Well. What can you say that will do justice to the situation.
I first heard something was up while I was in a meeting this morning, somebody got a phone call before the TV coverage really kicked off.
Just spoke to a couple of my friends in London. There seems to almost be a lack of surprise that it has happened, almost a sense of inevitability. I know that in the lead up to the G8 summit the thought crossed my mind that London might be a bit of a target with all the police efforts focused on Scotland.
One of my friends in London said that although these things were happening just a few miles away, it almost felt like it was in another country.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
hmmm...makes you think doesn't it
I'm the 670,349,289 richest person on earth! Discover how rich you are! >> |
Which means there are approximately 5,329,650,711 people poorer than me on this planet.
Monday, July 04, 2005
reflections on "creating church in the emerging culture"
On Saturday I was at the Custard Factory in Birmingham for the Re:source conference. I found the conference to be encouraging, inspiring, challenging. It got me thinking about the work I'm doing in Millhouses at the moment, and where stuff could go in the future.
The large part of the day was spent listening to a guy called Andrew Jones, aka TallSkinnyKiwi.
He started off by reflecting on how the Kingdom of God is like yeast (Matthew 13:33). As yeast is worked throughout the dough the yeast cells divide, yet it's impact is what makes the bread rise and grow. This cell division is so small, microscopic, invisible to the human eye. For us, as members of God's church, must not our actions also be almost secret and meek rather than proud and showy, just as Jesus warns against in Matthew 16:6 - also talking about yeast.
He also talked about Luke 8, when Jesus was on His way to Jairus' house. Jesus was stopped by an 'unclean' woman on the way there. Yet Jesus stopped, and spent time with this woman, her faith having healed her. Who are we called to work with? The cool, important people, or the inclean, those that nobody else will even touch?
We then moved on to look at Luke 10, from which I noted down a number of things that grabbed me.
We are told to enter other people's houses, rather than us dragging them into ours. What does this say about the way we do mission, and the way we do church???
God HAS prepared a harvest. The harvest IS out there. We must learn to find where God's favour is.
The 72 were told to go out, eat, drink, heal etc etc. THEN tell people about the Kingdom of God. Is this the way we do it? Or are we often in a hurry to get all the 'God stuff' in right at the beginning. People need to experience the Kingdom of God before we start banging on about it verbally.
We must ask God - the Lord of the Harvest - to send out workers. But these workers might not include us.
In the afternoon we started off by looking at a bit of emergence theory. Now I have to be honest, this is an area about which I knew very little. But it was actually quite interesting (though probably simplified somewhat).
In Proverbs 6:6-8 we are told to go and look at the ants, and it is with ants that this emergence theory was explanined.
Ants don't have a leader or a queen ant or anything like that, but they still manage to accomplish a whole lot. Some characteristics of both ant colonies, and this whole emergence thing are:
1. low-level chaos leads to high-level sophistication without orders being given.
2. everyone communicates with everyone.
3. simple structures.
Interesting stuff, especially when you reflect on the way churches often operate.
We then looked a bit at the role of 'new media' within the emerging church/culture context. There has been/is happening, something of a renaissance where everybody is now writing (this is happening virtually, online, eg blogging). We are co-creators, co-producers. Questions were raised on this issue - what about those people who can't use computers/don't have access to computers etc. In answer to the use of new media in a church context, the answer seemed to be that this new media should be used to augment the existing relationships, rather than play an central part. On reflection, I now wonder what the increasing use of new media in culture/society at large will mean for those who don't have access to it, or don't know how to use it. Will people just be left behind??? What does the church/the emerging church have to say about this?
The point was made, and I appreciated this, that people's attention span is not necessarily getting shorter, rather they are becoming used to a broad spectrum of media happening simultaneously. For example, (and this might not be the best example)channel surfing is not about a short attention span, rather it is about comparing the different channels simultaneously, making decisions about what we want to watch.
A definition of ministry was presented that seems so simple, but is really quite profound:
1. giving gifts
2. telling stories
3. throwing parties
4. making friends
Questions were raised about how success is measured in the emerging church context. Does the emerging church itself need to set out such indicators?
With the increased use of new media and all that, it is easy to think that the emerging church is quite a 'cool' thing, but the point was made that it is not just being 'cool' for the sake of it, rather, this new technology allows us to read the emerging culture. Culture itself is relational, interactive, connecting. These are the characteristics which need to shape our churches.
You can find more about the stuff that was said on this day here and here
The large part of the day was spent listening to a guy called Andrew Jones, aka TallSkinnyKiwi.
He started off by reflecting on how the Kingdom of God is like yeast (Matthew 13:33). As yeast is worked throughout the dough the yeast cells divide, yet it's impact is what makes the bread rise and grow. This cell division is so small, microscopic, invisible to the human eye. For us, as members of God's church, must not our actions also be almost secret and meek rather than proud and showy, just as Jesus warns against in Matthew 16:6 - also talking about yeast.
He also talked about Luke 8, when Jesus was on His way to Jairus' house. Jesus was stopped by an 'unclean' woman on the way there. Yet Jesus stopped, and spent time with this woman, her faith having healed her. Who are we called to work with? The cool, important people, or the inclean, those that nobody else will even touch?
We then moved on to look at Luke 10, from which I noted down a number of things that grabbed me.
We are told to enter other people's houses, rather than us dragging them into ours. What does this say about the way we do mission, and the way we do church???
God HAS prepared a harvest. The harvest IS out there. We must learn to find where God's favour is.
The 72 were told to go out, eat, drink, heal etc etc. THEN tell people about the Kingdom of God. Is this the way we do it? Or are we often in a hurry to get all the 'God stuff' in right at the beginning. People need to experience the Kingdom of God before we start banging on about it verbally.
We must ask God - the Lord of the Harvest - to send out workers. But these workers might not include us.
In the afternoon we started off by looking at a bit of emergence theory. Now I have to be honest, this is an area about which I knew very little. But it was actually quite interesting (though probably simplified somewhat).
In Proverbs 6:6-8 we are told to go and look at the ants, and it is with ants that this emergence theory was explanined.
Ants don't have a leader or a queen ant or anything like that, but they still manage to accomplish a whole lot. Some characteristics of both ant colonies, and this whole emergence thing are:
1. low-level chaos leads to high-level sophistication without orders being given.
2. everyone communicates with everyone.
3. simple structures.
Interesting stuff, especially when you reflect on the way churches often operate.
We then looked a bit at the role of 'new media' within the emerging church/culture context. There has been/is happening, something of a renaissance where everybody is now writing (this is happening virtually, online, eg blogging). We are co-creators, co-producers. Questions were raised on this issue - what about those people who can't use computers/don't have access to computers etc. In answer to the use of new media in a church context, the answer seemed to be that this new media should be used to augment the existing relationships, rather than play an central part. On reflection, I now wonder what the increasing use of new media in culture/society at large will mean for those who don't have access to it, or don't know how to use it. Will people just be left behind??? What does the church/the emerging church have to say about this?
The point was made, and I appreciated this, that people's attention span is not necessarily getting shorter, rather they are becoming used to a broad spectrum of media happening simultaneously. For example, (and this might not be the best example)channel surfing is not about a short attention span, rather it is about comparing the different channels simultaneously, making decisions about what we want to watch.
A definition of ministry was presented that seems so simple, but is really quite profound:
1. giving gifts
2. telling stories
3. throwing parties
4. making friends
Questions were raised about how success is measured in the emerging church context. Does the emerging church itself need to set out such indicators?
With the increased use of new media and all that, it is easy to think that the emerging church is quite a 'cool' thing, but the point was made that it is not just being 'cool' for the sake of it, rather, this new technology allows us to read the emerging culture. Culture itself is relational, interactive, connecting. These are the characteristics which need to shape our churches.
You can find more about the stuff that was said on this day here and here
Friday, July 01, 2005
thursday
On Thursday I spent most of the day hanging out with Suzanne and Gav. I grew up with Suzanne in Chesterfield. But then she spent some time travelling and ended up moving out to New Zealand and marrying Gav.
I'd not seen Suzanne in a couple of years, and I'd never met Gav. We spent the day in Sheffield, eating, drinking, chatting and shopping. I really enjoyed spending time with them - just one of those really cool days.
I'd not seen Suzanne in a couple of years, and I'd never met Gav. We spent the day in Sheffield, eating, drinking, chatting and shopping. I really enjoyed spending time with them - just one of those really cool days.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
creating church in the emerging culture
Off to a day confernce on Saturday down in Birmingham. The conference is being hosted by Re:source which is an inter-demoninational resourcing, church planting, networking organisation.
As the title of this post suggests, the conference is about church in the emerging culture, and mission and all that kinda thing. Amongst those contributing to the day is Jonny Baker, who works for CMS. He also taught me on my under-graduate degree course with the Centre For Youth Ministry.
I'm kinda interested in all this mission, church, emerging culture kinda thing. It ties in with my current degree, and is also really useful as I think about where the youth work here at Holy Trinity is going. One of the things I'm doing as part of my job, is seeking to develop relationships with young who are hanging out in our local park, skateboarding, playing basketball etc etc. At the moment I really don't know where it's gonna end up, but I believe it will be good to hear some stories from other people looking to develop new models of 'church'.
As the title of this post suggests, the conference is about church in the emerging culture, and mission and all that kinda thing. Amongst those contributing to the day is Jonny Baker, who works for CMS. He also taught me on my under-graduate degree course with the Centre For Youth Ministry.
I'm kinda interested in all this mission, church, emerging culture kinda thing. It ties in with my current degree, and is also really useful as I think about where the youth work here at Holy Trinity is going. One of the things I'm doing as part of my job, is seeking to develop relationships with young who are hanging out in our local park, skateboarding, playing basketball etc etc. At the moment I really don't know where it's gonna end up, but I believe it will be good to hear some stories from other people looking to develop new models of 'church'.
truth 05
Last Saturday I was helping out at a youth event, which is part of a series of 'conferences' called Truth 05. They're put on by Nail The Truth.
Nail The Truth started as the Youth Ministry of All Saint's Ecclesall, but is now developing into a citywide resourcing, networking kinda thing.
What's encouraging for me, is that although not everyone involved shares the same theological views on everything, people are working together. I know that I've been guilty (and still am sometimes) of slating the way different people do things, but it's been really good to meet, pray and work together on stuff. I think its a healthy example to demonstrate to the young people we work with, as well as our own local churches, communities, and society at large.
Monday, June 20, 2005
green day
On Saturday I went to see Green Day at Milton Keynes Bowl. Green Day were excellent, playing a good mix of new stuff as well as some old classics. I've never seen them before, but I was really impressed by the show that they put on - loads of pyrotechnics, fireworks, ticker tape. Slightly over the top, but I guess that's the whole point.
Green Day @ Milton Keynes Bowl
Supporting Green Day were Jimmy Eat World, a rather disappointing band from Staines called Hard-Fi, and an American band called Taking Back Sunday. Not only were the pretty good musically, I also really like the name.
Green Day @ Milton Keynes Bowl
Supporting Green Day were Jimmy Eat World, a rather disappointing band from Staines called Hard-Fi, and an American band called Taking Back Sunday. Not only were the pretty good musically, I also really like the name.
Monday, June 13, 2005
amercians - they're actually not all bad
During this last week there have been a whole load of Americans visiting All Saint's Ecclesall, which is one of our neighbouring churches. We've had some of these young people down to Holy Trinity to do a bit of gardening around the church. They were really hard-working, and it was a humbling/encouraging experience having these young people and their leaders here, just serving.
Gardening Team at Holy Trinity
We also had quite a lot of the team down in Millhouses Park, during what would have been a detached work session. When you've got 30 odd American people playing 'soccer' and basketball, it makes doing detached work a bit different. But that time in the park really got me dreaming about how the detached work could, and hopefully will, develop in the future.
Gardening Team at Holy Trinity
We also had quite a lot of the team down in Millhouses Park, during what would have been a detached work session. When you've got 30 odd American people playing 'soccer' and basketball, it makes doing detached work a bit different. But that time in the park really got me dreaming about how the detached work could, and hopefully will, develop in the future.
the last month - again
I know it's been ages since I posted. There's no real excuse for the slackness, other a combination of busyness and lazyness.
The last month has been pretty good, but it really does feel like its been non-stop. As I think back I can remember a hectic weekend on Scout Camp. I have to admit that despite some intial scepticism, I really enjoyed myself. Chopping wood and making fire is most agreeable.
The youth work at Holy Trinity seems to be going ok. Some bits are going better than others, but then thats just life. You can really tell that we've now been about 9 months without a vicar. Although I'm a bit apprehensive about having a new (earthly) boss, I know that the church needs it.
The last month has been pretty good, but it really does feel like its been non-stop. As I think back I can remember a hectic weekend on Scout Camp. I have to admit that despite some intial scepticism, I really enjoyed myself. Chopping wood and making fire is most agreeable.
The youth work at Holy Trinity seems to be going ok. Some bits are going better than others, but then thats just life. You can really tell that we've now been about 9 months without a vicar. Although I'm a bit apprehensive about having a new (earthly) boss, I know that the church needs it.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
camping
Last weekend it was really good to get away for a few days. I went camping with some friends to the Gower Peninsular, South Wales.
Gower Peninsular
We spent a considerable amount of time lazing about on the campsite, making fires on the beach, with a bit of walking thrown in for good measure. On Sunday we walked along the Worm's Head - a peninsular off the end of the Gower that is only accessible at low tide.
All in all it was a really relaxing weekend. Just what I needed.
Gower Peninsular
We spent a considerable amount of time lazing about on the campsite, making fires on the beach, with a bit of walking thrown in for good measure. On Sunday we walked along the Worm's Head - a peninsular off the end of the Gower that is only accessible at low tide.
All in all it was a really relaxing weekend. Just what I needed.
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