Great evening out

Thanks to my brother-in-law Nigel (at the back of the photo somewhere in 2nd violins) I got an excellent seat Saturday night to see the RSNO.

They were playing a fave of mine - New World
along with a bit of Korngold (which I enjoyed) and some Stravinsky (which I expected to like & wasn't so keen)

How should we do church?

Rasberry j2o flavoured.........

A unique and brilliant get-together this week. A couple of hours in the Castle with some excellent folks - chatting about how we would like to be as a group. I hesitate to use the "Church" word. These notes are based on a little list I was scribbling down with a little help.

Things we don't want.

As I suspected we gathered a list of things we dont want, but the list was really revealing and in some ways exciting:

1) No to being passengers , visitors or observers. Brilliant - yes that is an excellent place for us to be starting.

2) Linked to that - no talking of the group in the second person. We take collective responsibility for us.

Other things we want to get free of:

3) History - now that is generally regarded as being a bad idea - "those who ignore the lessons" etc... What people want is a clean slate. Is it wrong/unrealistic to want that? - Well probably yes and no. forgiveness - possible, consequences - inevitable. Which leads neatly on to...

4) Dogma. - that's difficult too. This is probably because almost everyone in the group would tend to be a bit of a post-modern. What I want to be free of is faith in a set of dogma, as opposed to faith in a person. Faith doesn't have to be dogmatic.

Things we love and do want:

1. Genuineness - authenticity. We live in the right county for this - Yorkshire folk call a spade a spade.
2. Community - mutual commitment. (I was surprised to hear that some 30's singles enjoy a link to families with kids.)
3. God expressing himself through us. Christ centered (recognising that our community will normally have people in it who don't experience or want this)
4. Generosity - grace - in the widest sense.
5. Vulnerability
6. Uncomfortableness - challenge.
7. Open to grow by including others.
8. Commitment to spiritual journey. I would say "pilgrims, not settlers"

I wonder if the others are as scared of messing it up as I am?

Theology Group: Vincent Donovan

We talked around the second half of Vincent Donovan's "Christianity Rediscovered" at theology group tonight.

Most stimulating - notes here...

Brilliant how relevant this guy is to truly emergent church - church that is an authentic expression of Christianity in the tribal context. (I prefer the word tribal because I suspect it expresses well the contemporary UK scene)

Hope to see "The Mission" tomorrow night in our Lenten film series.

A`week in Germany

At our German HQ:

Nice place for a walk - but not much time for it. We were comparing notes on "mobilisation" (recruiting).

I love the fact that my work is recruiting people for a task I believe is the most brilliant thing a person can do.

If my God is the true God, and mission is his purpose (introducing others to him and his ways), then I am most privileged. Which of course I am.

But with privilege comes responsibility. The plan of God in the bible has always been that he blesses his people, that they may bless others. Easy to forget the second bit...

As usual I come away embarrassed that I have so many facilities and so many people to work alongside in the UK.

We did walk down to Lidl on the last day - walked back clinking (wine is €1.99 instead of £2.99).

Today Flora joined me for a bike ride. So the distance was easy for me - but it was her longest ever at 16miles. We got to Fairburn Ings great for coffee & a loo half way...

Jono (youngest at 21) got a Wii on Satuday - so loads of over-repetitive jokes about Jono having a wii in the lounge. I've made a nice Mii (avatar) but it is rubbish at all the games. Can't think why.

Grace again...

I was watching/listening to this again:
I just love the fact that for the event Floyd demonstrated grace in such a way as to cover old differences. Maybe I read too much in - maybe not. It was good to see the 4 of them arm in arm the first time for years.

But as Simon says: (quoting U2)

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
Grace finds beauty in everything.
Grace finds goodness in everything.

U2, Grace

I was chatting this week to Ben & Mel - sorting out church.... (a bit like the sorting-out-the-wrongs-of-the-world-discussion but a lot more parochial).

Church doesn't do grace very well - we can do law really well. Ironic really - God moves us from lawlessness through law to grace, and we always seem to get stuck one step back.

Church so easily becomes about law. Whether that is law about "received dogma", or law about "this is how we do it".

My son says I have my blogging face on again - so better lighten up and log off...

Cynicism is the pits

Every time I listen to a news bulletin today I feel like crying. Its the "friendly fire" incedent that killed L/CoH Matty Hull . Read it on the BBC here.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not anti-war - I just don't think we should do war in cases like the last (or current) Iraq war. It was always wrong - and some British politicians are still in denial.

My big problem here is the way in which the west cynically manipulates its so called "citizens of democracy". I have worked with military secrets (I worked in defence), I know they fulfil a function - but that function is not to provide the correct "spin" in order to dupe the very people that the military claim to protect. That I believe is a cynical manipulation of power.

Within hours of a "good news" event gunsight camera tapes are released to the media. But when they get it wrong (as is sadly almost inevitable in war) they "bury" the bad news. As in this case. Were it not for a leak (which will make the american security services even more keen to control "bad news") we would probably never have heard that tape of the pilots who slowly realise they have just killed a soldier on their own side.

Good news - it's not secret.

Bad news - it is.

And some think our society is worth exporting.

The worst thing is that there are a whole bunch of people who think that this is a "Christian" way to behave - some of them are American & British, some of them are Muslims - in my view all of them are wrong.

I can understand why many Muslims don't think much of Christianity - if that is all they see.

What's on my iPod?

Nothing - I dont have one - not that I'm complaining - shouldn't after reading Simons excellent piece on how tough it is to be rich. You need to read the comments to get some balance though. I am cross that I never heard that the "eye of the needle" is NOT a gate into Jerusalem. (here and here) - what crap we sometimes hear from pulpits! (makes mental note to stop talking crap in pulpits but realise it is a vain hope)

In fact I am very rich compared to most of the world (otherwise I'd not have spent £1.80 on a bar of fair trade chocolate in Saltaire on my bike ride this morning).

And I do have an MP3 player (Creative Zen Nano + 1GB) It's great! - I can listen to music all the way from Rothwell to Saltaire & back - 38 miles with no repeats.

John Mayer: Continuum

My brother suggested him to me (with the aid of a thumb drive) - I like his bluesey style, and the fact that he likes Hendrix ("Bold as Love" has lovely Hendrix references)

Sting: Brand New Day

I've been enjoying this for a while now - "Fill her up" is a story of a man for whom love gets him turned around, and resisting the temptation of an easy way out. "Tomorrow we'll see" is the touching story of a prostitute. Jesus understood people like that too.

Lowground: Long Way from Home

A great band that my son Andrew played in when he was in York - soft jazzy style with a super female vocalist - Emi.

Lowground: EP

More great stuff from Lowground!

The Beatles: Love

When I was a lad you were either a Beatles fan or a Stones fan - looking back I'm sorry I was such a wimp - I like both. My favourite is the vocal track "Because".

Opeth: Damnation

Son Jono suggested I try them because he thinks my musical tastes are too narrow - I don't try enough new stuff - true. Judging by this I should try more new stuff - It is ok.

Porcupine Tree: Stupid Dream

More via Jono. They do seem to have Floydian influences. Enjoying getting to know them.

Tenhi: Maaaet

Jono again! - The band name sounds like an Ikea whitewood hatstand - but actually they are Finnish - and they sing/chant in Finnish - bit wierd - will try them a bit more.

Pink Floyd: The Division Bell

One of my all time favourite albums from my favourite band. Best track is a lament about the loss of youth's simple pleasures "High Hopes"

Pink Floyd: Pulse

Arguably one of their pinnacle gigs (thogh it is post Roger Waters)

Delirious

Some friends eschew listening to "christian" music - I sympathise, but I do love these songs - some are uplifting - some challenging. A selection of favourite tracks include: "History Maker" and "What a friend".