way out west

Larry Gross on how not to be a Christian Poser!

Came across this post from Larry Gross on d2k on loving the people and place where you live... for me this is key to real incarnational faith... God loved the world so much that he sent his son - God incarnate... we love as God loved us - incarnationally and sacrificially... surely this is the message of the Gospel, echoed in the mission of the church (1 Thessalonians 2 etc.) - sorry if this doesn't fit with the whole dualism/total depravity thing, but it seems to me clear that God LOVES the world (not the same as LIKES all of what the world has become on our watch) and we are called to do the same... anyway loved this post - Thanks Larry (excerpt below)...

If you can’t love the people God placed you in contact with… you’re a poser in desperate need of a serious kick in the head by the Boots of the Gospel of Peace. Do you think we live where we live by some freak accident? Do you think you’ve been placed near that guy who really pisses you off because God is mad at you? Do you think your nemesis exists purely for the Devil’s enjoyment? Nope.

I live where I live because God has called me to love the people I’m near. Nobody I live near is an accident. The people in my neighborhood who tick me off are here to remind me that I must rely on the Spirit to love this person and respond winsomely to their barbed attacks. My multiple nemesises exist to remind me that I must find my worth in God and God alone.

To stop being a poser, I’ve realized that I must fully live my theology. I’ve realized that working out my salvation with fear and trembling equates to getting my butt out there in the world and actually working out what I believe in the LIVING of life

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Culture: Emerging Church: Mission: Missional: theology

The Seeds of Exclusion

The Salvation Army have published a new report on Homelessness this month, called "The Seeds of Exclusion"...

A new generation of children risks becoming socially excluded and even homeless unless urgent action is taken to tackle poor and abusive parenting head on, a report warns.  This stark warning comes in The Seeds of Exclusion, a new report by The Salvation Army based on in-depth interviews with nearly 450 people currently receiving help in its homeless centres across the UK.

The report found that a very high proportion of homeless people surveyed had a disruptive childhood, and suffered abuse and problematic relationships with their family and friends both now and in the past.  Nearly 30 per cent were homeless before they were 18, some on more than one occasion. Those who had poor relationships with their parents were more likely to be have been homeless as children.  Traumatic experiences and poor childhood relationships with parents are key. Poor relationships with one's father as a child were common among homeless people charged with criminal behaviour as an adult. A poor relationship with one's mother was linked specifically to antisocial behaviour throughout life.

The Seeds of Exclusion study also discovered that homeless people have a much higher level of severe and untreated mental health problems than has been previously documented. Two thirds (65 per cent) screened positive for two or more psychological problems such as personality disorders, a range of mental illnesses, drug and alcohol abuse.  Only one in ten (11 per cent) of those surveyed had access to mental health care.

The study by The Salvation Army found that the gap between leaving 'controlled' environments such as prison is not being effectively bridged. A quarter of interviewees had come almost directly from places like prison or a mental health unit.

The full report is available to download on the Salvation Army Website - Here

Technorati Tags: Church: Culture: Mission: Missional: News

Blogging on Facebook

If anyone who uses Facebook wants to read this Blog via Facebook... then you can... go here ... if 15 people sign up then the full feed will be imported... thanks. :)

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Web 2.0

Is the "outpouring" over, or has it just become portable?

So it seems the Florida tap ('faucet' for our stateside friends) is to be turned off... the flow of the outpouring is to be stemmed... after Todd Bentley's "break" it has been announced that the Florida Revival Meetings will end on August the 23rd... Bentley does say that the "Revival" will continue, but will now hit the road... whether this is a change in God's plans, a response to increasing criticism in Florida or some other reason one cannot say... it is interesting in that Bentley has been so strong in his assertion of God's move in that particular place previously and has fought the critique of those who have questioned the idea of having to "go and get the anointing", so now the "anointing" can come to you, in that aspect at least it's an encouraging move.

Bentley says (with some typically questionable "old covenant/tabernacle" theology)

Our final day will be August 23rd, in Lakeland out at our airport location. If you haven’t yet attended, now is the time to come and get some!

Where once the revival hubs seemed to stay put, sometimes for years,—the Lord is telling us, “Move, walk the land, move the Ark of My Glory.”... Pray for us as we walk the land, carrying the precious Ark of His Healing presence.

This comment from the Host church is telling IMHO...

Ignited Church will continue the revival, holding services every night after Bentley leaves, Strader said. And he is negotiating with other Lakeland churches to host services a few nights a week.  “We’re ready to take over. We don’t know at this point what venues we’ll use,” he said. “Most services we’ll be able to handle here at Ignited. We do anticipate crowds dropping off after Todd leaves.”

Technorati Tags: Florida: Todd Bentley

"Head of Emergent" on the "Head of the Anglican Church"

... it's nice to hear some positive reflections from Lambeth... Brian Mclaren writes...

My sense is that the quiet, prayerful, and humble patience of Archbishop Rowan Williams is leading the way to better days for the Anglican Communion. It feels like the bishops gathered here are turning a corner together. I feel that I'm witnessing the emergence of something good, beautiful, true, and blessed ... Hearts here are sincerely open to the Spirit of God.

NB... the title of this post is supposed to be read with your tongue firmly in your cheek ;-)

Technorati Tags: Anglican Church: Church: Emerging Church

Blogging Bishop and the Buddhist Chant Controversy!

A great Lambeth post from the Blogging Bishop (+ Alan Buckingham) Demonic Buddhist Chant In Cathedral - just shows how easy it is to make a fool out of yourself by being reactionary, without checking out the facts!  A lesson for all of us - myself included!

Technorati Tags: alt.worship: Anglican Church: Blogging: Church: Spirituality: Worship

navigatio

Our liturgies have been used all over the world and in all sorts of situations... but there's something about the way Matt used them on his holiday on a barge that makes me feel great!  Thanks Matt :)

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Spirituality: St Brendan: Worship

Rene Padilla - CMS Missiologist in Residence Autumn 08

Rene Padilla is coming to the UK to spend 5 months as CMS Missiologist in residence (staying at the new CMS Mission House)... As well as being a leading voice during the Lausanne Congress, planting churches amongst slum dwellers and drug addicts,  developing a network of student ministries in Latin America and being Emeritus President of the Kairos Foundation (promoting reflection on integral mission in local churches) Padilla is president of the Micah Network, about which he says...

The Micah Network is an encouraging sign of the present-day awakening of the social conscience among evangelicals around the world. Its major strength is that it provides a unique space for evangelical Christians from all over the world to grow together in their understanding and practice of Christian discipleship in a global world affected by consumerism, injustice, and oppression.

My hope is that it will find ways to strengthen practical partnership across national borders in order to counteract the negative aspects of globalization and to globilize human solidarity.”

During his time in the UK he will taking part in several events including "Enough is Enough Revisited" on the  25 October "In a global community, how do Christians define and live 'enough'? A day of reflection on community, food, travel, creation and time." and "Tomorrow's world" A residential weekend, 21-23 November 2008 at Windmill Farm, set in lovely countryside five miles from Faringdon, Oxfordshire - "a chance to hear and interact with one of the leading thinkers of our time."

For more information visit www.cms-uk.org

Technorati Tags: CMS: Community: Culture: environment: Mission: Missional

Censorship

Dave Walker, of Cartoon Church and cartoonist in residence at Lambeth 08, has been effectively censored by a cheap and cowardly method... a "cease and desist" notice which means that unless he could fund a long and expensive legal battle he has no choice but to remove his truthful reportage... see the story on "Thinking Anglicans" and if you want to read the actual posts that had to be removed then, "praise be to Google" for their cache!  Click here for the direct links to the cached posts.

Strangely it seems Dave has been forced to remove the post explaining why his other posts have been removed!  So the censors don't want their censorship to be public knowledge eh?  Shame that the internet just doesn't work that way!  But if this post disappears you'll know why! ;-)

Technorati Tags: Anglican Church: Blogging: Church: News

Driscoll on "enjoying" his wife and shooting "false teachers"!

I was reading Joel Virgo's interview with Mark "so macho" Driscoll in Newfrontiers on-line magazine, in the very first answer he makes this comment, which to me just seems weird...

I pray a lot over the trips I take. With a growing church (www.MarsHillChurch.org), church planting network, five young children, book deadlines, and most of all a wife I really enjoy, time away comes at a great cost for me.

What a strange way to describe your marital relationship!  I can just imagine the wedding vows... Mrs Driscoll "I take this man to be my lawful wedded husband, to honour cherish and obey"  Mr Driscoll "I take this woman to be my lawful wedded wife, to enjoy!" ... sorry, but it really does sound like the way you might talk about an activity, a toy, an object etc.  Surely a word like "love" might be more appropriate?  I "enjoy" a nice pint of real ale, or a football match, or a good TV drama... I even enjoy the things I do with my wife... but I would never, when looking for one word to describe how I feel about my wife, choose to say I "enjoy" her!  I "love" her, She is my partner, my spouse, my soul-mate... not my plaything!

He also says, when asked "What are some of the things no one is saying but you wish would get said?"

I wish we had a functional definition of a false teacher so that some of the wingnuts, nutjobs, oddballs and wolves writing and speaking on behalf of evangelicalism could be taken out back and shot.

... no comment ;-)

Technorati Tags: theology: Wierd Christianity