way out west

Just a few questions re. Revival, the Holy Spirit and Todd Bentley etc.

These are genuine questions, I'm not having a go... I have been doing some research into the Florida thing and watching videos... I haven't yet been able to turn on "God TV" ! but I have been watching the streams from Florida...  so here's a few questions, like I said they're genuine and I would like serious replies/thoughts...

• Bentley kept saying things like "In Holland it's breaking out... Pastors in Holland, you need to get on a plane and get over here"... Why if "it" is already breaking out in Holland do they need to get on a plane to Florida?  TBH I never got the Toronto thing about going over there to get something from an omnipotent,omnipresent God anyway... but it seems doubly odd if it is already happening in ones home country to have to go to Florida... it suggests that what is "breaking out" is not the same thing or not as "powerful"???
• Bentley tells stories of several "raisings from the dead", including two in Northern Ireland... but try as I can I get nothing when I google or search the press... and in these days of 24hr media coverage, when international news companies can know about me coming to Telford, I just cannot believe that the media would not have coverage of people coming back to life, especially in the western world??? Surely, the doctors, morticians, scientists, police etc. etc. would talk about it... surely if it was a real "healing" from God, then the Churches would want to shout about it from the roof-tops... yet I can find nothing???  If you have, let me know.
• Why is there so much talk of "seeding' of revival through financial giving? - eg. “It may be that $1000 seed that you need to sow this morning.  It may be that $500 seed that you need to sow this morning.” and "The treasure room is open and you’re just sowing" even to the point of encouraging people to use their credit cards to give beyond what they have in cash?  If people feel called to support Bentleys ministry all well and good, but that is a different thing to me... do people believe that there is some sort of exchange going on 'cash for charisma'?
• I will be honest, I don't see much fruit from the Toronto thing... the Church is in no stronger place, in fact it seems in a worse state to me - numbers continue to decline, we have had the rise of things like "Word-Faith"  the "make me rich" prosperity rubbish and extreme fundamentalism... neither is the World in any better place by any measure... there is no more peace or justice on the whole??? On Fresh Fires, Bentley web site there is much stuff about laying on of hands and personal healing... but nothing I can find about Creation, Justice, poverty etc.  nothing that relates to transforming the world as far as I can see.  Why is that, and what is the "point" of the revival?  If it is the renewing of the Church... to what end?

When the Toronto thing started to happen, a few years back, I was genuinely excited about the possibility that it could bring huge change to the world... especially after the "Decade of Evangelism" which seemed somewhat damp... but I'm really not convinced that anything lasting or radical came from it, so one ends up asking questions about it's story... which then leads to a certain cynicism about further similar "revivals" and whether people are just looking for the next "buzz".

Reading John 20 and Acts 2 for a sermon this weekend I find it notable that the two instances of the giving of the Spirit are linked to a being out in the world... in John Jesus says "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you"... if he does not mean the incarnation, to live ones life with people and to give ones life for people (1Thess 2 for example) as Jesus did for us, what can he mean?  The Pentecost experience did not lead to the Disciples going back to that room night after night... extending the run of the revival... rather in immediate contact with the "outside world", and eventually to the Disciples going out two by two into the wider world ministering to people where they are, beyond their culture and country... they where being prepared and equipped to change the world, a change we still feel the resonance of today... as have revivals of the past... my experience of revival in the modern age is that it falls into the trap of being consumerist and experiential, ie. people get stuck in the room...  I really hope this isn't another one of "those", and will really send people out in the way of Jesus... As I said, I'm not having a go at Bentley, or Charismatics... some of my closest friends are Charismatics ;-) I genuinely want to know what people (especially those who might not be as cynical as me) think.

Technorati Tags: Church: Missional: Spirituality

Coolness?

From a TV programme on Channel 4 Education this morning...

"Why do I have to buy my self-esteem back from these companies?"

...asks a guy who is about to burn tens of thousands of pounds worth of labelled clothing, sneakers, sunglasses, stereo etc... and is paying for an industrial designer to re-box his Mac so that people will not know what it is... why because he says every since he was a teenager he has created an image and and acceptance for himself through the wearing of labels... why for example, he asks do people come up to him when he gets his computer out as if they knew him and where friends just because they use the same computer?... Why does owning something make you acceptable or approachable for others?

"it allows the wannabes to see what they can't be!"

...says the owner of an exclusive "rich boys and beautiful girls" club... he describes the club as a "celebration of money"... The people at the club say with one voice that the club is "cool", it seems in the marketing, consumer obsessed world "cool" has become something you can own and apply to yourself if, and only if you have the financial means to do so.  A group of "sneaker freaks" is followed queuing to buy a limited edition trainer and the way they obsess about having to have a pair (no different to stamp collectors having to get a limited edition "first day cover" IMHO!)... Coolness is a way of excluding others, setting yourself "above" others for some.

...not only is this very, very sad... but for me, it completely misses the point... coolness has always been about creativity and confidence, the willingness to stand out from the sheep, the crowd and do/wear/be things that challenge the "norm".  Coolness is about a willingness to be who you really are and to do what you feel is you regardless...  Martin, the maker of the film in the end agrees, he finds a surfer who for him embodies what "cool" is really about...

"He has a punky nonchalance - aggressively pursuing his own passion and dream - ... and he couldn't give a hoot if anyone is following him or not - girls want to shag him, boys want to be him, magazines want to take photographs of him, he'll probably make a lot of money etc. but I suspect if all of that disappeared he'd be out there following his dream regardless!"

"the funny thing is that real cool people don't care about being cool"

The Search For Cool
It's something people strive to be and if you could bottle it, you would. But what really is 'cool'? In The Search For Cool, advertising man Martin Cole is on a mission – he's going on a journey across Britain in search of the meaning of 'cool'.

In his line of work, Martin travels the world observing and predicting trends. And more and more, the companies he's working for are all after the same thing. They want to know what's cool and they want to use that knowledge to make their products cool.

On his quest in search of 'cool', Martin visits skateboarders in Edinburgh, 'grime kids' in London and a man who is about to burn every single branded item he owns. He meets up-and-coming indie band Larakin Love, who have just signed to a major record label, and Leeds band The Ivories, who have decided to stay independent and underground.

Martin looks at the role fashion plays in dictating 'cool'. He visits a group of sneaker obsessives on the hunt for ever more exclusive trainers and explores the enduring coolness of the retail phenomenon, Top Shop. Martin also examines the financial gains to be made from understanding what's cool. He meets the advertising men who spend their lives trying to make brands appear cool and looks at the re-invention of Honda as a 'cool' brand.

But is this obsession with consumerism all it takes to be cool? Or is it something more simplistic like being a surfer who lives his life simply in search of the perfect wave?

Produced for Channel 4 by Raw TV.

Technorati Tags: Culture: Television

criss cross

criss cross
Originally uploaded by jonnybaker

nice juxtaposition from Jonny B... up at Edinburgh castle... new and old... solid and network etc.

St Julian Meditation (for this Thursdays "The Table")

A meditation based on the revelations of St Julian of Norwich

And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut , lying in the  palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, 'What may this be?' And it was answered generally thus,'It is all that is made.' I marvelled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nought for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God.

Take a hazelnut –

imagine, you hold the whole universe in your hand, all it’s galaxies, solar systems, stars, planets – wonder at it’s size – God made it, God loves it, God keeps it…

imagine, you hold the earth in your hand, all it’s countries and oceans, its flora and fauna, it’s weather systems and currents, its cities and villages, it’s cultures and communities – wonder at it’s complexity - God made it, God loves it, God keeps it…

imagine, you hold this community in your hand, it’s people, their families, their personalities, their stories, their joys and their sorrows, their gifts – wonder at it’s diversity – God made us, God loves us, God keeps us…

imagine, you hold yourself in your hand, your story, your strengths and weaknesses, your dreams and your fears, your struggles and celebrations, your spirit – wonder at your beauty – God made you, God loves you, God keeps you...

In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that he loves it. And the third, that God keeps it. But what is this to me? Truly, the Creator, the Keeper, the Lover. For until I am substantially oned to him, I may never have full rest nor true bliss. That is to say, until I be so fastened to him that there is nothing that is made between my God and me.

God made it, God loves it, God keeps it
God made you, God loves you, God keeps you
God made us, God loves us, God keeps us

Proverbs 8v17-35

he who was before the beginning,
he who is one with the whole,
he who was not created but was,
he through whom everything was made,
he who came to walk amongst us,
he who was born into poverty,
he who had all power at his disposal,
he who gave it away for the least of us,
he who wore the mockers crown,
he who was stripped,
he who was whipped,
he who bled for us,
he who shed for us,
he who cried for us,
he who died for us,
he who lived again,
he who lives with us now and ever.

The bread and wine are shared

Hebrews 10v19-24

God, for your goodness, give me yourself, for you are all that I need
May I never ask anything that is less than you,
For if I ask any thing that is less, I know I will never be satisfied,
only in you have I all that I need.
Your goodness encompasses all of creation and all of your works,
Your goodness goes beyond all that we can see,
Your goodness is endless, for you are endless.
You created us for yourself,
and re-created us through your passion, your love and sacrifice,
Keep us in your deepest love and wrap us in your total goodness.
As we rest in you,
All shall be well,
And all shall be well,
And all manner of things shall be well.

 

Technorati Tags: alt.worship: Emerging Church: new-monasticism: Religion: Spirituality: St Julian: Worship

Brendan and the Secret of Kells - trailer

An unnoficial trailer for the animated film I've blogged about a couple of times (first post)... seems likely to be released next year.

Brendan and the Secret of Kells
www.awt.be

Tomm Moore, the man behind the film says "we still have quite a bit of compositing to do and its not really representative of what we would like to have in the trailer - there WILL be a longer one for public consumption later."  but as he links to it on his own Blog, "The Blog of Kells", it seems OK to put it here... It looks great to me and whilst just a snippet of what the trailer, never mind the film, will be... congratulations to Tomm and the team for a beautifully designed piece of work!

Technorati Tags: Art: Celtic: St Brendan: Video

Bono, Sunglasses and God!

ht to Neal (Limn) for this combination of a great quote from wordsmith Bono and a photo he took... I love the quote - although it does make you wonder why Mr Bono spends so much time in Sunglasses - hiding from something or someone perhaps?  Anyway, Neal also has a Desktop size version of the pic...

Technorati Tags: Art: Photographs: Religion: Spirituality

Trinity Icons - Pop Art!

It's kind of an appropriate time of year to be relfecting on the Trinity... and I have been reading "Holy Trinity, Perfect Community" by Leonardo Boff... so, it sorts of makes sense for my next meditation in paint to be on the Trinity... so, here they are - 3 icons, one for each person of the interwoven/entwined God-head... they also have the words used by Julian of Norwich (more of her later this week as this Thursday is Julian's feast day and we will be reflecting on some of her revelations - Hazelnuts and all that) for the action of the trinity - Make : Love : Keep - they are as you can see in a kind of Pop-Art / Comic/Graphic book style... hope you find them helpful/useful...

Technorati Tags: alt.worship: Art: Prayer: Religion: Spirituality: Trinity: Worship

er... hello... London... we're laughing at you not with you!

I think you might have got muddled... it seems you voted for the after-election entertainment not one of the politicians!  A man who is most famous for his "gaffes", extra-marital affairs and appearing on comedy panel shows... what were you thinking???  All he's ever done is get sacked for incompetence/lying etc. etc. and run a little political rag... Oh well at least those of us living outside London have something to laugh about... after all our taxes wont be controlled by this joker!  On the other hand... you've turned our Capital City into a laughing stock!

Technorati Tags: News

May the eyes of your heart be opened to the nature of God (Ascension day)

from todays lectionary readings

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1v17-end 

May the eyes of your heart be opened to the nature of God: who is source, saviour and spirit,
may you know the power, strength and riches of relationship with the living God,
may you grow in wisdom, insight and understanding of the ways of the living God,
that you may be free to know more of God each day,
that you may be free to know the hope gifted to you,
that you may be free to know who you where formed to be,
that you may be free to be all that you were formed to be,
that you might give the best of everything you have, you dream of, you are,
in communion with the God-community and with the community of God's people,
in the love of the God who created, re-creates and reigns
in the deep peace of God now, tomorrow and into the future.

Technorati Tags: Church: Prayer: Spirituality: Worship

Trinity in Unity in Community

Quotes from "Holy Trinity, Perfect Community" (Leonardo Boff)

God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in reciprocal communion.  The exist from all eternity; none is before or after, or superior or inferior, to the other.  Each person enwraps the others; all permeate one another and live in one another.  This is the reality of trinitarian communion, so infinite and deep that the divine Three are united are therefore one sole God.  The divine unity is communitarian because each Person is in communion with the other two.

I often find myself struggling with the way people talk about the Trinity... it seems either to veer toward Modalism (e.g. steam, water and ice), or as progressing from one another...  with the sense of The Father as supreme God, then the Son and the Spirit as an agent of Christ on earth... So when we say God, we refer to the Father etc.... a hierarchy I suppose... the latter seems to be the reality of how a lot of Christians express the Trinity, whether they would give that definition when asked specifically or not.  For example we attribute (and I do this too) the Father with Creation (for example we often describe the Three as Creator, Redeemer and Comforter in a way which implies sole responsibility)  yet John 1 and Genesis 1 describe Creation as being an act within which all Three are active and intrinsic...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men - John 1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. - Genesis 1

Creation is a community act; Father, Son (Word) and Spirit... all are involved and all are intrinsic.  As therefore all are involved in and intrinsic to re-creation!  Salvation/re-creation is not simply an act/responsibility of the Son... the Trinity is woven through all ongoing creation and re-creation... we where created, we have been re-created and we are being constantly created... one cannot attribute one part solely to Father, one to Son and one to Spirit, creation is ongoing and dynamic and the work of the whole Godhead.  My growing sense of the Trinity is most like the Ecclesiastes picture of "A cord of three strands" - the Trinity woven in and out, tightly together - when one acts all act - as Boff writes enwrapping and permeating one another.  So it isn't a hierarchical community - with three "levels" but as Boff also writes one which is radically mutual... which is in complete communion.

Incidentally, one of the "dangers" of Modalism as I see it is that we can end up adding a fourth mode of God... Father, Son, Spirit and Scripture... but that's another post for another day ;-) However what is relevant to this (now) is that how we "see" the Trinity has serious implications for how we do/are church/community...

What does it mean to say God is in communion and therefore Trinity?  Only persons can be in communion.  It means one is in the presence of the other, different from the other but open in a radical mutuality.  For there to be true communion there must be direct and immediate relationships: eye to eye, face to face, heart-to-heart.  The result of mutual surrender and reciprocal community.  Community results from personal relationships in which each is accepted as he or she is, each opens to the other and gives the best of himself or herself

This "picture"/understanding of the Trinity is one which fundamentally challenges our understanding of community... radical mutuality, mutual surrender, reciprocal, open and universal acceptance of the real "me", always giving the best of oneself, never holding anything back nor hiding ones gifts etc. heart-to-heart... All very difficult and uncomfortable... we know because this is what we dream of, this is what we are stripping ourselves back to become... this is something of the ongoing re-creation, the "somethings afoot" I spoke of a while back... and for me it is about discovering who I really am, in order that I can give my true self to the community, so that I know who God made me to be... and rather than seeing that as human pride or arrogance or even self-centredness it is about delighting in the God who created and is re-creating me and what/who God calls me to be... but, we're English (and Irish) so it's tough going at times ;-) especially for me.

Technorati Tags: Community: Emerging Church: new-monasticism: Spirituality: theology

Brendan Icon

I just finished painting an Icon of St Brendan.  The photo's not brilliant but you get the idea... standing on a chair looking down doesn't help in getting an even focus... it's 80cm high, painted on Hardboard with Acrylics and varnished...  I'll try to take a better photo in the daytime...

Technorati Tags: Art: Spirituality: St Brendan: Worship

1 Giant Leap

Just watched the first of the new 1 Giant Leap series "What about me?"... it kind of starts up where the previous movie left off... and I'm happy with that!  Great music, a variety of voices, thoughts and philosophies to reflect on... Michael Stipe, Maxi Jazz and Will Young... looking forward to the next "episode"!

If you missed it... watch it here!

Technorati Tags: Culture: Music: Television

Jesus Sneakers

Just bought a pair of these...

... Adidas Gazelles, with the Rio Skyline applied to the uppers... and the Jesus sculpture embroidered on the side... they even have Jesus embroidered on the tongue!  I love em... kitsch and cool :)

Technorati Tags: Culture: Sneakers: Clothing: Religion: Trainers

Tibetan Torch Relay

On the day the Indian leg of the Olympic Torch Relay begins exiled Tibetans run their own Torch Relay...

News footage from the India Times

Technorati Tags: News: Olympics: Tibet

Wine labels

Last night (at "The Table") we were focussing on giving ourselves as a community of peace to each other, to the place we live in and to God... we reflected on Colossians 3... being honest and peaceful with each other, living lives of peace and purity, being joined together in the living and incarnate God... as part of the (essential) communion part of the meal we made our own labels... putting our sense of our identity (personal and within the community) on the bottle of wine... which we then opened and used...

The main part of the communion was based on one of our communion reflections (which features in our "Navigatio" Proost booklet)... which begins...

Welcome to the table.  Eating and drinking together is a vivid sign of community.  Sharing tonight as we do regularly we are community, in communion with each other and with the creator redeemer God.  We reflect the image of a God who is by nature fellowship, family.  Yet family is difficult, it requires honesty and sacrifice.  It is vital that we are honest with each other and before God and that we give of ourselves to each other and God's purpose.

... and finished with a prayer from the Benedictine monks of Weston Priory, Vermont

At every moment of our existence, you are present to us, Father, in gentle compassion. Help us to be present to one another, so that our presence may be a strength that heals the wounds of time and gives hope that is for all persons, through Jesus, our Lord and Brother.

Technorati Tags: alt.worship: Community: Missional: new-monasticism: Spirituality: Worship