Jurassic Church

It's Christmas, Jim, but not as we know it

2011-11-30T18:46:00.000Z

Last week, getting ready for the first Sunday in Advent, I recalled something Martin Robinson of Together in Mission recently suggested: "There seems to be a feeling around that the economic challenges in the nation are bringing new opportunities for the gospel - new openness." (Facebook status, 9th November 2011. Martin is great at using Facebook status to feed out titbits of information about missional church and how we relate to our culture!)

How do we take these opportunities especially during Advent and Christmas?

"Not as we know it..."
Having thought up a smart title for this post, I discovered (not surprisingly) that somebody got there before me: last year on "Brand Republic" website a blogger called Chris Reed wrote "Christmas in Singapore is weird. It's not really Christmas. It's light for a start and its 32 degrees and sunny. Having spent 20 years experiencing London's dark and cold Christmas's it's just strange to see Christmas decorations in hot sunny weather!" (http://chrisreed.brandrepublic.com/2010/12/20/it-s-christmas-jim-but-not-as-we-know-it/)

Cold, dark, snowy? But what has snow to do with Christmas? Bethlehem enjoys a Mediterranean climate, so even if Jesus was born on 25th December (which is unlikely!), the weather would be cool and rainy. So much for snow, reindeer, robins, etc.

There's a lot about Christmas that pertains to our western, temperate environment, not only geographically but culturally and economically too. If we are to communicate the Good News effectively we need to clear away not only the snow but also the slush of our captivity to our culture...

Idolatry
A few years ago a favourite treat for the student volunteers who did youth work with us was to tour around town to view the grandest and tackiest home Christmas decorations. Some of them we reckoned could be seen from space! If a fact finding team from another planet were to visit the western world during any December, and if in they understood the concept of religious belief, they would quickly conclude that there was a festival celebrating a deity called Santa. The old guy gets everywhere! He's become part of Christmas.

If Santa allowed to be merely a fantasy figure like Gandalf or Peter Pan, there would not be a problem, even if children believed the fairy tale. But this piece of "innocent fun" involves encouraging our children to ask him for gifts and then pretending he has indeed visited and left gifts; maybe even having someone impersonate him and give gifts to the kids who visit. And as the popular song says, "he sees you when you're sleeping / he knows when you're awake / he knows if you've been good or bad / so be good for goodness sake..." This is nothing short of idolatry: we encourage our children to pray to this person (what else do you call making a request of an omniscient being with supernatural powers?) then we fake the answers. There are Christian conspiracy theorists out there who argue this case much more strongly that I am doing. I'm deliberately not linking there because I don't' want to give these guys airtime. But on this occasion I wonder if they have got it right, and "Santa" really is an idol, a false Christ. And if he isn't he, is a prophet and priest of another false God, the one the Bible calls Mammon.

"Santa" should have the lowest possible profile - recognising the difficulties of getting along in families where not everyone has a relationship with Jesus. I don't believe he should be given air-time in Church. And I don't' believe Christians should ever, ever ask, "What is Santa bringing you?" as a euphemism for, "What are you expecting to get for Christmas?"

Materialism
Inequality must be a really difficult thing to cope with. I remember one year when we were struggling with multiple difficulties in the run-up to Christmas. We were struggling financially, having taken out a mortgage to buy our home only a few months earlier. Pam was nursing a back injury so was limited in what she could do, and your youngest was still a baby. However, we had made the effort to ensure that our children had a selection of well-chosen presents from us as well as from grandparents and other relatives and friends. We had not been able to supervise the opening of presents as closely as usual, and felt really gutted when one of the kids grumbled at the end of the present-opening "We've not had very much!" We were saddened by that; we felt we had let our kids down. We didn't' want them to feel disappointed with their Christmas gifts or embarrassed about them when they went back to school. I heard recently about a parent who used credit to buy Christmas presents for the children one year, and had not completely cleared the account a year later when it was time, for the next round of Christmas shopping. I'm sure this is not an isolated example. Yet we all know, to of the small child who takes out the toys and has great fun playing with the box. And grandfather described to me how a grandchild received a mound of presents on Christmas morning, then spend hours in the afternoon playing with just one of them - a cheap soft ball he kicked up and down the hall with grandpa. I know "bring a Christmas toy to Church" is a popular theme for Christmas morning service, but I also believe it's corrosive and we shouldn't do it. Mammon is a hard taskmaster. We must not bow to him. That's not a matter of Christian moralising: "Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. He's the reason for the season. Keep 'Christ' in 'Christmas'" and so on. It is a matter of compassion for the 90% of the world's population who share 10% of the world's resources. In a time of recession it is also a matter of compassion for the people living up and down our streets who are experiencing fuel poverty this Christmas, who face the question, "Eat or heat?" and who are trapped in a spiral of brutal spending. As Christians we ought to be able to say, "there's another way!" I want us to be able to say to a world oppressed by wealth and care, you can live free of all that. You don't need to add to the burden in order to have a good Christmas.

Sentimentality
"It's a children's' time" we sometimes say... But the Christmas story touches on issues that challenge our adult minds. For instance...

the incarnation, one of the most profound theological concepts: "Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing..."
the virgin birth, is a miracle that bypassed the normal "facts of life" - which we only teach by stages to our children as they are able to grasp them.
the complexities of relationships - the stigma of illegitimacy in a culture where chastity was everything; the suspicion of infidelity between an engaged couple;
the horror and moral outrage of infanticide;
the challenges of the Kingdom of god and its mission in a diverse world.

Sure, children can hear, believe and respond to the story. But there is stuff here that will repay serious thought, too. Christmas is a time for theology. It's a time for pulling together the different strands in our thinking and being, and for coming to grips with the life implications of this Good news we sing about... Sentimentality militates against that.

Things worth focusing on...
There are a number of themes that are worth exploring with adults and children as we prepare for Christmas. Themes that bring together both the Gospel, and people in need in the culture we live in. In preaching the Christmas message we are, in Eugene Peterson's words "standing on the border between tow worlds." We need to bring these worlds together in presenting the Christmas message as good new that can be refreshingly counter-cultural in our materialistic society.

Hear are a few motifs and themes to be going on with.....

Mary - preparedness to expect the unexpected, and co-operate sacrificially with the Holy Spirit.
The Magnifacat - the power of God and radical values coming together in the "upside-down" Kingdom. "The humble are filled with good things while the rich are sent empty away."
The Journey to Bethlehem - what it feels like to be at the bottom of the pile and at the mercy of a political or economic machine. This is the situation into which God comes.
Simplicity: God in Christ was content with a manger.
Shepherds - Good news for ordinary working people. "A Saviour has been born for you"
Joy! The nature of Joy as a response to the good news, not dependent on circumstances or on having stuff.
The presentation I the temple - poverty and parenting. Anxiety and guilt when you can't afford to give your child "the best".
The Magi - good news for outsiders; God's sovereignty.
Herod - good news in a world of oppression and evil
Love! God loves us enough to enter our world, his glory veiled.
John 1 - "the word became flesh and put up his tent among us" The incarnation means that God knows, cares about and shares what we are going through.
John 1 - "he came to his own and his own did not receive him. But to those who did receive him he gave power to become children of God...

That list is, I admit, tentative. A careful, spiritual reading of the Christmas narratives should reveal more. That's a challenge for all of us as we enter into advent.

Baptists changing light bulbs

2010-10-01T22:04:00.000+01:00

"How many Baptists (substitute your own denomination here) does it take to change a light bulb?" The answer is "Baptists, change???" But I like the joke that says "How many members of a specific group does it take to change a light bulb?". Answer: "A finite number, including one to change the light bulb and the rest to act in a way that is stereotypical of the group in question." Resistance to change is perceived as a behaviour stereotypical of people in churches. In fact it is a behaviour stereotypical of people in organisations generally.

It is a fact of life that people in institutions or organisations resist change. We are tempted to bitch about that in Church. As leaders, it is tempting to assume that when people resist change they are somehow being particularly obstructive, standing in the way of progress, that they area against us, they are ungodly, and maybe even tools of the enemy! And yes, they may be all of the above. But they are indulging in behaviour which is associated with Churches but which emerges in organisations generally. Ask someone who has tried to introduce new working patterns in a school or an office or factory.

However, like resistance to change, change itself is a fact of life. You have to change to stay the same. The processes of life - conception or growth for example - involve change. So when we came here to Rosyth to work, we knew some things would have to change. A week or so ago we had to meet with the team who do our Sunday School to find as sense of direction and plan for effective ministry to kids. We've even changed the name to Lighthouse Kids! So now we're poised for action.

That's quite an achievement. We had tried to "bring the Sunday School around" over the last year or so but found that changes never really were accepted. We began by appointing someone to advise the team. We offered resources that we thought would work. We advised about age range etc. Somehow it wasn't working. What we were trying to achieve was "incremental change". A little bit at a time, build one improvement on another.

In fact, what seems to have worked is "Discontinuous change." We stated the problem, came prepared, thought hard about what is right, involved others in the process of envisioning change, then drew a line in the sand and determine that "Now we are starting fresh." And it seems to work.

It suggests to me that Discontinuous change is more effective than incremental change: that it's better, cleaner, and more honest. However, I don't think it always works...

There's another dynamic at work: it is the dichotomy between Structural and Cultural change...

Church change has frequently floundered on this one... To illustrate from our Sunday School experience... a few years ago, (before I came to Rosyth) Sunday School was re-labelled "Kidzone". Great name! But because the change was structural (superficial) rather than cultural (internalised and owned by those involved) it didn't stick. Someone somewhere - we were told it was the kids themselves - started calling it Sunday School and Sunday School it had remained.

At the moment as Church we need to change our constitution; how we recruit and appoint leaders (and maybe what we call leaders); how we do "membership", how we make decisions... the whole shooting match. That's all structural stuff. My current question is how to get the cultural change to happen. Because I have a hunch that, if the cultural change happens, it will in turn drive the structural change...

There's loads more. A whole bunch of theory about managing change in organisations. A theology for change in church. Indeed, a theology for church itself. Lots to read, lots of thinking to do. And in the meantime, plenty of changing to do.

Am I a Conviction Baptist?

2010-07-01T17:30:00.000+01:00

It was from David Coffey - former General Secretary of he BU of Great Britain that I first heard the phrase, and I happened to use it in a conversation with my son Peter who has just graduated in theology. He fired back the question, "Are you a conviction Baptist?" Thanks Pete: that's one worth answering.

What is a conviction Baptist?
There was a time when Christians moving into a new area sought out the Church of their denomination as a matter of course: Baptists would attend the local Baptist Church. In the last twenty years or so I guess a lot of people choose their Church home more on the basis if feeling right with the spirituality and theological position of the Church, whether it's charismatic, reformed, High Church or whatever. And I guess, if I weren't committed to Church Leadership, I might do the same. In retirement for example, I might not go to a Baptist church! Consequently, I guess, a lot of people are "Convenience Baptists", for whom the Baptist bit is merely a matter of expediency. A Conviction Baptist, then , is someone for whom the "Baptist" bit is important.

So, what is the Baptist bit?

British Baptists (at least the ones connected with the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Baptist Union of Scotland) have a very loose "declaration of principle" which roots into our history as a fellowship of radical believer's churches. Here it is:

That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day'.
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

That's not much, eh?

Being a Conviction Baptist is about an understanding of the authority of Jesus. "What would Jesus do?" is a good Baptist question, and we look to the Bible to reveal the answer and inform our understanding of who Jesus is and his real significance.
Being a Conviction Baptist is about the local church, living under the authority of Jesus, governed neither by the state nor by the Baptist denomination.
Yet it's about interdependence rather than independence: being related, prepared to learn from, and accountable to other Christians, in other places.
Being a Conviction Baptist is about beleivers' baptism (obviously!)
Being a Conviction Baptist is about individual responsibility for the Kingdom task of witness.

So, on That basis, I think I can call myself a Conviction Baptist.

Is that it? Surely there are other things that are associated with being Baptist?
I want to comment on a couple of these:

"Baptist Worship"

Isn't there a "Baptist" style of worship? (The implication usually being that it's going to be boring, and traditional.) Sure, there were practises associated with our earliest Baptist and Anabaptist forefathers (including 4-hour services with multiple lengthy sermons!) Sure, a couple of generations ago, many Baptist ministers wore a clerical collar and led a service that consisted of organ-led hymns, prayers and a sermon. But a lot of that was in fact "borrowed" from other traditions anyway. In fact the whole point about Baptist worship is that there's no such thing! Baptist worship is worship that best expresses Baptist values, and Baptist values are radically "free"!

Church meetings..

Don't Baptists have these terrible Church Meetings where everything is discussed and voted upon? Well, yes, some of them do. But not all of them. The point and purpose behind these Church Meeting is to find out what Jesus wants for his local Church. Some Baptist Churches manage to do that in a civilised, creative, and spiritual manner. Seriously!

Baptist Church Meetings should not be about democracy, but about "theocracy": they should be an attempt to listen together for the voice of God leading His Church forward. So if a Church members' meeting feels like a Union meeting or shareholders' meeting, there's something wrong. Baptists should be humble enough to admit the danger and godly enough to want to avoid it.
Members' meetings are in fact useful and necessary. Every UK charity has to have at least an AGM, and really, every person in an organisation needs to know they are being listened to and to understand what's going on around them. I've seen churches that were proud of their freedom from "Members' meetings" struggle for lack of consultation.
The real "Baptist Principle" is not having the Church Meeting but that the local Church should have some way of "administering Christ's laws" for itself.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the very idea of a right "Baptist" way of doing that is in fact non-Baptist!

Old Friends and New...

2009-11-23T17:21:00.005Z

Yesterday evening I led worship as three local Baptist Churches got together with Andrew Rollinson (Acting General Director of the Baptist Union of Scotland) as guest speaker. The venue was Viewfield Baptist Church in Dunfermline, a vast Victorian cathedral of a building. It was good working with three musicians from Viewfield - so if you're reading this, thanks guys!

Andrew Rollinson challenged us with the words from Scripture "Such as I have I give you" (Acts 3 v 6). There's no point bemoaning what we haven't got - in terms of resources or whatever; as Christian communities we have something very special in the Christian Good News of the Kingdom of God, which is still able to change lvies!

Andrew, Michael Bonser ( the Pastor of Viewfield) and I were all togehter at Spurgeon's College in the late '70's, and yesterday was the first time we have been in a Church service together since then. That was really special. Friendship is a great gift, and one I believe we need to cherish.

the sacred/secular divide?

2009-11-13T20:01:00.006Z

Over the last few years I have always felt it important as a Church Leader that I'm involved in something outside of Church, where I'm just a member of the team. In Gloucester that took the form of being a School Governor and "chaplain" work in a psychiatric care home for the elderly. One year in our Christmas "circular" I wrote more about that than I did about Church, prompting one tart reply to the effect that it was interesting what I was doing in the community but was I doing anything in the Church! But the exciting stuff, is or should be, what the Church does outside its own walls...

Currently my "outside" commitment is to "Helping Hands" club, which meets on Thursday Evenings in our Church Hall but is run by a team of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds. Few if any are church-goers. The club is for learning disabled young adults.

The team asked for my permission to have a Halloween party. Basically unhappy with the idea, but owing someone a favour, I suggested they call it an "All Saints" party, encourage the clients to dress up as something other than witches etc., and avoid decorating the place in a way that glorified evil. And I asked for a "spot" to sing something Christian to them. On the evening I sang some silly songs, plus one Christian chorus "I once was frightened of Spiders". They loved it!

This Thursday,

I've been asked to help the Club members sing Christmas Carols (some of them have always come along to one of our Church carol services and they usually have their own "spot" to perform. )
One of the clients wants to me do some Bible study with him...
One of the volunteers asked when our Church services are: she wants to pay us a vis

I'm wondering what happened to the sacred/secular divide!

As a church Leader I want us to be an "out there" church. It's the way Jesus wants it to be

Don't lean on your own understanding....

2009-11-11T10:53:00.002Z

Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

I admit I find this text alarming: I believe preaching and leadership are activities of the mind that require intellectual rigour. Pam and I have sunk a good deal of time, money and effort into skilling up to be able to lead the church in mission. Then you read something that seems to be saying, "don't lean on that stuff". So is the dumbest way really the best way? Can we abandon our Missional Leadership training and just drift along with the strategies sanctified by years of usage?

Well, at that point it's a good idea to look at the text… Trusting is related to the idea of "running for safety" and of falling at someone's feet. Understanding is about "discernment", from the root "to separate".
To acknowledge is to know - that wide-reaching Hebrew word "yadah" - whose meaning includes knowing in the most intimate of relationships.

So…
Run for refuge to the Lord, instead of depending on your own discernment or cunning.
In all your journeys and activities know the Lord, fellowship with him and walk with him; he will make your path straight.

It's not about abandoning our ability to think things through: it's about abandoning dependance on that alone; it's about factoring God into every equation; it's about thinking outside the box of conventional wisdom, working with heart as well as head; learning to be intuitive. Trusting that which is not seen. And actually, for those who preach the Gospel, that is a necessary discipline. Firstly, because as someone said, a good definition of stupidity to keep repeating the same method and expect a different result. And secondly, because when we preach the Gospel, we are inviting people to take precisely that sort of step - outside of conventional wisdom - into a bigger world.

An interesting weekend

2009-11-10T15:00:00.000Z

Had an interesting weekend. Spent most of Saturday at a day conference called "A Call to Purity". Some guys being really honest about their struggles. Pity it was not well attended. Why do Christian blokes shy away from being real? I'm sure denial is a major step down the slippery slope for lots of people, and admitting you have a problem is the first step in getting sorted.

Why do Christian blokes shy away from being real? I guess the reasons include

Bloke stuff - Guys don't like to talk about inner stuff or admit to having weakness. We like to think "I can sort it myself".
Christian stuff. In the Simpsons, when Maude Flanders is away at a Christian conference she is "learning to be more judgemental." Unfortunately that's sometimes the way it is: if when someone admits they have a problem, the kneejerk response is to condemn, a culture of denial will almost inevitably result.

Sunday was a challenge. Church hall heating was broken down, so kids' ministry was cancelled and they stayed in church. They weren't a problem, except that if I had known, I would have prepared a rather different talk. I was speaking about the Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod (Mark 8. 11-21.click to view the message) As the Kids were in church for Communion, I went around and prayed blessing on them one by one while the adults were being served with the bread and wine. That was a good time.

Deacons' meeting last evening. I'm just beginning to introduce the deacons (lay leaders of the Church) to the idea of changing things in order to pursue a vision. hard work, but hopefully worth while.

Trouble with blogging

2009-11-03T17:04:00.003Z

2nd November, 2009. I don't know if this blogging thing is ever going to work for me. (Could I have invented a new expletive there?) It's not as if I have nothing to say. Life is very fast-moving. My mind is working. Honest! I guess the problems are threefold
1. Just being organised enough to sit down and blog. That's me,, and I'm working on it!
2. Being disciplined enough with my thinking, to put ideas in coherent shape that can be read, for other people. It's fine to dreams. But for me, blogging to be worthwhile, requires a big of rigour, rather than just ranting or rambling.
3. Occasionally, the question, "do I want all and sundry to be able to read my thoughts?" Honesty is fine; but one of the problems with the Internet is a kind of quasi-honesty where people wear all their feelings on their sleeve, yet these feelings and the relationships that go with them are somehow superficial.
So I'll try and make another start. And maybe one day someone will read it!

The practise of the Spirit

2009-05-28T13:39:00.004+01:00

It's Whitsunday - Pentecost when we particularly remember the coming of the Holy Spirit - on Sunday. I think the Church calendar's a great way of dropping truth into people's lives, so was teaching last night on the promise of the Holy Spirit in The Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus. A lot of material to get through but great fun. Tried to bring out the conclusions that

The work of the Spirit isn't an add-on extra but central to being a Christian
We can't box the work of he Spirit in, either by saying we received the Spirit at conversion or were baptised in the Spirit at a later stage. There's always more, because the Spirit is God, transcendent and infinite.

Pam then pushed the boat out a bit by encouraging us all to pray for more of the Spirit in our lives.

I admit I'm a bit nervous of forcing people into receiving if they're not ready. It's really important that I do lead the people into experiencing God by his Spirit not just into knowing more about the Spirit. I tend to be analytical, which is fine. It's my gift and my personality. But there comes a point - or points - when we need to go beyond the theory to a practical, experienced encounter with the Spirit.

We need to do the hard work theologically. Too often "Spirit-filled" Christians have dismissed theology as a dry, dusty and merely theoretical activity. Bring it on for theology. But we also need to do the hard work practically. Like competing at a sport of playing a musical instrument, there's theory, and there's practise. Learning the theory doesn't make you good at the game, or good at your instrument. That takes practise. Rigorous, committed, hard working practise. It's the same with the work of the Spirit, and with the other practical outworking of theology. Knowing the theory doesn't make you able to play. Practise is needed. So I guess I've got to get more practise in. So how do you do that? Maybe that will be another post.

Creation (ism)

2009-05-26T14:01:00.004+01:00

One of the advantages of being near Edinburgh is that it's got a proud history as a seat of learning. Someone recommended that I look at the Edinburgh Creation Group (hereafter ECG) website. The Group was founded three years ago to investigate evolution scientifically and advocate a creationist alternative.

"Creationism is quite a broad word with which to describe people that believe the Universe and life were created by an intelligent being that we call God" says Paul James-Griffith on the ECG's website. I guess by that measure I'm a creationist.

Paul James-Griffith goes on to refer to the fact that some "biologists doing cutting edge research are realising that Darwinism does not work" (to quote again) and I'm fascinated by that.

However I didn't even do a physical science O-level at School, so I'm not really qualified to comment on the science. As a scientific research community, much of what ECG produce is beyond me.

My main thing is theology - the study of God and his actions - and it's the theology that I want to talk about. I'm all for bringing theology and science together. What's the place of theology in all of this?

Well, firstly, I believe that whatever the scientists are able to say about origins from a properly scientific point of view, we need to use our sources properly. The suggestion that the Bible might contain accurate information about the physical origins of the universe, about astronomy or the health benefits of a low-fat diet is fascinating. But the question is whether that is the point, in the Biblical text. I for one don't believe the intention of the early chapters of Genesis is to explain how the universe came to be the way it is. If that were the aim of the Biblical text, it might be called a myth. I believe the intention of the Biblical text is rather to interpret the way the universe is. It's concerned with enabling human beings to understand themselves in relation to the cosmos in which they live, to each other and to God who created them. In the book of Genesis, the point is that there is a point!

Secondly, I personally don't see a contradiction between accepting a Theistic, Christian interpretation of the way the world is, and a scientific understanding of how the world works. Let me illustrate: we believe God made us; I believe God made me. But that doesn't prevent me from believing that fifty four years ago, my Mum and Dad made love, my Mum carried me in her womb for nine months, went into labour, and gave birth to me in Bellshill maternity hospital.

I believe therefore that the Bible should be used for what it's designed to be used for: to give us a right theology, a right understanding of God, and to help us to enter into a relationship with him.

Thirdly, what the Christian faith should bring to the laboratory bench, should be a moral dimension. The result of being a Bible-believing Christian, is not, therefore, to make us bring a set of intellectually disabling presuppositions, a load of mental baggage with us. Rather, it should be to make us better at what we do; more rigorous and honest as scientists. Science which sets out to "prove" the Biblical record of creation, is disreputable. Science which sets out to question another view of human origins on the grounds of its presuppositions, is a perfectly valid exercise. In the end, or Christian faith should make us more honest, and more determined to be the best we can be at the job we are doing.

So, I am a creationist in that I can say and mean in the words of the Creed “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth…” However, I'm unhappy with the idea of Christianity and science going to war with each other, for a number of reasons:

There are theories that may help to reconcile creation and science .
I believe, as I've said that the Genesis accounts are there to tell us about the Purpose not the Process of creation. This is not a matter of Biblical inerrancy but one of Biblical interpretation.
It’s pastorally and apologetically unhelpful to put people in the position of giving verbal assent to concepts they don’t in their heart of hearts accept. That, sadly, is how it gets sometimes. Yes, this is a missional issue: I keep running into people whose journey towards faith needs answers to some of the "origins" questions.
I believe it’s part of being counter cultural to equip people to make a difference in the world of science.

Some at least of the recent science/faith conflict has been set up by representatives of the "Science" side, especially in the wake of Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and the Darwin bicentenary. Theology needs to respond intelligently. So keep up the good work, ECG. And keep the work good.

Great Big God!

2009-03-02T21:47:00.000Z

As I look forward to moving to Rosyth, occasionally waves of trepidation and inadequacy hit me. I just know I can't do this job on my own. But today I had an experience that just reminds me I don't have to. I have a great big God who is with me.
Suddenly, clearing out one of my sons' rooms, I was overwhelmed with tears for him, for his spiritual life... and I cried like I don't think I've cried since I was five.
Less than half an hour later, we got as phone call, from a friend whom God (like the Hound of heaven) has been chasing for some time. This guy doesn't pray in public, ever. He's kinda freaked out by thigns liek prayer. But he felt strongly impressed to pray for us. I told him about my experience, which happened about the same time.
Coincidence? Maybe, but for my friend it worked like an enormous poke in the ribs from the Almighty. Seems like God has his attention at last. It encourages me that to know that our Great Big God can get my son's attention too. And it reminds me that this Great Big God can help me with the new job he's given me to do.

Travel light

2009-02-28T12:29:00.001Z

Getting there! We've thrown out loads of old, redundant paperwork. It keeps emerging. The trouble with a big house is that there is room to store everything and you can be a bit indiscriminate about what you keep. I decided it was time to throw out 95% of my college notes. (I was at College fro 1977-81!) I've had a fire in the chiminea every day recently. We've packed up about 35 boxes of books and files: all Pam's study stuff as well as mine.

We've also got rid of several items of furniture that will not fit in our new house, and sold our little Ford KA: we anticipate cycling a bit more. Pam doesn't expect to be doing peripatetic teaching any more so we can't really justify running two cars . It's all a bit poignant and feels kind of hard.

But it's all good, really.

We're going to a great place, to do a job we know God has called us to do. We've got a lovely home ready to move into. God is looking after us - even the details, like sending along a buyer for our little car. And He has told us to "travel light". Over and over we are realising how attached we get to "things"... We have a fantastic opportunity to "re-invent" ourselves, or at least our lifestyle, so it's simpler, tidier, and more productive.

Oasis

2009-02-27T20:19:00.000Z

Pam and I went away for the weekend. We stayed with a good friend in London and went to her Church, Oasis Church in Colliers Wood (http://www.oasischurch.org.uk/) which was really encouraging, lively, welcoming, friendly. It was good to be there and to recharge our batteries.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I missed Sunday worship after not going to Church for two consecutive Sundays because of family circumstances. Usually when we have missed Church (normally because we've been on holiday out of the UK) we have taken a bit of time to worship together and that has been OK. Not having the time, space and opportunity to do even that was really difficult. For me it's like taking that time out to be with God and whoever else of his people are around, is hard-wired.

Anyway, we had a great time at Oasis, enjoyed meeting new people and worshipping God together. and we got the opportunity to be prayed for before getting back to prepare for our big move.

Paperwork - who needs it?

2009-02-18T21:35:00.001Z

I'm trying to clear my desk. I try often, and never quite succeed, but I have to this time because I'm moving to Rosyth in Scotland in two weeks time! It's hard, emotional, exhausting, and yet boring work. I have to admit I hate it. I hate having to decide to throw things out. I'd far rather keep everything. You never know when that magazine article will be useful. But it has to be done. When we move we'll have a bit less space than we currently have, so the luxury of hoarding is something we can't afford.

I have to admit, too, that much of the paperwork I have been wading through, has lain untouched in folders in my desk drawer, for years. Some of it has even lain in my file trays, waiting to be put in the folders, for years. So the chances are that I won't miss much of what I am throwing out.

The worrying thing is, I don't think anyone would have missed it, if much of it had never been generated in the first place. Looking down at the plastic storage box full - for the second time today - of paperwork to be thrown out, and thinking about the planning, goal-setting, discussions etc that gave these papers their birth, I feel concerned to ask the question: we've talked a lot about the Church, its plans and its mission: how much have we achieved though?

My Mum

2009-02-18T21:13:00.000Z

My Mum died on Monday 9th. She was 82 and had dementia. Since my Dad died she has had to be cared for in a residential home. Last Monday, 16th, her body was laid to rest beside my Dad's; then we held a service of celebration for her life, at the home where she lived for the last five years.

Even in her last few days of life, she retained her sense of humour. Leaving my family in Gloucester to visit her, I got a message from my wife to say that they were having heavy snow at home. When I told Mum that, she chuckled out loud.

I was with her when she breathed her last. My sister had been keeping vigil while I got some fresh air and exercise. When I got back it was obvious there wasn't much time left. I said I loved her, and thanked her for all she had done for me. (A bit late, that!) Then she just sighed, and her life was over.

When my sister and I were planning the funeral, we decided I should conduct the committal, and also deliver a tribute to Mum at the service. The committal proved to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done. It was a struggle to hold it together, and at times I was speaking through the tears. Oh, I know where she has gone: she loved Jesus so I'm in no doubt about that. But it's still hard.

After the service, a lady came up to em and told me Mum was her Sunday School teacher. She said how she enjoyed having Mum as her teacher; how Mum took the group to Edinburgh on the train (this was the late forties or early fifties); and how much of her own and her family's Christian faith, to my little Mum.

It was a humbling moment. I hope that some people, somewhere, can say the same about me.