reminds us of a Jesus that did not retaliate, but I think 2 Philippians is even more explicit here:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I think this is suggesting that our attitude should be like that of Jesus – the Jesus that did not consider equality but instead made himself as nothing. That does not sound like a Jesus who wants to fight for his rights.

I’m no doormat – but there is something about Christianity and serving others, rather than fighting for ourselves, that is inextricably linked.

I find this even more frustrating as once again the ‘other faiths’ card has been pulled. Lydia is free to challenge her school (and well done to her), but as part of her defence why is there a need to bring anti other faith views into the argument? Lydia states that Sikhs and Muslims may wear headscarves and bangles in school while she can’t wear her ring. Surely the point here is that Sikhs and Muslims have to wear that attire – it is part of their faith.

As Christians, people under grace, we have no such laws over our heads. We are not bound by such stipulations – Jesus came to free us from such things. In addition the school says she can wear a cross or crucifix (again not a required symbol) which seems very fair. The bottom line is – this school has a no rings rule as part of school uniform. I assume when the governors made such a ruling they considered if this would conflict with any faith and rightly concluded that it would not. Knowing this, Lydia’s Playfoot’s parents enrolled her in this school so I really can’t understand what all this fuss is being made for!

My supporters and grace

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I have spent today, as have all national YFC, working on my personal support. In the main for me this has meant writing a prayer letter and designing a thank you for each of them.

As a national member of staff I agree to find people to give a monthly amount to YFC to cover 50% of my salary. I have 40 amazing people ‘out there’ who support me in this way ranging from £10 to £185 per month. Each of those people give sacrificially so that YFC can increase the mission we do.

It just amazes me how generous people are. Some of my supporters I do not know very well, or have only met once while others are family members and people I have known for years. Some come from the blog community – so if you’d like to join my team of supporters please get in touch as I do still have vacancies for people who want to invest in mission to young people.

Today, I have written my letter based around grace.

A little bit of interesting research – my concordance tells me that in the Old Testament grace is mentioned 8 times. In the New Testament, grace is mentioned 121 times – I think that is a clear indication of the difference that Jesus makes.

If the OT is all about complying with the law, then the NT is about our freedom because Jesus has fulfilled the law. I just long to get this message across to those of us that still feel we have to reach a certain standard, or act a certain way, or believe in a certain way to be acceptable to Jesus.

Yes – there are some basic things to believe, such as Jesus being God incarnate, Jesus resurrecting from the dead and so on – but so many get hung up other other things which seem quite secondary: drinking/not drinking, sorts of music, sexuality. Romans 6:14 tells us that grace is the key.

I wish I could get out there and live like I believed that!

Anyway – don’t forget, if you wish to join my personal support team, please drop me a line.

e

Burdens

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Another Desert Father saying for today:

We have abandoned a light burden, namely self-criticism and taken up a heavy burden, namely self-justification.

On the face of it it seems much easier to justify what we are doing or have done when things go wrong. The result is we back ourselves into a corner. The result is a much heavier burden.

Self-criticism is flipping painful in the short run, it hurts and we feel dented. But, with the issue in the open, we can look ahead to the next time and get on with making more mistakes, rather than spending time on consuming avoidance strategies.