-
Paul writes… my soul has been searched. The itch has been scratched. The questions aired if not always fully answered. Acceptance has been obtained, a normal level of anxiety and stress achieved.I have come to a place in myself where, for the moment, I am happy to be a christian.
I sort of have my head around a few issues that really used to bug me and others I can now shrug at knowing that some mystery and suspense is ok.
Really I’m ok, i’m happy with having a common tradition, i’m happy seeing myself as much part of the problem of why christians are so annoying at times and can also see that owning up to this goes along way to start joining the solution.
There’s just one slight fly in the oitment, i have no idea anymore why anyone who isn’t a christian would want to be one. I can think of some possbily platitudinous and what seem potentially patronising answers to that question but nothing that really sticks.
I once was a compulsion christian, now I just want to know what you think is compelling for other people to want to be one?
-
You may have noticed, that after each post on this site, there is a new twitthis icon.
If you are reading a post here, and click on the TwitThis button or link, it takes the URL of the post you are reading and creates a shorter URL. Then this shortened URL and a description of the web page is passed through your twitter account to your friends on Twitter.
So if you use twitter, and want to pass on anything of interest here, just click the ‘TwitThis’ button.
-
J R Woodward, has gathered a large group of writers from around the world, to write a series of posts, under the title, “Good News for Your City”.
In this blog series each of the contributors will be summarizing their understanding of the Good News in 300 to 500 words. Each author is writing their entry as if they were invited by their city newspaper to write an article on the Good News.
Mine is for London, and the Times newspaper, and will be online later this week. Meantime you can see it below. You can follow on twitter with the tag, #The Good News.
Continue reading »
-
This article was originally published here and has been reproduced with kind permission of the author in order to further the conversation.Dan writes… To formulate a rich and powerful theology of worship is to engage the most essential questions of humankind, the most vital revelations of human history, and the most practical activities of human experience. In short, to embrace that a clear theology of worship is not only helpful, but of highest human necessity, is to begin to see the full scope of the silver thread of worship that weaves throughout this magical universe.
Found On Other Planets: Worship
Cosmologist George Ellis once suggested that if we communicate at some point with sentient life on other planets, we will find two things. Firstly, we will find that these creatures understand mathematics. Using their own terms, and building on their own histories, storytelling, discoveries and biology, these beings will understand the majestic order that provides a framework for understanding the shape and tendencies of such a rambunctious, chaotic universe. Secondly, Ellis suggests that these creatures will understand what he calls the “Kenotic Ethic.” The word “kenotic” comes from the Greek word “kenosis,” which means “to empty.” Ellis suggests that our new celestial friends will understand that giving oneself, emptying oneself, epitomized in Jesus’ self-offering in the garden of Gethsemane, is the only true way to peace, healing and restoration in any given universe.
Continue reading »
-
Elizabeth writes… I’ve been thinking about Christian conversion and how we often view our own stories in a linear fashion and want to mark some point in time on a straight line from birth to death that marks our transition from not-a-Christian to Christian. I have had discussions over the years with Christians on topics like, “Once saved, always saved,” and, “Can someone lose their salvation?” Interestingly, there are verses in the Bible that seem to leave these questions open.
All of this talk presumes a view of conversion as an “in-out” proposition. Let’s take a look at this in-out question…
Continue reading »
-
The new doctor of ministry program that I will be leading/directing for George Fox Seminary, has been in development for 18 months, and now has accreditation and authorisation and is gearing up for launch January 2010.You can now download this prospectus for the Global Missional Leadership D.Min program.
I am so excited about the possibilities for this program, in particular:
1. Theological: A vigorous and rigorous theological exploration of leadership, church and culture
2. Relational: Co-hort based, and with face to face experiences
3. Global: The face to face experiences in Europe, Africa and Asia, meeting with leaders, churches, missions on the ground, and the online international community around the program.
4. Open Source: The learning community around the program that is open to anyone who wants to be involved whether they are on the program or not.
5. Social Media: The use of social media and technology that will be integral to the program delivery and learning activities.In trying to get the word out, could you forward this to friends, tweet, facebook, and blog with a link to the program? Thanks in advance for all your help.
Some more highlights from the program prospectus are below:
Continue reading »
-
I’m about to start a series in our Sunday services on the Fruits of the Spirit (all my sunday talks appear here). One book I’ll be making frequent reference to is, by my mate Alan Mann. Alan was a co-author of several books with Steve Chalke, including the infamous, Lost Message of Jesus.
Alan’s latest book, is I think his best and is starting to develop some appropriate momentum, titled, ‘A Permanent Becoming‘.
So not only is this one of the only books on the Fruits of the Spirit, it’s focus on the mundane of life, compared the the thrills of consumer society, and and hype of much of the Christian life and church, is refreshing. But it’s not a jeremiad, rather a revolutionary call to a way of life so intrinsic to the Christian Faith, yet so easily missed in our attention deficit world.
Here’s the quote I wrote that was printed on the back of the book:
”In our secular world becoming a christian is almost synonymous with becoming a ‘worse’ person, and somehow less than ‘human’. Through a beautiful and compelling exposition of the ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ alongside a rediscovery of the true ‘humanity’ of Jesus, Alan Mann explores how life in Christ is in fact the only way to be truly, deeply and fully human in the face of our pop-corn/microwave quick fix culture’
I couldn’t recommend it more to you all, it’s one of the best books for christian formation that I have ever read.
-
I’ve been asked to write a short post around the title/topic of, ‘What is the Gospel’. It will be part of series over Easter, by practitioners, professors, authors and bloggers (including David Fitch, Eugene Cho, Raffi Shahinian, Kurt Fredrickson, Christine Sine, Len Hjalmarson, J.R. Briggs, J.R. Rozko, John Chandler, Kathy Hanson, Raffi Shahinian, John Santic), put together by J R Woodward.
In particular my answer must respond to this brief:
‘If your local city newspaper asked you to write 300 to 500 words on: What is the Good News? or Describe the Good News – what would you write? The unique twist to this is that you are obviously writing to a wide group of people with various backgrounds and life issues – the people in your city.’
So whilst I mull that over and write something, I wondered what short answers you would give to your city?
-
“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
John: 25-26
The Message
-
GOOD FRIDAY in my heart! Fear and affright!
My thoughts are the Disciples when they fled,
My words the words that priest and soldier said,
My deed the spear to desecrate the dead.
And day, Thy death therein, is changed to night.
Then Easter in my heart sends up the sun.My thoughts are Mary, when she turned to see.
My words are Peter, answering, ‘Lov’st thou Me?’
My deeds are all Thine own drawn close to Thee,
And night and day, since Thou dost rise, are one.Mary Elizabeth Coleridge
(1861-1907)
