pub theo …

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pub theology met again last night in the pub …. well we would wouldn’t we!

The general discussion seemed good and we had a number of visitors from other places who were interested in what we were doing and how they might do something similar in their communities. I hope we were able to offer encouragement and a way forward.

I think I have said before that this is one of my favourite things that I am involved in. I think that is because there is no program or hidden agenda here – and it really is becoming a group of friends getting together over a drink (wine, cider, coke, juice, beer) to chat about stuff that is pretty important and/or puzzling to them.

As I look back on the last year it is interesting to notice the subjects that appear regularly. The suffering question is there. The ‘why do Christians act so bad’ question is there which more often than not expresses itself in how Christians treat other people that they do not agree with. Linked closely to this is the ‘sexuality’ question, which appeared again briefly last night.

These are important questions but I personally long and pray for a time when people no longer see the need to discuss these issues over and over – not because they are not important (because I personally believe they are)…. but simply because people within the church have tuned into the love message of the gospel and acts in an inclusive way in the nature of Christ. (meaning that sexuality and gender are no longer seen as an issue by all).

Pub theology now takes a break for the summer and we will reconvene again I guess some time in the autumn …. that’s if people are up for it.

‘a voice entirely human yet laced with the divine’

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Here is a great article written by Russel Brand in the Guardian. It is by far the best and most caring article I have read on Amy Winehouse and her sad death.

The article is titled ‘we need to review the way society treats addicts’ and starts …

When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they’ve had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone.


go hear the read it in its entirety.

to comfort all who mourn

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This morning Jean led morning prayer.

I have grown to acknowledge this group of words as being words of value and sustenance.
Today’s liturgy included this canticle:

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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
to comfort all who mourn,
To give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit,
That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
So shall the Lord God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.
You shall be called priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as ministers of our God.

It’s a sobre reminder that in confusing and saddening times, that we are called to bring good news, to comfort the mourning ….. in short, to be helpful in thoughts, words and actions.

Following this Jean invited us to light candles which symbolised those who had been killed in Norway as we prayed for the bereaved, the survivors, the nation and those charged with bringing justice in this horrendous case.

We continue to hold the people of Norway in our thoughts and prayers

an exciting day …

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It’s been a bit of a while since I last blogged. There has been a lot going on but one of the highlights was the consecration of Adrian as Bishop of Stepney in St. Pauls Cathedral on Friday.

The day was brilliant and it was a real privilege to see our friend consecrated as a bishop is such amazing surroundings by the the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The sadness and loss still hurt but they are no longer the focus. Our prayers go with Adrian and we share in the excitement that the church has appointed a bishop of the calibre of someone like Adrian.

We shall all be watching with interest to see the great things that will continue with this mans ministry. An exciting day for Adrian and Gill, and exciting day for the London Diocese … but surely an exciting day for the whole church!

reflecting forward

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I had an interesting journey this morning to the Sisters of St Andrew in Edenbridge to meet up with Sister Diane who I hope will by my new spiritual director.

It was an interesting journey to Edenbridge as this was the location for our pre-ordination retreat 3 years ago before we became deacons. We spent 4 days here in this community as we prepared and thought more about what was happening.

The hours car journey inevitably caused me to reflect on the highs and lows of the last 3 years. I guess I used a vague Ignation model as I looked across the last 3 years of my (ordained) ministry.

I am not too surprised, but I was struck by how a number of ‘highs’ in the 3 years have been those times when I have got to meet and start to new people. I have counted it a real privilege how certain people have welcomed me as a person, and how we have started to get to know each other and possibly slowly starting that process fo becoming friends. This process has naturally been a two way thing – with people sharing things together, expressing joys, sharing pains which means making ourselves vulnerable, and therefore, trusting each other.

There is something of our humanity that is expressed in this both welcoming and vulnerability that enables relationships and friendships to develop. I think there is something very human and something very divine about this … and I wonder if in some way this echoes, all but dimly, the trinitarian relationship that is God. I found myself wondering in the car on the way home whether human vulnerability leading to friendship in relationship is a dim reflection of the mutuality of the trinity?

If we are created in the Image of God, can the perichoresis of the Trinity be dimly reflected in some way? And .. if so … how?

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Meghan has now been on placement with me for 2 weeks and one of the many advantages is that her visit has caused me to think about how I am linked in with other communities and how I am ‘sustained’ and so tonight we visited the Moot community.

Visiting Moot on Sunday night was an experience like ‘coming home’ for me. The experience of being back within a community that really ‘understands’ and ‘gets’ what I am about because we are all on a similar journey was really quite affirming and strengthening.

I loved my time with the moot community and I hope to be able to start to visit again on a more regular basis. For info and an exciting vision check out the moot video here.

whistle down the wind

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This is coming to the cathedral in September on the big screen.
The cathedral is a great setting to show a movie and I am looking forward to watching this classic is such amazing surroundings.
Why not contact Lynne for a ticket as I reckon they will go quickish.

travelling together

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(great photo from Ed Hall)

Yesterday I traveled to London with Meghan (a great person from COTA spending 3 weeks with us) to meet up with Ian who is my mentor.

We chatted about a lot of stuff and it was a really beneficial time to me as I shared stuff with Ian and listened to his wisdom and take on things. Yesterday we spoke about where the gathering is at, the possible future and what we may need to think about to enable that future to happen. We chatted a fair bit about our identity as the gathering and how this could be aided in its formation with our rhythm of life. It was a great 90 minutes and I felt energised at the end of the time.

Time with Ian in this way causes me to reflect on what is happening and helps me to notice stuff that I would not normally have noticed if I did not reflect. It is also a good time to ‘think aloud’ stuff I am thinking for the future.

As Meghan was shadowing me with good questions it caused me to think through why I value this relationship so much.

At times through my work Ian has been a lifeline that has kept me sane. At those times when I have felt no one else really ‘gets’ what I am doing or what I am tying to achieve – it has been a real support to meet with Ian and not have to explain what I am about or try to justify my existence.

At times when I have been so up myself, believing I am the only one who has it right, that I know more than I know, or that I want things to happen, but only on my terms – it has been the realistic, honest and sometimes blunt words of Ian that have helped me regain a realistic and accurate outlook.

At times when I have thought of selling out/giving up and doing something a lot easier it has been the godly words of Ian that have reminded me of what I am called to and of my awareness that it was never going to be easy.

The value of a good mentor is priceless. I can really say that I am still here and still sane because of the time others, notably Ian, have invested in me as a person and friend.

Having a good mentor who is not afraid to be honest is a privilege and is one that I really value …. if you don’t have I would really recommend you search one out!

a blessing to others

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The gathering got together on Sunday and we considered Heaven. 
We started by looking at our images of heaven, and what we thought heaven was like and what heaven was all about. Nick led us into thinking about if we could describe heaven as a colour, what colour would we choose and why. This was an interesting time as we could see a cross section of colours and reasons … it’s seems we all think very differently about heaven. 
Following this we looked at the video of Brian McLaren and his interpretation of the Lords Prayer and heaven. This is a challenging video … not so much for it’s content, but more for its consequences of taken it seriously. 
Certainly the concept of heaven coming to earth, and our role being involved in that, certainly sits a lot better with us that thoughts of being whisked off to another place. In the gospels we noticed that John the Baptist spoke of the kingdom of God coming; whereas Jesus says the Kingdom of God is here. That’s a pretty distinct difference. Right at the beginning of Mark’s gospel (v15) Jesus asks his listeners to believe the good news. I have always blindly read the ‘good news’ to mean the resurrection story … but we are 15 chapters away from that still in Mark.
I think the good news that Jesus talks of is that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, that we don’t have to wait to be whisked off into another place, and (this is I think really exciting) that we have a role to get involved with God in bringing the KIngdom of God (aka heaven) as a reality in the lives of those we meet. If you watch the video clip that is essentially what a part of the Lords Prayer is saying.
AS the gathering we struggled with what we do in light of this. There is mystery here, the Kingdom of God is here and we can see evidence but it is clearly not ere fully – there is more to come. The kingdom of God is here but there is more to come … and we have a role in working alongside God in bringing in more of the Kingdom.
Clearly we cannot get involved in every single issue or area of need that we see. But … we could get involved in those that we feel God prompt us to. I think how this outplays in our lives as individuals and as the gathering will be a reoccurring question. Yesterday we left with two statements which give us a challenge:
to be involved in the kingdom of God would mean that we will be a blessing to those we meet (Luke 4)
and
if we bring in the kingdom with God it would be like leaving a sweet taste in the mouths of those we meet (Psalm 34)
In our daily lives, how can we be such a blessing to others so that it is like leaving them with a sweet taste in their mouth – that’s not a bad aim for life!

come to us or go to them

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They come or we go? from Incarnate Network on Vimeo.

I like this video – thanks to Jonny for drawing attention to it on the Pioneer training website.

What do you think?
Do you agree?
Does it annoy you?
Has it challenged you?