way out west

CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training

CMS launch the prospectus and web site for their Pioneer Mission Leadership Training

The CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training Course is a new, creative way of equipping and mobilising Christians for ground-breaking, transformational, sustainable mission.

The course:

1. gives pioneers, who often find themselves “on the edge”, a supportive, learning community – a place to belong
2. equips pioneers to initiate and carry on mission projects that have a wider impact on the church and society
3. meets an identified need within the wider church for a diverse approach to training mission pioneers

In short, this unique course equips pioneers – lay, ordained and anywhere in between – for effective mission in a new way.  It is not only a validated course of study; it’s a new course of action.

New Monasticism Questions

Ben Edson asks some questions of New-Monasticism in advance of the book launch tomorrow...

1: One comment that Martyn Percy made was that an 'an abbot' is a title rich in heritage and monasticism as a concept is one that has deep, deep roots.  Does our contemporary re-imagination of the monastic tradition violate the heritage from which it comes?  Is it too pop...

2: Is there something slightly sanctimonious about the new monasticism conversation?  Is it the bitter pill that Christians think that culture needs to swallow to make it better? Is there a genuine desire to swallow the pill and is this desire matched action?

3: Is it offering a countercultural model of community?  And if so is the best model to engage with society?

4: Does it bring people to faith?  Does it engage with the non-churched?

 

I left the following (partial) response... 

Interesting Q's Ben, though I do wonder if they are still infused with a somewhat modernist (and Evangelical ;-) ) language of evaluation - "best", "better" etc. but not much about authenticity, integrity, etc.? I'm not sure it's about being the "best" or even being a "model" but about finding ways of community and spirituality that resource and sustain a 24/7 way of living faith - so rather than seeking the "best model to engage" we simply do what we find sustains that missional and spiritual engagement and as a bonus we may find that for many who have lost the tools for being community it offers a window on a fuller way of living. I guess one could say that rather than being a "model" it could be an Icon of the God who is by nature community... also I wonder if rather than being a replacement (or solution for the ills of) the Church it could be, as Monasticism has always been the left hand to the ecclesiastical right hand of the faith? Did in the modern world we lose our connection with the monastic and seek to replace it with the Para-Church (YFC, SU, etc. even CMS!) and as that part of Christendom is in decline are we simply re-exploring what was for centuries has been part of what we know as Christianity?

I asked your 1st question to Abbots Sam (Hillfield) and Stuart (Mucknel) recently and the answer they gave was that unlike the Church which seeks to do "new things" to sustain the inherited, they believed that a) we had to release new expressions of monasticism to find new ways in a new era, b) that they wanted to learn from the new ways what the challenges, joys etc. are of the world we live in now and c) they wanted to give to us their wisdom, particularly what they have learned about community and spirituality over the centuries. They saw a line of continuum but also that like Parents there has to be a letting go in order that the child can grow toward maturity.

New Book - Starting from Zero with $0

 

Just received a copy of "Starting from Zero with $0" written by Becky Garrison - Available from Amazon

Churches everywhere are suffering from draconian funding cuts, so how do leaders with a heart for alternative ministries fund their passion and build communities that will last? Journalist and commentator Becky Garrison looks deep into the experience of nearly a dozen ministries in the United States and United Kingdom - all of them geared to the growing spiritual-but-not-religious demographic, and all of them highly creative ventures doing a lot with a little money. How did these ministries start from zero with $0? And how could you?

We are one of the featured communities, along with "The Church on the Corner", "Grace", "The Crossing", "St Marks in the Bowery" amongst others.  I haven't had time to read it all - will post more when I have had chance to.

 

Book Launch: Ancient Faith Future Mission: New Monasticism as Fresh Expressions of Church

The combination of Fresh Expressions of Church and the explosion of interest in monastic spirituality is resulting in the emergence of new monastic communities inspired by historic patterns of religious life, but reframed for the contemporary world.  In this book, leaders of traditional religious communities and emerging 'new monastic' communities tell their stories and reflect on how an ancient expression of being church is inspiring and shaping a very new one.

Thursday 3rd Feb.  18:00 - 21:00 

Location: Church House, 90 Deansgate, Manchester.

Free Tickets: http://newmonasticism1.eventbrite.com/

Panel for the Manchester Book Launch

(Chair) Ben Edson, Diocesan Fresh Expressions Missioner & Associate Missioner of the National Fresh Expressions Team

Ray Simpson, Aidan and Hilda Community Lindisfarne

Philip Roderick, Spirituality Advisor to the Bishop of Sheffield and Leader for Contemplative Fire Community

Mark Berry, Safe Space Community Telford

Ian Mobsby, Moot Community London

 

Sank•tuary 2 anniv report

Sank•tuary report

Christianity, Community, Culture, Mission, Missional, safespace, Telford, sanktuary

When does a symbol cease to be a symbol?

Today is Maundy Thursday, today is the day when many rituals take place supposedly pointing back in time to the festival of Pesach (passover), the seven day Jewish festival.  Of course for many of us it points to a specific years celebration, the last Pesach celebrated by Jesus. 

On the news today there is much coverage of the Queen performing the traditional symbolic service... well some of it!  Historically this would have included the Monarch washing the feet of her subjects - a sign of her service to them - but of course this has been abandoned.  One has to question then if this symbol (A symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.) has been abandoned, why has it?  Of course there will be voices crying "Security" etc. etc. but has it been abandoned because in our world it's message is simply unpalatable?  The idea of the Monarch (or anyone else in power) so visibly declaring an attitude of humility may simply be so counter cultural that it is impossible to even symbolise!?  Our society has been so infected with individualism and ideas about personal security - looking after number 1! - that washing feet is deeply uncomfortable for all of us, not just those with visible power! 
There is one symbol the Queen will do, she will give 84 (her age) bags of money to pensioners - the purpose of the money is of course intended to be 'symbolic' and not to be spent by the recipients, but is it really symbolic?  I'm not sure it is, it is an act which has replaced a real act - the Monarch giving real help to the poorest in society - and as such it represents something which no longer happens, one could even say it assuages tradition but enables the removal of real responsibility to act!  It makes one feel secure in the believe that the act is/has been done but in reality it hasn't.  So in effect it becomes an excuse for the avoidance of the real meaning, not a symbolic representation of an actual truth.  A symbol is not a tradition it is a representation of something real, it points to something bigger, marks it's reality, communicates it.  A symbol ceases to be a symbol when it replaces the thing it is intended to represent, when it becomes the act itself.

Note, though I am not a monarchist this is not specifically a dig at the Royals, it is more a reflection of how we all can use the language of symbolism to hide our avoidance of uncomfortable reality.  Easter is full of symbols, many of them make uncomfortable demands on us; for sacrifice, for humility, for forgiveness, to allow God to do God's work as God intends not as we want, to become imitators of Christ - living for others and giving our life for others, becoming a servant - a living sacrifice!  Not simply making symbolic representations of the above, excusing us from real change, but actually living the reality of Easter.  Referring to my previous post, it seems that the last supper was a far more public act than I previously thought, it wasn't a private, personal act, likewise "religion" is not a private affair, nor simply a weekly symbolic celebration, Easter calls us to live our faith & hope in a certain way but it also calls us to live it openly and in public and for it to make a real and radical difference to the world we live in.

Technorati Tags: Bible: Christianity: Church: Community: Emerging Church: Fresh Expressions: Mission: Missional: new-monasticism: Spirituality: theology

Liturgy after the Liturgy... some words for tonights "table"

This is part of our worship tonight - along with using our labyrinth and St Patrick's Breastplate.

Liturgy (The Eucharist) is always the entrance into the presence of the triune God and always ends with the community being sent forth in God's name to transform the world in God's image... Mission is concieved, in other words, as the "the liturgy after the liturgy," the natural consequence of entering into the divine presence in worship. - Bevans and Schoeder “Constants in Context”

The liturgy after the liturgy.
There is no breathing out without breathing in,
There is no flow without ebb,
There is no outpouring without drinking deep of life.

We cannot be love for the community without being drawn deeper ourselves into God,
We cannot bring change to the world without our lives being realigned,
We cannot forgive each other without knowing the freedom of forgiveness ourselves.

We ache for the loneliness of the world and are known by a God who is family,
We cry for a world trapped in greed and are loved by a God who gave up everything,
We fight against a world with little justice and are embraced by a God of mercy.

Forgive us Lord for not taking the time to know you more,
Forgive us Lord for not taking the time to know each other more,
Forgive us Lord for not taking the time to know your world more.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are worshiped.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

You welcome us back with simple open arms, forgiven, restored ready to begin work again
You stand naked, mocked and bleeding with the love of a proud parent on your face,
You move in and amongst us with un-ignorable force, yet tenderly,

This moment is a not the end of the road, it is the beginning of a new stage of the journey,
A party is being prepared to send us back into the world in joy, let’s eat and drink!

Sharing the Bread and the Wine

For God so loved the world - may we naturally follow suit,
That he gave his only son - may we learn the wonder of sacrifice,
That all who believe - may our love for one another be the crucial evidence,
May not perish - may we work to halt the collapse of lives, of communities and of creation,
But have eternal life - may we point to the hope you bring now and for the future.

It is time to walk on, this time we walk together, with each other and with God.
We are one body because we share in one bread and drink from one cup.

Technorati Tags: alt.worship: Christianity: Church: Community: Emerging Church: Fresh Expressions: Labyrinth: Mission: Missional: new-monasticism: Pilgrimage: Prayer: Rhythm: safespace: Spirituality: St Patrick: theology: Trinity: Worship

How Deep?

I have a post currently on the Fresh Expressions - Share Blog - Here

Graham Cray told General Synod last week that a crucial factor in the spread of fresh expressions has been 'a new imagination about the form or shape of church'. He is right. We have seen over the last half decade an exploration emerge which concerns not just the stylistic aspects of our gatherings - music, dress, structure, location, etc - but concerns the very substance of what it is to be church. The question is, if this is good, how deep are we willing to go?

At the heart of the matter is how we have sought to be community and how this journey has led us into a new romance with the God who is by nature community. We have had a new encounter with God as Trinity, not a hierarchical Trinity with God the Father as the CEO, Jesus as middle management and the Spirit on the factory floor, but with the Trinity as the root of radically mutual community ... of the meal table, not the boardroom table!

This is changing how we see and do leadership within communities, where we put the emphasis on the flow of gifting rather than the authority of a title or position. Each of us surrenders our gifts to the community and so each of our gifts, rather than being lost becomes animated from use and spreads through the community. When a prophet is willing to give their insight then all our eyes are opened in new ways; when the artist creates, we all find new ways to express ourselves.

So, how deep are we willing to let this change affect us? How much of our systems and structures are we able to challenge? Can we let a 'ground up' shift impact how we think about every part? Can it change the way we think about leadership, about ordination, about our structures? Can it change the way we think about leadership, about ordination, about our structures?

A colleague of mine from Lichfield Diocese, Revd Richard Moy, challenged Synod why it 'locked its trainee clergy away for three years in a place full of other Christians'. I agree. We need to reflect on how we train our leaders, but have we got to go deeper? In this changing world, which will force our church to change, is it time to release leadership, to give it back to communities, to create a new way for sustainability which does not rely on a professional body but on equipping and resourcing communities to lead themselves?

After a recent visit from our new bishop, one member of safespace said how great it was to share with him as he was not at all 'bishopy'! Is it time to reflect the shift from hierarchy to community, not only on the ground but can we as a church become a community of communities, where we rely on each other, where we support each other and allow the quietest voices to be as significant as the most powerful ones?

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Christianity: Church: Church of England: Community: Emerging Church: Fresh Expressions: Leadership: Missional: Pioneer Ministry

Support the Robin Hood Tax!

No this isn't a tax on Nottingham Forest Supporters... though now I come to think of it... ;)  No this is a campaign to tax the continuing bonus/risk culture of the banks.  It's no minority political campaign it is supported by organisations such as Christian Aid, Cafod, The Church Urban Fund, Comic Relief, Ekklesia, Unicef, The Salvation Army etc. etc.

http://robinhoodtax.org.uk/

The Robin Hood Tax is a tiny tax on bankers that would raise billions to tackle poverty and climate change, at home and abroad.  By taking an average of 0.05% from speculative banking transactions, hundreds of billions of pounds would be raised every year.  That’s easily enough to stop cuts in crucial public services in the UK, and to help fight global poverty and climate change.  Why now?  Because of the financial crisis, frontline services at home – like the NHS and our schools – are under fire.  At the same time, poor communities and the environment are being hit hard – as aid and green budgets are slashed by rich countries.  So it’s time for the people who caused this mess to pay to clean it up.  Who’s in?  Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel (the German Chancellor) and Nicolas Sarkozy (the French President) have all spoken out in support of a tax on financial transactions.  Plenty of business bigwigs are on-board too. Like Lord Turner (from the Financial Services Authority), George Soros (the philanthropist) and Warren Buffet (US businessman extraordinaire). And then there are the hundreds of economists who have backed the idea, too.  This isn’t some crazy pipedream. It’s a simple and brilliant idea which transcends party politics and which – with your support – can become a reality.

Technorati Tags: Culture: Mission: Politics: Poverty: Campaigns

Soundscapes

I came across this blog/work of "sonic-artist" Phil Harding (ex member of the Mod band "The Scene"!)

phill harding is a freelance composer/soundartist based in the pennine hills of west yorkshire, england [uk]. much of phill’s current work involves the use of environmental field recordings—focusing on the sounds we usually ignore or filter out—to point out the beauty in the mundane.  this blog is phill’s attempt to document his daily life.

many of these tracks were recorded binaurally—ie with tiny microphones placed in the ears, and are intended for playback over headphones only. listened to via headphones, binaural recordings tend to have excellent spatial properties, reproducing the way we actually hear, so playback feels [aurally, anyway] much as it actually felt to be in the space recorded. playback over speakers is not the best way to appreciate such recordings.  other pieces here were made using more traditional recording methods, and will sound fine over speakers or headphones.

Interesting

Technorati Tags: Art: Media: Music: Sound: Web 2.0