On Sunday I had the privelige of speaking at our home church in Edmonton. Our Pastor, O.J., asked me to speak about Acts 10 and 11, which was a lots of fun. If you would like to listen, you can get the mp3 file here. The theme of the sermon was building bridges.

I realise that Easter is a distant memory for most of us, however when I was in Jamaica I had the privilege of preaching the Easter Sunday sermon at a very special church in the heart of Kingston. They recently posted the audio file online, so if you would like to have a listen here it is:  The meaning of Easter

I’ve been meaning to write a reflection every day for the past couple of months. It’s been such an eventful time. I’ve been learning so much, and I have been stretched so far, but I haven’t found the emotional energy to be able to put fingers to keyboard.

I’ve been travelling the journey of the last couple of months in the company of N.T. Wright and his commentary/devotional Matthew for everyone.  For the last few years I have felt like Tom Wright has been a bit of a mentor as I have consumed books and listened to podcasts. He has a very helpful way of putting the bible in context and explaining the theological nuances that are usually revolutionary.

In yesterday’s devotion, Wright was reflecting on the story of Jesus walking on water. He said that

This story can be read as a picture of the life of faith – or rather the life of half-faith, faith mixed with fear and doubt, which is the typical state of so many Christians, as it was with the disciples. Matthew isn’t too worried about Peter’s reputation. It seems to see-saw to and fro, not least (as we shall see) in chapter 16, and then in the final days of Jesus’ life. Peter is something of a larger-than-life character anyway: impetuous, ready for anything, tending to act first and think afterwards. An endearing but risky characteristic. Would you rather have a friend who did what seemed the right thing and then worried about it later, or one who spent so much time thinking it all through that it would take weeks to get anything done?

As he draws his discussion of the story to a close Wright makes a couple of important points:

As far as we know, walking on water in the literal sense wasn’t something the early Christians expected to do themselves. Paul, facing another shipwreck, never imagined that getting out of the boat and strolling off to the shore was a viable option. So its likely that Matthew expects his readers to ‘hear’ this story in terms of their own journey of faith – and their own struggles with doubt. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a while since I have posted a new reflection. I’ve had a huge few weeks, including a couple of weeks in Jamaica, the passing of my grandmother and lots of work for my studies.

My exams are this week, so I’m hoping to get back in the swing of writing regularly soon, however, as part of my studies I wrote a research paper that further unpacks what I believe will be the basis of the next reformation of the church… and also the basis on which the church will effectively re-engage with community. It is an academic paper, so might be a bit dry, but I hope you might catch a sense of the future as you read it.

One other thing that has happened in the last few weeks is that my book has been released as a Kindle e-book…  If you want to explore more about Kingdom Cells, then the book is a great place to start. You can see it at:  http://amzn.com/B00C0ONNK8

Mission to Whole Communities and Nations

The organization I work with, Fusion, started in 1960 and since 1980 it had the goal of seeing the whole nation of Australia transformed by the Kingdom of God. Fusion had a very clear strategy to achieve this goal, and yet 30 years on the strategy has not unfolded in the way it was initially envisaged.

This paper will explore what effective mission to a whole community or a whole nation might actually look like. 

God’s people are called to whole nations and communities

The Bible is concerned with God’s reconciling action for whole peoples. The Old Testament focuses the journey of Israel as a whole people, chosen by God. This theme is specifically spelled out in Deuteronomy 7:6[1] and 14:2[2], but continues as the central story throughout the biblical narrative.

When Jesus gave the great commission, he commanded his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations”[3], rather than individuals. In Revelation 7:9 we are given the picture that at the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, nations, tribes and peoples will still be distinctly recognizable. National and cultural identity is not lost in the Kingdom of God, and as Christ’s ambassadors,[4] we need to not only understand what this means for individuals but also for whole nations and communities.

What does mission to whole communities or nations look like?

One of the understandings implicit in much of the New Testament, and which we are beginning to understand is that mission is not so much about what we do, but who we are. J Ross Wagner writes:

While redemption is from first to last the work of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is a work that nonetheless establishes reconciled human beings as active co-laborers with God. In union with Christ, we find our lives increasingly conformed to the pattern of Jesus’ own self-giving love, as in the power of the Spirit and under the tutelage of the Scriptures we participate in the on-going mission of the triune God to the world.[5]

N.T. Wright believes that this picure, of reconciled human beings as active co-laborers with God, is actually the heart of Jesus’ strategy:

“The evidence points, I suggest, towards Jesus intending to establish, and indeed succeeded in establishing, what we might call cells of followers, mostly continuing to live in their towns and villages, who by their adoption of his praxis, his way of being Israel, would be distinctive in their local communities.”[6]

Read the rest of this entry »

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of U2 and often quote their lyrics. As someone who has been working with a group that calls itself a movement, I have been fascinated as I watch Bono’s intentional efforts to build a global movement to eradicate poverty.

Back in 2006 he gave what I consider to be one of the greatest speeches so far in this millennium. He was calling for action.

A couple of weeks ago he gave a speech at TED, which shows that things are changing in a remarkable way.

I have posted both speeches in this reflection, and I would recommend you watch both.

This is the 2006 speech:

Read the rest of this entry »

I had the opportunity to speak at church this morning.  We had a tour group in from Melbourne and it was one of the most enjoyable services I have been to in Poatina. There was a real sense of community but also of God’s presence.

I spoke about truth.

I had a chat yesterday with a friend about truth and whether you can know what it is, or whether it will always be subjective.

I was struck this morning by the lectionary reading: Psalm 51. It is such a deep and beautiful piece of writing because it comes out of great anguish. David write the Psalm after Nathan confronts him about his adultery and subsequent murder.

One line in particular struck me:

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. (Psalm 51:6)

Often when we are arguing for truth it is an external, theoretical truth. Here David says God wants us to face the reality of who we actually are.

The paradox of Faith is that I have to face the part of me that doesn’t love God in order to really love God.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m tired its been a big week and this morning I went out for a really nice cooked breakfast with friends. I came home to an empty house, which is not a normal thing for me, and I was faced with the question of how I would spend the morning.

I’ve just started watching House of Cards on Netflix and this morning I thought that before I did anything I would watch an episode. I have discovered that, although I don’t watch a lot of television, when I get onto a particular series I can be a bit compulsive. My favourite television show is the West Wing, I have seen every episode at least seven times.

House of Cards is the antithesis of West Wing. West Wing is mythical, portraying a brand of politics that is ultimately noble and committed to the greater good. House of Cards portrays a politics that is grubby and committed to self interest. At the end of an episode of the West Wing, I often felt more “together”, like somehow in watching the screenplay I had come to understand more of myself. At the end of a House of Cards episode I find myself feeling a bit more fragmented and suspicious.

I’m interested to see the way that in House of Cards, people have to work hard to suppress their goodness in order to be in politics. I am interested to see whether, as the series develops, whether people are actually able to do that, or whether a sub plot will be the redemption of any of the main characters. In many ways the drama of the show is the attempt to suppress goodness. So far in House of Cards, evil constantly wins the battle despite the humanity of the characters, but I keep holding out hope. It’s certainly not one to watch if you are easily offended.

In the West Wing, the characters had to continually work to suppress their doubts, fears and self interest, and it was the constant battle with themselves as individuals and collectively that created the drama in the West Wing. Ultimately in the West Wing, good won the battle despite the fragility of the characters.

I was interested in a quote from Aaron Sorkin, the writer of the West Wing, that seems to sum up almost all the main characters in the screenplays he writes:

“Develop your own compass, and trust it. Take risks, dare to fail, remember the first person through the wall always gets hurt.”

The stories of the West Wing are almost all about an attempt to hold on to the compass in the middle of an internal and external battle. The stories of House of Cards seem to be about to what extent it is possible to pretend the compass doesn’t exist.

What I appreciate about both series is the depiction of the battle.

I experience life as a battle between two sides of me. I was interested this morning to be able to watch myself and realise that I could have quite happily just watched television all day and pretended that the challenges of life didn’t exist. I could have run away from the battle and hidden the compass.  Read the rest of this entry »

I have been wrestling with what it means to not have a predictable wage lately. A big part of me would like not to have to rely on the generosity of others to support the ministry that I believe God has called me to. In our capitalist society, living without a wage doesn’t make sense and means that I, and my family, are continually in a place of vulnerability.

In my quiet time this morning, I was struck by Jesus’s command to his disciples as he sent them out for their training run in Matthew chapter 10 verses 8-13

“The message was free when you got it; make sure it’s free when you give it. Don’t take any gold or silver or copper in your belts; not bag for the road, no second cloak, no sandals, no stick. Workers deserve their pay. When you go into a town or village, make careful enquiry for someone who is good and trustworthy, and trustworthy, and stay there until you leave. When you go into the house give a solemn greeting. If the house is trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it, but if not, let it return to you” (N.T. Wright’s translation)

The Message puts it this way:

“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave. “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

It is clear that Jesus was inviting people to trust themselves to the hospitality of the people they met. Jesus’s followers were not to be distant from the people they stayed with, they were to be deeply engaged with them. They were to share life with them, and share their food. They were to put themselves in a place of vulnerability, where, if the people didn’t feed them, they would not get fed.

In his translation Wright focusses the issue of trust, pointing out the defining characteristic that people were to look for in those they stayed with was that they were trust-worthy.

I think I have wanted to spiritualise the way I live, saying that I am trusting God to provide my needs, but the truth is that the way God does that is through people. Living without a wage in the way that I have been is living in the hope that others will value enough what we are doing that they will house us, feed us and clothe us. It is certainly not a “safe” way to live, and as Jesus makes clear, there are times when you are not seen and cared for, but it is a way of living that means you are continually wrestling with, and learning about, trust.

My friend Andy sent me a link to this TED video (below) by a Cabaret Punk music star. I must warn you that she is most certainly not a “Christian” artist, and a couple of moments in the video are confronting, and a little awkward, but I think this morning I learned something from Amanda Palmer. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been loving my study with Taylor Seminary so far. I am currently finishing off one subject (Christian Worldview), and neck deep in three others (Church history since reformation, Integral Mission and Ephesians). I am fascinated how four subjects that are ostensibly so diverse seem to correlate so deeply.

I had thought that I had a good grasp on the book of Ephesians… turns out I had as much of a clue about the book as I do about ice hockey… not a lot.

I love that a central theme of Ephesians is the diverse church united through Christ. I’ve been remembering  a conference I was at in Australia where an elderly catholic states-person challenged the conference with the words: “The miracle we are to become, is the miracle of reconciliation.” At the time I thought it was a nice sentiment, but now I think I am glimpsing just how profoundly true those words are.  Passages like the one below are taking on a new level of meaning for me.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Eph 2:14-18)

I think part of the reason all of this stuff is hitting me so deeply is that I have been in a place over the last three years where the profound difficulty in living out these sentiments has been sharply in focus. Read the rest of this entry »

I have now been in Canada for over two months. It has been an interesting experience coming into a country for a longer period of time. I am realising how superficial my engagement has been when I have come in and out.

One of the things that I was surprised by was how much more consumerist the culture is here. It might just be Edmonton, but huge shops are everywhere and every week a forest of trees are sacrificed to produce catalogues that no-one ever reads. I was surprised at how different this all has been, because I would describe Australia as a fairly consumerist culture too.

For a subject I have taken on the Christian Worldview, I had to read Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire, and the author William T. Cavanaugh makes a point that I had never really thought about before.

I had always thought the danger in a consumer culture was placing too high a value on stuff. He points out, I think rightly, that just the opposite is true.

Read the rest of this entry »

I had a great day today sharing at the Christian Fellowship Church at Spruce Grove. They recorded the sermon so I figured this was a chance for me to let my regular blog readers hear a little of my voice. The link to the audio is here: How God’s heart is focussed in His care for His people – and what it means for us

I was speaking about a topic that has been an important discovery for me personally: the connection between the cross and becoming yourself, bouncing off two quotes from C.S. Lewis and two from N.T. Wright, using Mark 8 as my main text.

Today I had prepared a powerpoint that I didn’t get to use, but if you would like to follow along, and get the quotes you can get the pdf here: Christian Fellowship Church 9th Feb 2013

I have just reading four different books for a class I am taking on the Christian worldview. All four were thought provoking but one in particular was both challenging and affirming at the same time.

The book is called The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life. I think what has been so helpful for me personally is that both Freud and Lewis have been a big part of my referential system, and having someone put both their worldviews and their lives side by side.

The Author, Dr. Armand M. Nicholi Jr., is a Professor of clinical Psychiatry at Harvard Medical school which means he brings a different life experience than the typical Christian Author. He makes it clear that he wants to explore the worldviews of each man, but also their lives and, in his words how the way they lived their lives might “strengthen or weaken their arguments and tell us more than their words convey.”

What emerges is that Freud lived life intellectually brilliant but socially dysfunctional. For all of his insight into how people worked, he seemed unable to maintain healthy friendships or relationships with the opposite sex.

What came through profoundly in the book was the way that C.S. Lewis’s conversion to Christianity affected his whole life.
Read the rest of this entry »

This morning I was trying to work out why I was so excited to be back in the classroom.  I recalled a conversation with my lecturer for Ephesians, Dr. Syd  Page about Ephesians 4 and some of the different understandings people have about what the text is actually saying and the impact that their understandings then have on their picture of what church should look like. Syd pointed out that often a lot comes down to some very complex questions about some very simple words, such as whether the word “and” between “pastor and teacher” means that the gifts are two different things, two different aspects of the same thing or overlapping gifts. For some reason the conversation got me excited.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m enjoying my morning ritual of a cup of coffee and a bit of space to reflect, read and pray.

Over the last couple of days a dawning awareness has crept over me… I’m finding it hard to trust God. There is an underlying fear that I will find that somehow I was trusting for the wrong thing, or that God will teach me a lesson by letting me suffer.

I am not talking about what I believe theologically, but what is going on in my emotional world as I sit down to have a chat to God.

I am realising that at least some of the fear stems back to what feels like a train-wreck a few years ago when it felt as though God let a bunch of stuff happen that should not have happened….. at least from my perspective.

The bible verse that has been a foundation for my life has been Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

I have a question…  what happens when you trust God and he seems to make your path crooked? Read the rest of this entry »

“Jesus had no intention of founding a new religion. Those who followed him were given no name to distinguish them from other groups, no creed of their own, no rite which revealed their distinctive group character, no geographical centre from which they would operate. The twelve were to be the vanguard of all Israel and, beyond Israel, by implication, of the whole ecumene. The community around Jesus was to function as a kind of pars pro toto, a community for the sake of all others, a model for others to emulate and be challenged by. Never, however, was this community to sever itself from the others.”

“First we have to ask whether it is fair to expect a movement to survive only as a movement. Either the movement disintegrates or it becomes an institution – this is simply a sociological law. Every religious group that started out as a movement and managed to survive, did so because it was gradually institutionalised…….”