Future Shape Of Church

15.3.14

Unfurling the Sails

A minister capsized and sunk his little sail boat. He was thrashing around in the water when another yacht sailed up.

"Jump in, we'll save you" - they yelled.

"No" cried the drowning man, "God will save me".

Treading water, soon a motor boat came along side.

"Jump in, we'll save you" - they shouted.
"No" cried the drowning man, "God will save me".

Growing tired the man continued to tread water, until a fishing boat came alongside.

"Jump in, we'll save you" - they called.

"No" cried the drowning man, "God will save me".

Finally the man almost exhausted a helicopter came overhead.

"We came to rescue you" yelled the pilot.

"No, God will save me" was the response again.

The man’s strength gave up eventually. And as he crossed the Pearly Gates, he ran straight to Jesus.

"I placed my faith in you, and you let me drown?!

""Hey!" said Jesus.” I sent three boats and a helicopter".

Jesus Said: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

If you have ever been sailing you will know that the wind is very important. The wind dictates how fast you can go, and in what direction. Although modern sailing yachts can sail very close to the wind, it is not long ago that the sailing ships were far more limited.

Ulf Ekman's Catholic Conversion

Hot on the heels of Kenneth Copeland praying for the Pope, news has come that Ulf Ekman - a significant Charismatic leader in Sweden has converted to Roman Catholicism.

For those who have been watching Ulf (and I haven't for many years) the signs have been there for some time. Pictures like this are not hard to find - that is Ulf on the right:

Ashes and the Spirit

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.

Imagine that you come home one day, and there is a loved friend waiting on your doorstep to tell you that they have won the trip of a lifetime, and they are taking you with them.

How would we feel – Excited? Grateful? Joyous?

And then they tell you that this trip is to one of the least hospitable places on earth. That there shall be no food and only just enough water. Not only that, but on that trip you will be accompanied by the person you find the most difficult and unkind in all of the world. At that person would be badgering you, teasing and testing you all holiday.

How would you respond?

Perhaps joy would turn to ashes in our mouths.

Ashes are a symbol of Lent. We make them from the Palms that have proclaimed Christ’s Praises the year before. But once they have been through the fire, all that remains is ashes.

Ailing a Remedying Church

Linda Woodhead writes in the Church Times: 'A Remedy for an Ailing Church'. I haven't been reading the series as I don't subscribe to the Church Times, so I can't really comment on the claim that the Church is ailing, or comment on the various articles surrounding the series.

Professor Woodhead herself admits that the following remedy is a fantasy, but suggests that the Church of England could reshape itself into six different branches.

Do something radical this Lent: Fast

This Lent everyone seems to be doing everything - except fasting. A few months ago I adopted a 5:2 pattern of fasting, for both spiritual and health reasons. The truth be told I haven't lost much from around the waist - but I have begun to notice some spiritual effects. A deepened awareness of God and His plans in particular.

Lent is at heart the story of Jesus in the desert, and our journey with him. And although it is good to lots of positive things in Lent, unless we fast then we miss the season's intention - and its spiritual blessing.

So here is something I have published before on fasting

There's hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly
are burning clean with fasting,
every moment a new song
comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.

Jelaluddin Rumi

Paul writes:

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

And yet we fast.

The Pope and the Pentecostals

This video deserves 45 minutes of your time.

So Kenneth Copeland - a Word of Faith preacher whose theology is well outside my 'safety zone'. Bishop Tony Palmer, who is a fascinating character in himself. And Pope Francis, on a iPhone video giving a message of yearning from the heart.

And I think the Holy Spirit is in there too.

Humbling, because it is not how I would deliver this message of longing for renewal and unity in the church.

But God is clearly a lot bigger and more creative and radical than I am.

19.1.14

Kodak and the Church

Linda Woodhead links to this piece.

The Church's Frightful Kodak Moment: http://t.co/G70h1Pc5rB via @wordpressdotcom
— Linda Woodhead (@LindaWoodhead) January 19, 2014

For as long as I can remember the church has been going through some sort of profound meta-shift. We have been Post-Evangelical, Alt.Worship, Emergent and I probably missed some on the way. And through 20 years of crazy unusual foundational post-modern flip-flopping nothing very much has changed. The worship music got better in the mid 90's, went a bit naff again, and then got all Mumfordy. Oh and we get to play with different toys in church.

If anything the 'high modern' super-market churches have continued to thrive (although there are increasing concerns about discipleship), whilst some of the radical experiments have had limited impact. Charismatics have grown in influence, liberals have become more orthodox and evangelical has become the mainstream.

But none of this is significant change. And overall the number of people who are part of a church is dropping, even while many congregations maintain growth.

Good Vicars and Growing Churches

"The reality is that where you have a good vicar, you will find growing churches" @ABCJustin http://t.co/2beu6JhrAD 02:35:07 Disappointed.
— Stephen M Day (@therevsteve) December 31, 2013

Disappointed. As am I. Because although it is bad logic the assumption is that where you have a church that isn't growing you have a bad Vicar.

And of course growth is a rather slippery term. My involvement in Fresh Expressions has seen a number of projects grow fast, and then contract as circumstances change. Such periods often mark spiritual growth and individuals embracing discipleship, but the bottom line shows shrinkage.

Then there are plenty of Churches which are growing in one area but are diminishing elsewhere. In general the hierarchy of the Church likes mission minded Vicars to maintain that which has worked in the past whilst pushing forward with that which will work in the future. And by work I mean make disciples rather than just put bums on seats.

Churches are like mini dioceses, with different groups ebbing and flowing. So one wonders if where you have a good Bishop you find growing Dioceses?

But there is an easy solution. Rebrand everything that works as a Fresh Expression, and everything that doesn't as mixed economy 'care taking'. Focus all the attention on the former and you can be branded as a Good Vicar ... or Bishop.

8.11.13

#cnmac13

I don't go.

Conferences are old media not new media.
Premier promote 'Prosperity Gospel'.
There is an award ceremony. X-factor-ianity.

That is all.

3.11.13

So Long Saints

And Jesus said ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.’

And to which I say, thank you very much, I think you have all been brilliant.

Today we celebrate All Saints. In the Church of England we celebrate different men and women of God throughout the year. And yet we also recognise that we are all called, and called to be, - Saints. The meaning rooted in being holy, set apart for God, to be marked for heaven.

At all saints, we hold this in tension. On one hand the lives of those who inspire us, the Church Triumphant now in heaven, and on the other hand our own lives offered to God as holy, set-apart, as Saints. And in particular we remember those whom we love but see no longer who inspired us in our faith and relationship with Christ. The saints unknown to the wider church, but well known to us, without whom we would not be set apart for God, marked for heaven ourselves.

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