kairos observe, reflect and discuss

Change

2011-05-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

I am no longer going to be using this particular blog - please go to http://www.luke1910.wordpress.com/ for the new blog we are developing.

Things continue to change - as of the 1st May we officially became a Bishop's Mission Order (BMO) - with this change comes charity status & becoming a limited company so that we can manage our affairs with appropriate accountability.

Our Parish status will cease once the scheme for reorganisation has advanced through all the necessary consultations & legal processes.

We are currently looking at how we train, equip, release & support disciples in mission & especially ongoing development of MSCs. A new pattern of training & equipping is likely to be in place from September 2011.

We are becoming part of the Missional Communities Network UK - part of a movement of mission.

Lots happening.

As I said at my licensing service in October 2008 "change is here to stay". What an adventure!

Mark Carey

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 25th Dec

2010-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

25 December 2010

Luke 2 v. 15 - 20

‘They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.’

We’re told that the shepherds, taking God at his word, hurried off to find the baby. What did they see when they got there? An ordinary young couple with their newborn? People of the same social class as themselves, in humble circumstances? There was no worldly pomp and circumstance surrounding this birth, no trappings of royalty, or airbrushed celebrity status.

Like Anna and Simeon in the temple courts¹, and the wise men who would follow², the shepherds saw past the evidence of their natural eyes. They looked beyond the physical reality, and saw the greater truth: a Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord. They saw things the way God saw them. They looked with the eyes of faith.

We need to become like the shepherds, people who in every situation, take God at His word and see things as He sees them. This is the nature of repentance – to change our way of thinking - to align ourselves with God. And this is what the great figures of faith in scripture were commended for: they chose to believe God, rather than the wisdom of the world, or the ‘facts’ of their circumstances³. It is not that we ignore the physical evidence, but that we do not accept it as the greater reality.

The shepherds’ faith-response to their encounter with Jesus, was firstly to praise the Lord, and then to tell their neighbours the good news.

God has come to us, transformed our ordinary lives, delivered us from every power of darkness, made us His children and released His power among us. Let’s respond with worship and celebration, and then tell our corner of the world that He wants do it for them too.

Prayer

Lord,

Help me to align myself with You in everything.

I worship and praise You for all you have given me.

Increase my understanding of the amazing salvation I have through Your Son,Jesus,

And give me opportunities this Christmas season to share this good news with the people around me.

Amen

¹ Luke 2 v. 25-28

² Matthew 2 v.1-2

³ Hebrews 11 v. 11,12

Enriched by God's Action

2010-12-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

I came across this quote yesterday:
"The effect of evangelism is to enrich life by God's action, no less than the 'shalom' of the whole earth" - Bishop Patrick Yu.
It strikes me that the birth of Christ was an act of evangelism - God's action enriching life bringing 'shalom' to the whole of the earth - "and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests" (Luke 2:14)
Our evangelism needs to have the same quality - based on an unshakable belief that God's action enriches life founded on our own experience of life enrichment in him.We are recipients of God's action - he has acted 'upon' us and our response at times such as this, Christmas, needs to be one of thanksgiving and appreciative worship.
Happy Christmas!

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 24th Dec

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

24 December 2010

Luke 2 v. 8-13

‘And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night’

For many in the busy, noisy, Western world, silence is both unnecessary and unnerving. A recent television programme, ‘The Big Silence’, made a fascinating exploration of the thoughts and experiences of volunteers, entering a silent retreat for the first time. In the silence they came face to face with buried parts of themselves, receiving healing, and there were several profound encounters with God.

The Bible has many accounts of people who spent time alone with the Lord, often in the desert, away from human distractions. Invariably their lives were shaped by these intense encounters.

Consider the conditions in the inn: apparently there was no recognition that the greatest event the world had ever known was taking place, no quietness to register that God himself had come to them, no room for the Word of God. But, in contrast, out on the hillside, shepherds were keeping watch; by necessity, listening to the sounds of the night. And it was to them the Word of God came, ‘a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’

‘Where shall the word be found,

Where will the word resound?

Not here, there is not enough silence,¹’ wrote TS Elliot, challenging our Western busyness.

Let’s set aside some time this Christmas, even in the middle of the hectic activity, to come before God, not to pray, but to listen. Let Him come and speak His Word into our hearts, His Word that brings revelation, transformation and grace. And then let’s celebrate!

Prayer

Father God,

I live by every Word that comes from Your mouth

I want to hear Your voice this Christmas.

Help me to set aside time to be still and listen. Amen

¹Ash Wednesday 1930

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 23rd Dec

2010-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

23 December 2010

Luke 2 v. 1-7

‘She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.’

At Christmas we celebrate Emmanuel, God with us – the mighty God who came amongst us and is still with us today. The circumstances of Jesus’ birth cry out to us that God comes to the ordinary, and brings redemption. It is not a tale of man’s efforts to claw his way up to an inaccessible God, but rather the desire of Almighty God to come and shed His glory in the commonplace.

We can imagine the scene in that Bethlehem inn, crowded to the ginnels, the normal business swelled with pilgrims who had come to register in the town of their birth. We can see the bustling scene, hear the noise as people ate and drank, so busy there was not enough room for two late comers. I wonder who noticed, in the midst of the laughter and talk, a man and a young woman being led away to sleep with the animals. And if they did, did they slip out and follow, to see what would take place. Did anyone in the inn that night, hear the murmur of Heaven preparing to invade earth?

What about us today? We are challenged to take time in the midst of the festive rush to allow Him to come. To allow Emmanuel, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, to invade the commonplace of our lives, and transform them with His glory. There is no relationship, problem or circumstance too lowly, or too difficult, for His notice. Let’s make room for Him to have His way with us today.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for wanting to shed Your glory in my ordinary life.

I invite You into ……………………….…………………

and I look for Your transforming power.

Help me to share this good news with my friends and neighbours. Amen

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 22nd Dec

2010-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

22 December 2010

John 1 v. 10-14

‘The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.’

The story of much religious activity is man’s attempt to climb up to God, and a lot of time, effort and resource is put into its pursuit. For some, it describes the character of their Christian walk, the effort they put in to try and connect with God: ‘If only I could read the Bible more, pray more, do more, be a better person – then I would find God.’ And so the way to heaven becomes littered with discouraged and disillusioned people.

The Christian Gospel actually offers something quite different. Jewish history tells of the passionate desire of the Lord to live among His people², and how He came and filled first the Tabernacle, and then the Temple, with His glory. Then we read in this passage that God actually became incarnate and made his dwelling (literally ‘tabernacled’) among us. The Good News is that God has come down to us to meet us where we are.

There are several challenges in this for us.

The first is to take stock. How much do we try and reach God through our performance? All we need to do is acknowledge our own helplessness, and receive Him and believe in His name.

The second challenge is to trust in His word, and delight in His Presence, to believe He has come, and is living among us.

And the third is to see His Presence touch the people around us. One of the requirements of the Old Testament priesthood was that they carried the Ark of the Covenant -a representation of the Presence of God. We, as a royal priesthood¹ likewise have the incredible privilege of carrying the Presence of God to our world.

God is the one who has come to us, to be with us where we are. What if we prayed just one thing today: Welcome Lord - I welcome you to my day, fill my heart, my home, my workplace with your presence. What if I welcomed him to my world today - simple words? God wants us to live a life worthy of our calling. This is not the demand of Law but rather the offer of Grace – he wants to come himself and work it in us. And in him is everything we need

Prayer

Lord, there is nothing I can do to climb up into Your Presence.

Thank you, Jesus, that You have come, to meet me where I am.

Welcome Lord. Welcome to my day.

Fill my heart, my home, my workplace with your Presence.

I welcome You to my world today.

¹1Peter

²Exodus 29 v.45, 46

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 21st Dec

2010-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

21 December 2010

John 1 v. 1-9

‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome¹ it.’

For our forebears, this, the dark time of the year, was an anxious period: available working hours were limited, and untold menaces, real and imagined, lurked in the darkness. Today we are grateful for modern electricity artificially lengthening the days, extending our productive time and dispelling some of the terrors of the night. And in this Christmas season, festive lights make the darkness a place of wonder.

Light has two great properties: it dispels darkness, and it enables us to see. Light always overcomes darkness just by being itself. And it is only the presence of light, entering the eye, which gives us sight.

Not only are the winter days dark, but the present times can seem dark too. The Bible describes man’s internal condition as full of darkness; the darkness of fear and sin, emotional, mental and physical pain, and the darkness of alienation from God; a darkness which manifests itself outwardly in our world in a multitude of ways.

Into this darkness Christ came; not as a dim, flickering light, but as a blaze of glory. The Gospels show that in every encounter with Him, the darkness that kept mankind in bondage was pushed back, and people were able to see clearly.

Today let’s meditate on the effects of light on darkness, and ask the Light of the World to come to us afresh. Let’s approach Him with a faith that expects to receive, a humility that acknowledges our need, and ask Him to shine his radiant light on our dark places, and dispel every one. Let’s ask Him to open our eyes to see clearly, and to use us to be people who shine His light in the dark places of the world around us.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Light of the world,

Come and shine Your light in every dark place in my life, bringing forgiveness, healing, deliverance and clear sight.

Fill me with Your light and then use me to touch the people I meet.

Thank You that You are answering my prayer even as I speak.

Amen

¹(NIV alternative translation)

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 20th Dec

2010-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

20 December 2010

Matthew 2.13-18;

Sometimes it is right and proper for us not to be around certain people, depending on what they may have planned for us. In this passage, Joseph is told to go to Egypt, and quick, because Herod felt threatened, and maybe even devalued, and wanted to kill Jesus, and maybe even his parents.

Herod shows a completely different characteristic to all others we have looked at this week. The basis for this week seems to be around the issue of trust, but Herod doesn’t demonstrate any of that trust in God, he demonstrates trust in his own reaction.

The challenge for us as gods people, is to trust him, not to react as Herod did, in his own humanness, in his own threatened nature, but in relationship and trust in the living god. We need to do what Herod didn’t, put ourselves to one side, as Jesus did when he went to the cross, and rather than reacting, or trying to contrive circumstances in our own strength, we need to trust, follow and be obedient to Gods direction in our lives.

Prayer

Lord, help me to trust you, totally and absolutely. And Lord, help me not to try and fix things in my strength, but to trust in your guidance. Lord, help me finally to find worth and value in you and who you have called me to be.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 19th Dec

2010-12-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

19 December 2010

Matthew 2.1-12;

This is an amazing story of how the Magi followed a star to where Jesus was. No matter who they encountered, or what dangers they may have faced, they followed the star.

Reason? They understood the importance and worth of the Messiah. They wanted to be with, to encounter the living Messiah. Abandoning all they had, their single-minded pursuit was to bring their presents to Jesus.

Would we have done what the Magi did? Would we have asked the king of the time, where the Messiah was? Our challenge from the Magi is to follow wherever we may be lead, and to give an account of why we go that way. The Magi would not have had an idea where they were going to end up, but they followed, and this is the challenge to us, to follow god, to go where he wants us to go, and to give an account of why we do this if asked.

Prayer

Lord, Help me to follow you wherever you want me to go, and give me the courage to give an account of my following you.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 18th Dec

2010-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

18 December 2010

Matthew 1.18-25;

How many of us, if we are honest run away from embarrassing situations, or situations where people may ask too many questions? If we’re honest, probably most of us!! But here we find Joseph, in a situation where Mary is pregnant and it wasn’t by him! He would have been fully aware of the questions, the comments, and judgments from others.

But what Joseph shows us is his complete obedience to what God tells him. Unquestioningly he does all that God tells him, without thought or consideration to the consequences. His obedience is complete and absolute and he just doesn’t listen for God’s guidance, but he hears God’s words, and he acts upon them.

The challenge to us therefore is to listen for God’s guidance in all circumstances, and to be obedient to him, regardless of consequences and our human desire to act differently.

Prayer

Lord, help me to hear your voice, to be obedient to you, and put your guidance before my own reactions.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 17th Dec

2010-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

17 December 2010

Galatians 4.4-7;

If you are anything like me, you often have a timescale for when things need to happen, and all things have to fit into the timescale you set.

This passage tells us, how God recognises our circumstances, and at his time, the right time, the appointed time by him, things happen.

God enables us to live out of freedom, to live as an heir, to live as his adopted child, and this is not out of anything we have done, but purely, and only out of his grace and love for us.

The challenge therefore, for us, is two-fold: firstly to live in the existence that God wants us to live in, as his child, an heir. But secondly, to know that all things happen by his appointed timing, as he has all our best interests at heart, and therefore as we journey through life with God, we appreciate the appointed time he sets for all aspects of our life. Trusting God is right at the centre of our relationship with him, and living in his timings.

Prayer

Lord, help me to trust you more. To know your timing is perfect, and to know you have my interests at your heart.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 16th Dec

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

16 December 2010

Philippians 2.5-11;

It would have been so easy for Jesus to walk around on earth in an arrogant pompous manner, knowing who he was, and ensuring that all who he came across submitted to him, his position, and who he was.

The reality though is something very different. Jesus took the existence of a human, and lived his life out in such a manner. Even to the point of crucifixion, Jesus, as the son of God, could have escaped from that circumstance, as he was aware of what was going to happen, but chose to follow the root that God had laid out for him.

The challenge therefore for us, as Gods people, is to live our lives in a non-arrogant way, submitting ourselves to the life that God has laid out for us. To put aside all personal or selfish thought or ambition, but to live according to the values of God, and out of a close relationship with him.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Please help me to live the life you want for me, not the life that I would want for myself.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 15th Dec

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

15 December 2010

Luke 1: 46 – 55

Mary’s song, ‘The Magnificat’, has been set to many tunes and sung in many Churches and Cathedrals in our country and all over the world (I’ve even sung it in Kigiryama in East Africa!). Why is this? Surely because Mary’s words came from her heart as she responded to the Lord’s will for her.

When Elizabeth had spoken words of joy as she acknowledged that Mary was to be ‘the mother of her Lord’ (Lk 1: 43), she said, ’Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished’ (Lk 1: 45).

After Mary had said her ‘Yes’ to God, she became a new person, at peace, able to rejoice and praise God for what He was about to do. Praise Him that He had recognised her vulnerability; that He had done so much for her; praise Him because of His holiness; that He is a merciful God, mindful of all who have called upon Him throughout the generations. Praise Him now, because He had chosen her to be the mother of His Son. She, out of all the young girls, was to have this unique experience, at once overwhelming and also daunting. The way ahead would not be easy. There would be highs and lows; joys and grief, but one thing Mary knew was that God was with her, and His love and care know no bounds.

Do you truly believe that what God has called you to do will be accomplished? Are you certain of His guidance; His leading day by day and do you praise and thank God often, because of the privilege you have of serving Him?

Read through the passage slowly and let the words speak to you.

Prayer

Lord, help me to believe that what You have called me to do will be accomplished in Your time. Keep me praising and rejoicing as You lead me onwards and may my faith grow and deepen as I put my whole trust in You.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 14th Dec

2010-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

14 December 2010

Luke 1: 26 – 38

Mary’s story. A familiar one told many times over the Christmas period; at carol services; nativity plays; in songs and in poems,- but what do we really know about Mary besides the fact that she was the mother of Jesus. Let’s go back to the story as told by Luke in the New Testament reading.

Mary - a young girl; betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David and probably some years older than her. One day, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary with some startling news; she was highly favoured by the Lord and she was going to have a baby- His Son! Can you imagine the jumble of emotions that swept through her mind on hearing this? ‘I’m betrothed to Joseph. What will he say? Will he believe me? It’s a year before we are to be married. What will the villagers say when they see I’m pregnant? I can’t cope with this. It’s all too much. What can I do? Help!’

Very quickly the angel comforts her and tells her not to be afraid. God is with her and she must call the Baby Jesus He is very special and will be a King whose Kingdom will never end (v 31 – 33). It doesn’t really make sense to Mary and she says, ’How can it be since I am a virgin?’ She is puzzled; mystified by the appearance of this angel. What is happening to her? Again the angel speaks to reassure her. God is at work - ‘the Holy Spirit will come upon you and your child will be called the Son of God’ (v.35). Then he tells her that even her elderly relative, Elizabeth, is six months pregnant. That ‘nothing is impossible with God’ (v.37).

Mary responds in faith,’ I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said’ (v.38). No longer did she doubt, but gave herself into the Lord’s hands, ready to be used by Him.

Have you any doubts and fears about what the Lord is calling you to do for Him? How far can you trust him? Are you willing to say, as Mary did, ‘Yes. Lord, I’m ready for whatever You want me to do or be for You’? Be assured that He will be with you every step of the way, wherever the road leads.

Prayer

In my moments of doubt or fear, assure me, Lord, of Your constant presence and grant me that peace that comes from knowing I am in the place where I can serve You best.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 13th Dec

2010-12-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

13 December 2010

Luke 1: 67 – 80

Today we have a passage that was at one time very familiar to those who attended ‘Morning Prayer’. It’s called ‘the Song of Zechariah’, or as we knew it, the ‘Benedictus’.

Here Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, praises God for keeping His covenant; His promises to His people, even before these events have happened. He rejoices that now they are able to serve God without fear,- all their days. Most of all, though, he speaks of John, his son, (v 76-79), who was to prepare the way for the Lord. He would prepare peoples’ hearts to receive the coming Messiah by challenging their ways; calling them to repentance and granting them forgiveness of their sins.

Zechariah speaks of God’s mercy; of His ‘tender mercy’ and of the light to come, Jesus, who was to say, ‘I am the Light of the world’, (John 8 v 12).

In his old age Zechariah is not thinking of himself. He points to his son, John, who was born to serve God in a special way, - as His messenger. Zechariah’s reaction is to praise God. To look to the time when the promised Messiah would come, and it would be his son who would, ‘make ready the way of the Lord’ (Isaiah 40 v3); his son who would be called, ‘the prophet of the Most High’.

His joy flowed out in praise to God. He rejoiced for his son in the knowledge that he, too, would be serving the Lord. What a privilege that is. Zechariah’s humility shows in the words he speaks and in his love for God.

Dare we ask ourselves, ‘How good am I at praising the achievements of other Christians?’ or ‘Do I wish it was me being praised.?

Prayer

Lord God, give me a heart to praise You at all times; help me to rejoice when others are rejoicing and keep me humble as I serve You and walk in the way of peace.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 12th Dec

2010-12-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

12 December 2010

Luke 1: 57 – 66

Decisions; decisions! How good are you at making choices? Special choices, especially when it comes to naming a baby. Would you consult books to find the meaning of a name? Or choose a family name,- one that’s been passed down through the generations? Or, perhaps, a popular name of the time, or place where the baby was born,-and in recent months we had an example of this with little baby Florence!

Reading this passage from Luke 1, you will see that this is nothing new! Elizabeth’s relatives and friends were just the same thinking her baby might be called after his father, - but, no! she says quite simply, ‘He is to be called John’ ( v.60). But they couldn’t understand this and thought it best to ask his father what name he wanted. Zechariah was still silent, but wrote down, to their astonishment, ‘His name is John’. This is a shorter form of Jehohanam meaning ‘God’s gift’ or ‘God is gracious’. Immediately Zechariah’s silence was broken. He had done as the angel had said, (v.13), and he began praising God for His gift of a son.

The people were amazed; filled with awe. There must be something special about this baby, they thought. What would he be? It was obvious the Lord’s hand was with him.

Contrasting emotions. Again we find disbelief in the choice of name; surprise that Zechariah chose the same name as Elizabeth; and awe. God at work in ways we least understand to fulfil His promises, made many years before, that He would send a messenger to prepare the way of the Lord, (Isaiah 40 v.3).

We ask, ‘What is going on. I don’t understand?’ Zechariah showed that he had taken note of what the angel said to him in the Temple, even though he hadn’t fully understood; that he was prepared to trust God’s word, after his initial disbelief, and doing this he was released from his silence.

Is there something for us here? That sometimes we need a period of silence in which to think over what God is saying to us and to be prepared to go along with His will whatever that might be. ‘God works in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.’

Prayer

Lord, help me to remain faithful to Your least word of command, even when I do not understand what lies ahead.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 11th Dec

2010-12-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

11 December 2010

Luke 1: 5 – 22

This week we are going to consider some amazing stories found in Luke chapter 1. Maybe they should be headline news!

Zechariah – who was he? One of the Temple priests; married to Elizabeth. Both very elderly; a childless couple; very devout.

One day it was his turn to go in to the Temple to burn incense at the time of the evening sacrifice, according to their custom, while the worshippers were praying in the outer courts. Then something strange happened. An angel appeared by the altar and Zechariah was completely taken by surprise; startled; scared! The angel reassures him that he brings good news,- very unexpected news as it happened.

He says three things:- that Zechariah’s prayer has been answered; that his wife would have a son; that he was to call the baby John.

Not only this, the angel has more to say about the baby. Look at verses 14 – 15 and see how many times he says of the child ‘he will’. He will be someone who brings joy to many; he will be great in the sight of the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit; and many will return to the Lord because of him. His mission will be to prepare people for the coming of the Lord.

But Zechariah finds all this far too difficult to believe. ‘How can I be sure?’ he says. Wouldn’t you be asking questions, too? It’s in our nature to want answers; to have everything made clear. But the angel had been sent by God to Zechariah and God’s word was to be trusted. So, the angel says Zechariah will be silent, because of his disbelief, until John is born.

Does this seem harsh or is it a challenge to us to trust in God’s word even when we cannot understand,- cannot fathom out the mystery of what is going on in our own situation? Trust that God has an overall plan and He knows what He is doing. He always has our best interests at heart.

Prayer.

Lord, in the sudden surprises of life, take away my fears; help me to listen for Your voice, and always to trust Your word.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 10th Dec

2010-12-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

10 December 2010

Malachi 4:1-6

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go and leap like calves released from the stall”

Yesterday we looked at celebration. We turn our attention to what is thought to be an opposite – Reverence. This has been defined as “a feeling of profound awe and respect and often love”. Malachi gives us another promise – if we revere God’s (Jesus’) name God himself will shine on us. Christmas is a time of tinsel, sparkles, lights, candles and tales of angels’ glory – yet God says there is a brighter light that will shine upon those who awe, respect and love his great name: The Light of the world will shine upon us – this brings healing and freedom.

Have you ever seen a cow running? I have, and I can assure you it is a funny sight to behold. Firstly, I’m not sure cows are made to run! - They lumber. Secondly, they lumber with abandon! They don’t care about what other cows think of them – they are truly free in a way that often we are not. Reverence for God’s name releases His blessing upon us so that we can live in his light as restored (healed), free people. This in turn leads us to a deepening reverence for him. Yet again, we have much to be thankful for.

Response

Think of as many titles for God that you know from the bible. Which ones can you relate to most? Spend time writing or speaking out your thanks for these names that have brought freedom into your life.
Watch the short video showing a running cow by clicking on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkurN6ZLhMc – Ask God to give you the freedom and abandon of a running cow.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 9th Dec

2010-12-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

9 December 2010

Micah 4:1-5

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”

I love a party! It’s great to get together with friends and celebrate something – weddings, birthdays...did I mention Christmas? Christmas is a party season – the work do, family stuff, big meals and celebration – but what has this got to do with Micah 4?

The mountain of the Lord’s Temple (v1) is the place of praise and God’s presence – it is symbolically where the people went to celebrate the Lord’s goodness. I wonder what we will celebrate this Christmas. Will we celebrate the break from work? Perhaps you’ll celebrating seeing family and friends again? Perhaps the carnivores are celebrating the coming turkey curries and stuffing sandwiches?!

Verse 3 tells us that many nations will say “Let’s go to God’s party!” Ok, so I paraphrased, but it makes the point. Lots of people from all over the world are going to come to God’s presence to praise and celebrate all that he is doing. We see this around the world – the good news of Jesus that started to be sung out on a shepherds’ mountain near Bethlehem has spread like a virus to all nations of the world in 2000 years. We are all invited to come to God and join in the party of people who are celebrating Jesus this Christmas. How amazing is that!

Respond

Why not invite some friends round and have a dinner, afternoon tea or a full-blown party to share hospitality and Jesus in conversations and celebration
Get to MSC or Central Gathering or 9am Communion on Sunday and put on your dancing shoes – the king has come from the mountain to the town and he’s looking for a party!

Prayer

Lord Jesus

Focus our attention on you. In amongst the tinsel remind us that you are the focus of the celebration. Lead us to the mountain of your presence to celebrate your goodness.

Amen.

Imitation

2010-12-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a bit about imitation. We are told to "be imitators of God" (Eph 5:1), 1 Thess 1:6 goes further encouraging imitation of Paul, Silas & Timothy as well as the Lord. 1 Thess 2:14 commends the Thessalonica church for imitating the church in Judea. Paul urges the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:16) to imitate him and in Hebrews there is encouragement to imitate the faith of others (6:12 & 13:7).

We are to have an UPWARD imitation of God - if you look at Ephesians 5 we are to engage in imitation as 'dearly loved children', living 'a life of love', a sacrificial life like Jesus. If we are imitators of God the giving of our lives will be evident. I have seen many different church environments over many years and the ones that are missional, and have a transforming effect on the world around them have in common sacrificial living in one form or another. The readiness to keep dieing for the sake of the gospel.

We are to have an INWARD imitation of other churches. 1 Thess 2:14 makes the link, in reference, to sharing in the same kind of sufferings between the churches of Judea and Thessalonica. We are to stand together, seeking to continue to hold firm to the gospel of salvation. I know that for Kairos imitating other churches will mean mutual support and learning from others on a similar journey to us.

We are to have an OUTWARD imitation of the faith of others, those who have "inherited what has been promised" Hebrews 6:12. I know that as I hang around with people of faith, who have demonstrated the things of faith in their lives, I become increasingly effective as a person of faith.

It seems to me that I have a choice.... to imitate or to vegetate. Imitation implies sacrifice that leads to fruitfulness, alignment that leads to mutual blessing and learning from others that leads to kingdom effectiveness. Vegetation comes when I am not prepared to lay down my life, align myself with other Christians and learn from anybody but myself.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 8th Dec

2010-12-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

8 December 2010

Amos 9:11-15

“In that day I will restore...I will repair...and build”

Restore. Repair. Rebuild. In our passage we see God’s promises being made, and it’s all positive. We often think Jesus came just to remove sin and set people free (which he did!) – Yet this passage of prophesy points to some great ‘presents’ from the Lord.

We all turn our thoughts to what we will give and receive for Christmas. I suspect the majority focus on thinking about what they will get for Christmas. God is very well organised about his Christmas gifts to the world - Through Jesus he restores our lives – he replenishes what has been lost and fills us with spiritual fruit, gifts, creativity, beauty and truth. Jesus repairs our broken souls – he heals our hurts; forgives our wrongs; touches our hearts. Jesus rebuilds our lives – he heals the sick; supplies our needs; strengthens us.

The day of the Lord brings with it great blessings – it is a great day for those who are found in Christ! How amazing is God?! Praise God that he has indeed blessed us more than we normally give him credit for!!

Response

Make a list of all the things God has done for you (you could do this as a family)
Spend time with God praising (perhaps in song) him for restoring, repairing and rebuilding your life
Write a thank you letter to God for his work in your life

Prayer

Lord,

You are the master restorer. Without you our lives would be in ruins. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our lives and world. We praise you Jesus.

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 7th Dec

2010-12-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

7 December 2010

Amos 5:18-24

Has Amos been in the sun too long – out tending his sheep he has heard from God and the judgement he hears of is rolling off his tongue like molten lava down a mountain. Read the passage again and see – from verse 18-23 judgement is being declared and it seems that nothing can stop it.

We then come to verse 24:

“But let justice roll on like a river,

Righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Hundreds of years later a ragamuffin bunch of Sheep herders are drinking and laughing round a warm fire. All of a sudden the sky is ablaze and heaven’s song fills the air with a message of hope,

“today...a Saviour has been born...peace to men” (Luke 2:8-14)

And so begins “the day of the Lord” – With the declaration of the Saviour born of peace and hope for all peoples everywhere and for all of time. God’s kingdom is ushered in and Amos’s prophesy of a coming justice and righteousness begins to be acted out in our world. Justice brings peace to people. As his people this continues through us. We are bearers of Christ’s justice, righteousness and peace!

Response/Challenge:

As we think about being participants in God’s kingdom will we consider giving to just causes – charities and organisations that help the oppressed, the hungry and the homeless – perhaps as we think about Jesus’ message of justice and peace we will be touched to direct some of our giving to those who need a merry Christmas most. In this small way perhaps God’s Kingdom rule of Justice comes to people who need peace and hope.

Prayer

Lord, in Jesus we see the fulfilment of prophesies of justice. May this be extended through us, your Church, as you fill us with a desire to see justice, righteousness and peace extended to those in the margins. Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 6th Dec

2010-12-05T23:47:00.000-08:00

6 December 2010

Joel 2:28-32

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people...everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved”

Joy to the world!!! As we go through the next few days of readings you might be surprised to see passages that reflect “fear and trembling” as well as “joy to the world”. Look at verses 30-31 in today’s reading – sound full of joy? (I think not!). So what is this “Day of the Lord” we are reading about?

The day of the Lord refers to the complete coming reign of the Christ – his reign will be one where judgement falls on the unrighteous, as well as His Spirit being poured out upon God’s people.

Within these two opposites we see in verse 32 that God is fair – everyone who calls on the name of God will be saved. Which name? The name of Jesus! Every person is invited into God’s outpoured blessings.

Reflection to Response:

When reading these verses do you find yourself struck with fear of God’s outpoured wrath, or more with joy at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
Read the passage again slowly. Ask God to highlight something from it today. Wait on him. As him to give you more of his spirit right now, and wait expectantly until he speaks?
Pray for your family and community to call on God’s name today.

Prayer

Father God…As we remember that Jesus was sent to proclaim your Kingdom in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit we ask that you would also send us out with confidence in your Word (Jesus) and in the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name

Amen.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 5th Dec

2010-12-04T23:46:00.000-08:00

5 December 2010

Isaiah 60: 1-5

The call in the opening verse is to Jerusalem – the Jerusalem, which shall be when she is restored in glory and beauty. Then the city will be the centre of all the world’s light - for the glory of the everlasting God will rest upon her and will radiate round the world. This coming of the great blessing of the Lord is the coming of the new dawn.

Though all the earth around will be shrouded in darkness, on this people the divine light will shine. The effect of this will be that the nations will flock to rejoice in the great light that is shining and they will bring with them their treasures. These verses speak of the Church.

In verses 19 – 22 of Isaiah 60 are a description of life in the Jerusalem that is to come. In this city the inhabitants will not need the sun or the moon to give light but the Lord shall be an everlasting light and God will be their glory and beauty. The days of mourning will be ended and peace and righteousness will become the government of the entire civic life.

This description of the coming city is repeated in Revelation 21: 23-24. The gates of the city will never be closed and nothing that defiles shall enter the city. Those whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life will inhabit this wonderful city.

What a great future is in store for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life – those who have received salvation provided by the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Thank you Father for sending Jesus – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world so that we may enjoy great blessings in the present and the future.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 4th Dec

2010-12-04T02:55:00.000-08:00

4 December 2010

Isaiah 40: 1-11

Here we have the theme that God will restore the exiles to their own land. This passage is absolutely full of deep spiritual understanding. These are indeed wonderful tidings and are absolutely relevant to us today.

Firstly is the message of comfort breaking through the time of doubt and trial. The time of divine punishment is near to an end and the prophets are urged to speak to the people but soon all Israel is summoned to proclaim the glad tidings. The New Testament is our authority for applying the words of this prophecy to the coming of the Redeemer (Matthew 3; 1-3). The message of divine comfort to disturbed hearts is one of the greatest elements of the gospel.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord (v3). This is taken from the Eastern custom of sending men to prepare the way before a monarch’s visit. John the Baptist fulfilled this mission.

The word of comfort is not dependent on man’s endeavours but it is entirely dependent upon God’s sovereignty and mercy. Vain is the hope of man who relies on himself but in the Lord Almighty there is redemption and in the midst of all changing things God’s word stands for ever (v8).

In verse 10 God is revealed as infinitely strong – He will come with might and his arm will rule for Him.

V11: God is revealed as infinitely tender

1. He will lead His flock like a shepherd

2. He will gather the lambs in His arms

3. He will carry them

4. He will gently lead those that have their young

It is this might fact that calls Zion to rejoice greatly. Behold your God. These are indeed glad tidings of great joy to all the people. This is our God.

Prayer

Thank you Father that you are the God of all comfort and that You are my good shepherd.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 3rd Dec

2010-12-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

3 December 2010

Isaiah 11: 1-9

Isaiah describes here the Messiah and His character and foretells the messianic Kingdom.

1. The Messiah will be born of the house of Jesse (David’s father). A branch – the root of the name ‘Nazareth’.

2. Portrays the supernatural qualities of the Messiah

1. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him

2. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding

3. The Spirit of Counsel and might

4. The Spirit of Knowledge

5. The reverential and obedient fear of the Lord

6. He shall judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears. (What the eyes see often misleads and what the ears hear is not all the truth. In the Messianic kingdom, government is based on absolute knowledge).

7. He shall have no need of the guidance that men normally need.

8. There follows in wonderful words the results of His reign. Paradise comes to the whole world and the world rejoices in an entire cosmic redemption.

9. Over all the works of God’s hand peace shall rest and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and decisions are the result of perfect understanding.

In the words of a well-known hymn, Hallelujah, what a Saviour! Yesterday we learnt some of the attributes of Jesus and today we learn more of the character of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). For God so greatly loved the world that He gave up His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Today we have access to even more revelation of the person of Jesus than Isaiah as we read the New Testament and grow in our knowledge of Him.

Paul prayed for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1; 7 (Amplified Bible)), “For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him (Jesus Christ – the Messiah). Let us all loudly say “Amen” to that prayer.

Prayer

Thank you Father for giving up Jesus for the world. Help me to grow in the knowledge of Jesus as beholding Him we are changed from one degree of glory to another.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 2nd Dec

2010-12-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

2 December 2010

Isaiah 9: 6

The Prince of Peace – the culmination of the titles in this Messianic prophecy and the greatest attribute of Jesus who brings peace with God to all who believe in Him. Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This peace with God brings us the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds Phil. 14:7

When Jesus, the Prince of Peace is our peace care and anxiety will fade away and we shall be greatly blessed – we will enjoy prosperity in every area of our lives.

The night before Jesus died, He gave this peace to his disciples John 14:21 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ (Messiah) the Prince of Peace comes to live inside you therefore let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Peace translated from the Hebrew word ‘Shalom’ – wholeness and soundness. A troubled and fearful heart prevents us from experiencing all the blessings that are flowing from our everlasting Father.

So when fearful and anxious thoughts come remind yourself of Jesus’ words ‘Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’. I will not let my heart be troubled about anything.

Speak peace over your life – confess Jesus, the Prince of Peace is with me always.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus you are my Prince of Peace. Help me to guard my heart from being troubled and afraid and I will receive all the blessings you have for me.

Kairos Advent Devotional 2010 1st Dec

2010-12-01T02:05:00.000-08:00

Advent 2010

Advent has, for centuries, been a season of restraint, preparation, and penitence filled with an expectant longing for the coming of Christ’s kingdom in power.

My intention in asking 5 members of Kairos to contribute to a 25 day devotional is to enable us to devote ourselves as a community of communities to the coming of the King and the kingdom in our homes, workplaces, MSCs, friendships, indeed, in our lives. Each day the re is a passage from the Bible to read, some words of reflection and a prayer.

Tips

You may want to identify a particular time of each day you will use for this
You may want to light a candle or an advent candle each time
You may want to use some music within this time for preparation or response
Families may want to read the Bible passage for the day, talk about it together and pray. As part of this an advent candle can be lit.

Thanks to Stuart McCormack, Rachel McHugh, Anne Coggins, Andy Wilson, Kate Waterman.

Mark Carey December 2011

1 December 2010

Isaiah 8: 21- 9:7

8: 21. Here is a description of those who have turned to spiritism for guidance and have not trusted the living God for guidance and help. (God forbids such a search). As a result they curse their King and their God.

9: 1-7. Here we see the contrast with 8:21. In this vision we see a righteous king delivering the people as in the days of Gideon. Once again the people will rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. A new day is dawning for the oppressed nation. The king for whom all Israel has longed and waited for is to begin His reign and the whole earth will know the power of His dominion and His salvation. This is one of the greatest messianic prophecies in the Bible.

So great and mighty is the king who is to come that no one title is sufficient to describe Him.

The coming of this king is associated with the coming of a child – the incarnation. He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Lord wants you to know Him as Wonderful Counsellor. He is the One who knows everything about everything and He will be to you the perfect counsellor to give you perfect counsel in every situation. The One who is to come is God – great and powerful – Everlasting Father – God wants you to know Him as Father and this relationship will never come to an end.

Prayer

Thank you Father for sending Jesus Christ, my Wonderful Counsellor, Everlasting Father, Almighty God.

Being Sifted - a challenge

2010-11-29T04:04:00.000-08:00

As we prayed this morning at the beginning of the week in my office we read Isaiah 42:18-25. Let's give this some context.... yesterday was beginning of advent - a time when we can reflect on, receive, rejoice in and respond in repentance to the coming of God's kingdom in and through the King, Jesus. My sense is that this particular time is a time when we need to be open to a certain 'sifting' work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you look up the word 'sift' you find it refers to 'separating' and 'examining closely'. When you sift through a sieve the coarse parts are separated from the finer parts. To be 'sifted' this Advent we need to make sure our ears and eyes are open to hear God and see what he is doing. Isaiah 4218-25 highlights this - challenging the people who should be able to see and hear because they are God's people but aren't. They are sent as messengers but are deaf (v19 so can't hear the message), they are committed to the Lord as his servants but are blind. Isaiah emphasizes the point in verse 20
"You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;
your ears are open, but you hear nothing"
This is 'seeing' and 'hearing' of course that is the seeing and hearing of faith. It speaks to our condition perfectly - we are people so taken up by other things - seeing so much else that it stops us truly seeing, hearing so much and yet unable to truly hear. It is no wonder we are taught to fast because fasting means we deny the overload of two such crucial senses and open ourselves to the purity and joy of hearing and seeing the Lord. Fasting has been an aspect of Advent much overlooked in recent times, possibly even something we are consistently overlooking in general as disciples of Christ.
Yesterday morning Outnumbered MSC met in Wetherspoons for a late breakfast and Clive and Ruth using a Rob Bell dvd really made me think about my response to God at this time and raised a number of questions in me that have been highlighted again less than 24 hours later.
I recognise that I need to ask the question in my life of whether I am being so gummed up by 'stuff' I see or hear that I can't move the way God wants me to move. Being a missionary means that I need to be free to move simply and flexibly in my life.
Am I only hearing what I want to hear is another key question.... how often have I closed my mind and decided where I stand before submitting to testing something out with God and those who's authority I am under. Actually there is no submission in this and there is no accountability. In Isaiah's words I have 'paid no attention' and 'hear nothing'.
Am I making the right interpretation of what I see and hear is another question. My interpretation of something can so often be skewed by my preconceived ideas.
Jesus' way of discipling was Invitation and challenge. The invitation is to relationship with him that means we hear his voice and see his works - the challenge is to be sifted so we can truly see and hear. In Isaiah's words; "Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?" (v23)
There is a 'sifting' work of the Holy Spirit going on at this time, I don't believe it is just because it is Advent - God takes our commitment to him as servants and messengers seriously.... do we? As the Kairos network develops we need the Holy Spirit's work of sifting so that what develops is (as the vows for the Order of Mission go) pure and simple and accountable.

Coming soon - Advent Devotionals from Kairos

2010-11-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

From the 1st December there will be a daily devotional for Advent appearing on this blog written by members of Kairos. Please sign up as followers if you want notifications of each one as they are posted.

A couple of pictures of the Feast Central Gathering

2010-10-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Feast: Kairos Launch & the Bishop's challenge

2010-10-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday 15th October we gathered at the Yorkshire Hotel - 116 Kairos people and guests with Bishop John Packer to give thanks and celebrate not only our existence but our emergence into the new thing God has called us to. It was a great privilege to see the range of people, all so different yet a real buzz of unity, of shared hearts and minds for the sake of the kingdom.
We started the meal by breaking bread together and then between courses we had stories of life-transforming moments as people have encountered Jesus and followed him. We committed ourselves to the heart of our faith in the words of the baptismal promises and affirmed our commitment to Jesus.
After the main course the Bishop said a few words to us - words of really helpful challenge which I have reproduced below for you to reflect on.
A great evening - as always the people made it special.

KAIROS CHALLENGE – OCTOBER 2010

I Corinthians 12 vv 4-13 (The Message Version)

^4-11God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

   wise counsel
   clear understanding
   simple trust
   healing the sick
   miraculous acts
   proclamation
   distinguishing between spirits
   tongues
   interpretation of tongues.
   All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
^12-13You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

The Bishop challenged us.......

To celebrate the gifts of individuals given by God; and for members to celebrate the gifts of others. Owning the variety of ministries, and taking risks as the Sower spreads his seed so generously.
To develop the ‘option for the vulnerable’ and ensure that there is a particular concern for those in need on the part of the life of Kairos.
To ensure that the communities are indeed mission-shaped: that they are so designed as to speak to those who have not yet heard God’s call to them. So the communities will grow, change and flourish.
To develop a unit across the network and beyond, so that there is mutual support within Kairos and with the rest of Christ’s body in Harrogate.

Celebrating the Feast

2010-10-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

For the second year running we are celebrating the Feast - wanting to embed in the rhythm of the Kairos network ways of celebrating together. We have been reflecting on 'the power of festival' - and my thoughts have been especially in regard to the way in which in our culture festival is being degraded by consumerism. Learning how to celebrate as God's people is such a fantastic message and witness.... but we do need to learn as so much of what passes as celebration amongst in today's Christian culture is, to be brutally honest.... wimpy and half-hearted. Maybe this is because some of the time Christians are really not sure they want love those they are supposed to be celebrating with or maybe it is because we are much too focussed on church and not focussed enough on Jesus - who, by the way, knew how to celebrate and make a festival come alive.
We have articulated our understanding of festival in 5 words beginning with P;

Through Festival we seek to

• Understand God’s wonderful provision

•Celebrate His goodness with praise

•Invite His manifest presence

•Demonstrate his power

•and express His heart through prophetic declaration

We have a lot of learning to do in this but we have gone some way already. Last year we had a shared thanksgiving meal, an open day where our base is and a Central Gathering on the Sunday. This year we are holding a feast in a hotel in central Harrogate and using it as an opportunity to launch the Bishops Mission Order - naming our new status as a church with the Bishop and others present with us. Saturday will bring lots of activity as Kairos people get out on the streets in various different ways - questionnaires and giving out sweets, Messy Church, helping someone with their garden, doing things in neighbourhood's people feel they are called to - as always it seems food will be a feature of many activities. Sunday will see the 9am service not meeting as normal but under the name of '9am OUT' two teams of people connected with the 9am service will go into two different elderly people's homes to share faith. At 10.30am on Sunday 17th we will hold a Central Gathering to celebrate together - encounter the presence of God, his power and proclaim his favour.

2010-10-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening (30th Sept 2010) I went to join The Wanderers MSC as they gathered, for the first time in a new way, as many people involved in The Wanderers as possible. We had Curry and Communion - a great time together. A number of things occurred to me about this. The 'extended family' (oikos) nature of this - people were part of this and yet involved at all sorts of different levels in the wider MSC activity. The way in which this gathering involved a potent combination of perspiration and inspiration - they have got on with doing things... not waited around for things to happen.... they have also been very open to getting inspiration from God through praying together as a core team etc. Finally I was really encouraged that this MSC started under two years ago as just four people. Now there was a group of 18 gathered for curry and communion, some of them, maybe even up to half of them coming to faith over the last year or so. How encouraging! How simple!

2010-10-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have just contributed to a presentation for the Diocese of Ripon & Leeds Diocesan Synod on Pioneer Ministry. In my presentation I was giving a simple introduction to what we are trying to do - I went over just a few of our values - some memorable phrases that are influential

A Community of Communities - MSCs & Services - Gathering & Scattering
Low Control High Accountability - releasing & the taking of responsibility
Mission as the organising principle - MISSION shaped communities
You can belong at different levels - MSC isn't about delivering people to central gatherings where 'the proper Christians are'!
There are many opportunities but fewer callings - revelation and response, hearers of the word and doers of the word, inspiration & perspiration

It was good to go over these things again - I find that I need to regularly revisit vision and values - its kind of a missional discipline to reconnect with such things regularly. If God has given revelation in such areas we must respond.

Getting firmly established

2010-09-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Those who regularly read this blog (sorry for the lack of updating recently), or are connected with Kairos in any way will know that we are in a significant transition. 3 years on and we are moving an established Church of England church into a network of missional communities - a community of communities. At time of writing we have 6 mission shaped communities - MSCs - all functioning in different ways developing at different paces. What an adventure!
Recently I have been thinking about what it takes to become firmly established.... that is not just being in existence but living life to the full. King Solomon's life is worth looking at. In 1 Kings 2 we find him taking on the kingship from his father David. David gives Solomon some instruction and in effect the kingdom to rule. At the end of this passage it says "So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established" (2:12). Solomon then goes and does what David has told him and right at the end of the chapter we hear these words; "The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands" (2:46b) - it seems to me that if we are to become 'firmly established' we need to understand the dynamic of being established in 2 ways as Solomon was. First he received the crown, from his Father he gained the right to rule. We get a 'crown', a right to rule, as we come to Christ and pledge ourselves to follow him. We gain our identity as children of God, people he is pleased to give the kingdom to. This right to rule, however, has to turn into the action of reigning. Just as Solomon had to follow his father's instructions, so do we. We have to do everything Jesus commanded (Matt 28) - that is the action that will enable us to become established.
What we are looking for in those leading MSCs, well basically in all disciples, is a clear sense of their 'right to rule' and a willingness to take the appropriate action even if it is challenging and costly.
What it seems that Solomon learned is that a combination of wisdom from above (what do you want asks God.... wisdom please says Solomon 3:5-6) and humility from below (I am only a little child 3:7) was the way to function and not only was his rule and reign established but it was also fruitful. Two qualities I look for in followers of Jesus are humility and the ability to go to God for wisdom. Humility and wisdom are clearly interlinked throughout scripture - let's take them seriously.

Trying or training?

2010-07-24T03:19:00.000-07:00

I met up with friends from Kairos last week to have a look & think about discipleship. If we are to be a truly missional church disciple-making has to be our number one priority and it has to be simple. We are rejecting a curriculum/programme approach what means that people have to do a course. What we are seeking is a simply explained relationally oriented process that identifies key points of discipleship, engages people in a purposeful accompanied journey of intentional discipleship that is integrated with life in general. I think it is Dallas Willard (but heard from Todd Hunter) who talks about discipleship as training not trying. I'm reminded of a quote by the hero of the film Man on Fire, Creasy played by Denzil Washington, who says:

‎"There is no such thing as tough. There is trained and untrained. Now which are you?"

We need to develop a mentality that says discipleship is not about trying to be good (and usually failing therefore becoming demoralised and ineffective) but rather about being trained. Much more positive and life affirming to see things in this way. I know that training isn't just about someone telling me to do things (actually very rarely) it is much more about partnership and the company and influence of others. Why else did Jesus say "take my yoke upon you and learn from me?" if he wasn't implying that being a disciple, finding rest, is all about training that is done in intentional relationship with another. My observation is that those who choose to intentionally yoke themselves to others are more effective than those who suppose that just turning up to a service or a small group will give them enough. This Tuesday evening I will be hosting an Order of Mission huddle, a group of people who have yoked themselves to each other and continue to intentionally prioritise training above trying. How intentional are you? Are you getting trained, submitting to training? Are you yoked?

MSC Leaders & Emerging Leaders Day

2010-07-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had some time gathering together MSC Leaders and emerging leaders for inspiration and encouragement. We will be doing these things termly and the idea is to get practitioners to come and stir our thinking, our creativity, our imagination.Martin Garner of Freespirit http://www.freespirituk.org/home.html was really inspirational, challenging and encouraging.
Here are some things I noted as he spoke:

Its impossible for God not to do something

Mission has been called the mother of all theology, Martin added that it is also the mother of all practice

In regard to mission he quoted Sojourners as working with 3 questions when seeking to be effective
1) What is the mission to this community?
2) What kind of community supports that mission
3) What set of disciplines supports the community to support the mission

Jesus and the Church has been subject to identity theft (Think about it!!)

Many people that we will come across are already praying - there is already something going on between them and God - articulated or not

If you are a truly missionary people you won't know where you'll end up

We must endeavour to do things WITH people not FOR people

Bounded Set & Centred Set
Christianity can be very 'bounded set' - if instead you move to an understanding that you don't define things by who is IN or who is OUT but instead are defined by what is at the centre, JESUS, then there are no boundaries just the question of where people are in relation to Jesus.

Jesus command was to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey his commands and baptise them. George Patterson listed a series of commands:
1) Repent and believe
2) Be baptised
3) Receive the Holy Spirit
4) Love God, neighbour, enemy
5) Pray
6) Give
7) Share in Communion
All these things are continous - they need to be done over and over again - so that they are emnbedded in our lives

Jesus doesn't belong to me

LOVE - with no agenda

Jesus says 'Come follow me' - it means he believes in us - that we can be like him - otherwise he wouldn't ask

The invitation is not to join the church and/or become religious but rather to become part of God's great rescue plan

Steps the Disciples took in following/believing in Jesus - the recognised him as:
Great Teacher
then
Prophet
then
Messiah
then
Son of Man
then
Son of David
then
Son of God - God himself

The best medicine for me is always repentance

Rubik's Cube

2010-05-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite albums is Black Swan by Athlete. There's a song on it called Rubik's Cube that I was listening to in the car today. I was on my way back from spending time with some retired clergy who all still serve in CofE churches around the Deanery of Harrogate. They had wanted to know more about what we are doing as a church - seeking understanding and comprehension. Last night I had done a similar thing - a short presentation on Kairos BMO at an evening hosted by St Peter's Harrogate with Dr John Sentamu the Archbishop of York.The Archbishop at the end shared a couple of thoughts. He emphasised the importance of waiting and listening - this is what the Apostles were supposed to be doing between the Ascension and Pentecost but of course what they did was lose patience and got on with appointing someone to replace Judas.... probably a place that should actually have been saved for Paul - who became the 13th Disciple/Apostle and faced all sorts of problems in regard to his authority because impatience had reigned. Sentamu also emphasised the need and challenge to be Spirit led - waiting for the movement of the Spirit, only doing what you see the Father doing. Anyway.... back to the song here are some lyrics that I found quite challenging as I reflected on how tiring I had found sharing our vision and what is developing in and through Kairos.......

The world is too heavy,
too big for my shoulders,
come take the weight off me, now.

Thousands of answers,
for one simple question,
come take the weight off me, now.

I'm like a kid who just won't let it go,
Twisting and turning the colours in rows,
I'm so intensified that's what it is.
This is my Rubik's Cube
And all i can't figure it out.

I realise that these words speak to my situation. For months now I have been getting a sense of the encouragement to rest in God, that fruitfulness comes from resting, abiding in him and I keep treating the church I lead like a Rubik's Cube - a puzzle that I have to solve. There are times I am 'intensified' and I need to stop 'twisting and turning'. How often we do this! What is your Rubik's Cube? What are you too 'intensified' about? What are you twisting and turning that you can't figure out? Is it time to move into 'waiting-mode' - time to rest in him?

From engagement to missionary

2010-04-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

We have just been going through what promises to be the last parish review and accountability process known as the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. In my reflections I am aware that as a church over the last couple of years we have become engaged once more with the world around us, much more outward looking, with many more relationships that we are able to engage with. This is good. But it is not great. What is great is to be a missionary church, making disciples and seeing transformed lives, environments and workplaces. Engagement can be done through the activity of casting vision, energy put into relationships IN the church, and the taking advantage of certain opportunities in the local area. Engagement can be developed from the energy and gifting of one or two people. Missionary church comes when discipleship is engaged with, when there is a growth in the numbers of leaders, and where people work together to do the fishing that Jesus says he will teach us to do.
Last Central Gathering I talked about the way we see something really crucial in John 21. Peter DECIDES to go fishing, the others AGREE to go with him and Jesus DIRECTS them to the right side where they then find a very big catch of fish. It seems to me that this is the process of leadership & becoming missional - somebody needs to DECIDE to go fishing, others need to AGREE to go with them and then they need to be dependent upon Jesus DIRECTING them to the right side to fish. It is certainly proving to be the way in which we are developing and releasing MSCs.There has to be this act of faith in becoming missionary that places reliance on hearing and following the direction of the Lord. There have to be disciples making the decision to get in a boat and go. There have to be people who agree to go with the person who has made the decision.
Have I/we got the faith to believe that after we have fished all night without any success that the Lord will direct us to the right side?

MSCs - households of faith

2010-03-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

I've been spending quite a lot of time with leaders of missional communities in the past couple of weeks. There is lots to be thankful for - two MSCs are preparing to do ALPHA courses with people who are interested in exploring faith further. The great thing is that these ALPHA's are emanating from a community of people who are willing to take the call seriously to 'go and make disciples' - in other words they aren't expecting some 'others' to do it... they are doing it themselves. This confirms that as a church a key part of our vision is to seek to transfer responsibility... the ability to respond.... to those who have been commanded by Jesus to go and make disciples. Communities of disciples are well positioned to respond positively and strongly to our society - an MSC is small enough to care and big enough to engage as a spiritual household, an extended family in a western world that is thirsty for community. The 'oikos' was the household of extended family and friendships formed around common purpose that was the primary 'unit' of early church. MSCs as oikos are about committing our lives together to a common purpose and re-ordering our lives bringing faith, family & mission focus together. It means that we also need to have to adjust our faith expectations. Where perhaps we have expected people to come to faith through something centrally organised like ALPHA or our services instead we are expecting MSCs as 'oikos' to be life-transforming environments that multiply and this requires that we have faith for people coming to Christ as we go.I'm praying that faith will be released for multiplication of MSCs throughout the surrounding area.

Blogs well worth following

2010-03-13T03:14:00.000-08:00

There are many blogs being written - I follow a few but the following ones are well worth spending some time on...

My friend Mike Breen has recently started a blog facilitated by 'Aidan' - which is like a conversation and a Q&A all rolled into one. The first three entries alone are brill and cover Lifeshapes, some small things that we can do that could make a big difference and family life. I would especially encourage attention to the Lifeshapes one if you are not completely sure what to think of my regular use of and reference to them.

http://mikebreen.wordpress.com/

Another friend of mine, Andrew Dowsett, has been blogging for a long time now and is well worth following. His most recent thoughts especially in regard to Oikos have been really thought provoking as this is an area that I beginning to do further observe, reflect, discuss.

http://dowsetts.blogspot.com/

What is the Church Doctor saying?

2010-02-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Have a look at this from Kent Hunter who is one of the 'Visitors' (exterior accountability partner & advisor) for The Order of Mission. He heads up Church Doctor Ministries which is a way of helping church leaders in North America become missional in the face of the cultural upheavals of these times.
http://ow.ly/15hTB
I like the bit about overcoming pride - in other words being open to learn from those who are ahead of you... something I try to do through some key relationships.
The 5.0 strategies are pretty good also.
Nothing we look at like this should be received uncritically.... but Kent's article should make us all observe, reflect & discuss a bit more. What do you think?

www.churchdoctor.org

The first Bishops Mission Order

2010-02-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

Well - the first BMO was created last November - a network church in Exeter. See the link....
http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/stories/exeternetwork/

I guess we are going to see quite a lot of variety in the different BMOs.... ENC have been going for 5 years and have started from scratch.... we are not starting from scratch but rather transitioning from one model to another (something that many people are saying is the hardest thing to do!) Currently we are about 17 months into our transition having first de-cluttered ourselves from having services every Sunday thus enabling us to focus on being church as communities of followers and weaning ourselves off the 'Sunday-only' mentality.
I'm intrigued to see similar language between us and ENC - as they begin to use a church building in the middle of Exeter Jon Soper says this: "Where we go next will be our third place, but we are going to call it a base or a tent – not a home." We need to continue to develop the base/tent mentality in relation to the place we do central gatherings in and where we have our offices.

Do you know how beautiful you are?

2010-02-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

I have just been listening to a song on No Line on the Horizon by U2 called Get On Your Boots. A few lines especially struck me:

Here’s where we gotta be

Love and community

Laughter is eternity

If joy is real

You don’t know how beautiful

You don’t know how beautiful you are

You don’t know, and you don’t get it, do you?

You don’t know how beautiful you are

Truth is... we don't realize how beautiful we are - where there is real joy, where there is love and community there is beauty. As Bono puts it... these boots are sexy..... or as Isaiah 52 says "Awake, awake!" & "Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned O Jerusalem" - when we sit up & stand up in our authority as the people of God we get to have beautiful feet - "how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news."
I think the vision of missional community for us is to release many different communities of people to walk confidently in the boots that are beautiful.... or even sexy and to have the self-perception to realise that because we are 'in Christ' then his presence in us makes us inherently beautiful & sexy.

Missional Community..... significant?

2010-02-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

I picked this up from an Alan Hirsch status update on Facebook:

Missional community might be the concept that this generation is remembered for ~ Matt Carter

I'd certainly like to be part of a generation that is remembered for something that is significant.... could missional community be that significant? I think so....

What kind of culture do you live in?

2010-01-30T14:35:00.000-08:00

Recently many sporting events were cancelled because of the icy conditions including a match scheduled at the home of football, the Emirates Stadium. I was intrigued by comments made by the Arsenal FC boss Arsene Wenger. He complained about a perceived "risk-averse" culture with clubs, police, local authorities too concerned by the prospect of litigation. He said, "Nobody accepts anymore that the slightest insecurity could exist in our society and that is why the games are postponed when there is no real need for it."
Insightful as is so often the case, Wenger highlights something important that is taking an increasing hold on us as a society.... fear. A risk-averse culture is a fear-filled one - we don't like insecurity, we don't like to feel de-stablised in any way, we will seek after comfort and control of our own circumstances at all costs and of course fail miserably. The earthquake in Haiti causes us to think, the rash of apocalyptic movies and TV series speak of the lack of control and the growing insecurity over our future and yet we carry on in what the final recording of Delirious called the 'Kingdom of Comfort'. Yet we honour and value another kingdom... one that is not risk averse, that calls us to risk all and to not try to save our own lives but rather to lose them.
There is a heightened sense of risk in what we are seeking to do.... become communities of disciples who don't expect others to come to us but rather emphasise going to others. We are laying down the safety of what we know for a far greater prize; that others would come to know Jesus as we know him.... the one in whom we find ultimate security for our lives because he will "never leave us or forsake us". This is the kind of culture we must seek to live in... not a risk-averse culture but a risk-full culture.... so we can say... like Peter said to Jesus "we have left everything to follow you" and hear Jesus' challenging words of reassurance in return:
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

2010-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

You will have noticed our new church name - do have a look at our website http://kairoschurch.net/
We are in the midst of a consultation and planning for hopefully becoming a Bishop's Mission Order (BMO) rather than a Parish Church. Some limited information and a link is available on our website. I am very aware in this process that we have a tendency in the CofE to try to pin things down to early. The genius of the Bishop's Mission Order is that you can allow things to be a 'work in progress' and the advantage of allowing for review is that we can set a course and then make course changes as we go along. As we progress through consultation we need to be really clear on the objectives of becoming a Bishop's Mission Order;

To enable Kairos to function in non-geographical missional network across parish boundaries developing and planting Mission Shaped Communities (MSCs).

2. To define the place that Kairos occupies in relation to inherited and other expressions in the Harrogate Deanery as one of mission partnership.

3. To focus Kairos fully on its distinctive vision and calling.

4. To ensure that the pastoral care/occasional offices that will be required in the Cold Bath Road/Harlow Hill area of Harrogate are taken care of through pastoral reorganisation.

Keeping things simple, seeking lightweight, low maintenance ways of governing and leading the church and giving continued priority to our vision is vital. All these kinds of things though are of no use without keeping our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

Conversion of life, cheapening of grace & the cost of discipleship

2010-01-06T01:03:00.000-08:00

It is a costly thing to follow Christ. The 'conversio morum' - the conversion of life - is made much harder by the way we idolize comfort "if it's not comfortable it can't be right".... I like the old translation of Psalm 23 "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" - when you know that the rod and staff were the tools by which the shepherd would guide sheep, keeping them in line and not always gently then you can see a new dimension to the care of the shepherd. In fact we are to look for peace Colossians 3:15 ruling in our hearts - not comfort. Jesus gives us his comforter who does comfort us but often the process of receiving the comforter is anything but comfortable as we are to draw near to him in faith with humility - I don't know many human beings who do consistently well at being humble. I talked about faith on Sunday morning at our central gathering - how to grow in faith from having little faith to the kind of small faith that can move mountains. So often our desire for control, to manage our own comfort stops us from living and walking in faith. There is great joy in knowing and following Jesus but we know that to walk his way is to walk a path of losing ones life in order to gain it. But instead we seek a comfort, a cheap grace, we, in the words of Matt Redman, "craft for ourselves a more comfortable cross".

Dietrich Boenhoffer - imprisoned & murdered by the Nazi regime, a man who was in on the start of one of the new monastic movements spoke eloquently about the cost of discipleship and the cheapening of grace;

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer "The Cost of Discipleship

I need say no more.

Shared Values & Shared Hearts

2009-12-17T03:17:00.001-08:00

I was talking to someone the other day who is thinking about joining one of the MSCs. Our discussion centred around shared values and a shared heart. You have to share values - for instance the Wanderers group demonstrates a high value on getting out amongst other people, Outnumbered highly value family life - it seems to me that there is an hierarchy of values - some are higher than others.... and you need to agree to walk in these values with others. The Wanderers value family life of course - but it just isn't their defining value. But shared values aren't everything.... you need to share a heart as well. This is much harder to quantify - maybe the person of peace teaching of Jesus helps... if someone is open to us, welcomes us, if we feel a similar welcome and openness in our lives - if we are able to think 'I can do and want to do business with that person' then probably we share the same heart as well as values. But eventually we have to do it to see it - the more time we spend UP & IN & OUT together the more we'll clarify whether indeed we share values and share a heart.

Agreeing to walk together

2009-12-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

"Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" Amos 3:3

A little gem of a verse as Amos brings the word of the Lord to and against Israel. Here is God's chosen people - the covenant people who have entered knowingly into covenant... agreed to walk with the Lord. They have instead chosen to try to walk in disagreement - not sensible.

There has got to be buy-in and that is what the Lord calls for in his chosen people.

Here, as we choose our new church name, as we continue in the process of living the vision that I have cast for the church we will increasingly find that the heat is turned up on our commitment. We need to walk in agreement together and where we find ourselves trying to walk in disagreement (a very uncomfortable place to be in) we must seek to address this with integrity, honesty, love and without fear.

There needs to be buy in. It is interesting watching the development of our first MSCs - they are so dependant upon a group of people agreeing that they will walk together - sharing a vision, deciding on a convergence of paths and a making of space for each other. In these agreed walks we will need to find ways in which to break open and apply the scriptures, ways of worship, ways to support and disciple each other all united under a common vision, purpose and missionary task. I think in the first instance we often understimate the challenge of agreeing to walk together. In a fragmented culture we are being counter-cultural to share our lives in the kind of agreement that MSC implies. It is worth persevering because the community we build is an amazing gift to the world around us.

Mission from anywhere to anywhere

2009-12-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

We had a great day with Bob and Mary Hopkins recently. They are amazing people in terms of experience and connections meaning they can speak wisely in regard to church planting and mission in these days.
The morning with them consisted of great input about the two realities of christendom and post-christendom both clearly represented in a town like Harrogate and a Diocese like Ripon and Leeds.
There are clearly still ways in which the church functions as a unifying central point - Christ Church on the Stray, St Mark's and St Peter's all function in this kind of way quite effectively. However the other reality is that the church in many ways is off-centre because of the enormous influence of secularisation and pluralism - thus many people won't necessarily be attracted back to the 'christendom churches'. The attractional church has to have 2 main things in place to be successful 1) a good welcome 2) good teaching that relates to everyday life. It is event centred and the challenge is to ensure the event doesn't stop discipleship. Thinkers in this field will also talk about Emerging Church as the church going out in listening mode - out amongst those who don't yet know the Lord. They would also talk about the Engaged Church which is somewhere between attractional church and emerging church. I think increasingly larger churches are seeking to be engaged churches - making the most of attractional opportunities but seeking to go out and engage. At a church I recently preached at I felt the Lord giving me a phrase that describes something of this engaged model: "Build at the centre, release at the edges". It certainly seems to me that the chief leadership skill that is necessary in these days is that of 'release' - not command and control but rather an 'authoritative and confident release' of disciples.
I guess St Mary's is emerging and engaged because of this extraordinary thing that we are doing taking a parish church into network I am finding working out which style of leadership to use at particular times is quite difficult and also that being released for many is quite scary because this hasn't been how many people have been led before. We still do elements of attractional church. For instance this Christmas we are holding a contemporary crib service and a candle-lit carol service on Christmas eve but seeking to make these relationally focussed with personal invitation as the key method of advertising. The candle-lit carol service is part of the 9am Holy Communion service - a community in its own right doing something that is OUTward in its approach. Outnumbered MSC have been expressing their main OUT as Messy Church so this Saturday (12th Dec 2009) they are doing Messy Christmas. We will have a family communion service on Christmas Day.
A memorable phrase that Bob and Mary used was "mission from anywhere to anywhere" - that is worth thinking about... we so often define our starting points which then has a controlling influence on the rest of the journey. To be given over to the mission of God is to be a bit more flexible and open - anywhere is fair game as a starting point just as long as the starting point is where the Spirit is at work already.... then it could lead anywhere - what an adventure!

Such a great Quote!

2009-11-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

I posted this on my fb status the other day but thought it ought to have a slightly longer shelf-life and more reflection. I think it comes from Brian McClaren.
"It's not about church meeting your needs; it's about joining the mission of God's people to meet the world's needs."
Ours is a risky strategy - it is to take a simple parish church Church of England way of doing things and say 'that's great - but it isn't working for us here... the church is dying slowly... it isn't really making any impact - reorganising probably isn't the answer... lets undertake a RE-ORGANISM. We will choose to exercise faith that as we go so we will see fruitfulness, we'll see people coming to faith and loads of other good stuff happening. We'll seek to put our own needs below the needs of a thirsty, hungry and broken world."
We are still doing a lot of working out - we have to overcome the lack of faith that lurks in us that God can do it not just in our lives but in the world around us... as we go.

"Fewer Services, More Service"

2009-11-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

I'm just finishing a book called 'New Monasticism - what it has to say to today's church' by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. A challenging read, though unashamedly American in context, at one point he talks about wanting to introduce a new slogan to churches "Fewer Services, More Service." He is drawing on Jesus' washing of feet and points out that we often remember that Jesus said that others will know we are Christians by our love but we forget that the context for this showing love was in the washing of feet. It is good to have ministries that are focussed on showing love, it is great to have inspiring worship services, it is good to have rituals of foot-washing but we forget that footwashing was something that had to be done, that was need based because feet in those days became filthy. Footwashing was the daily job of a servant tending to the basic needs of a household and we are told to function like this. How much do we pay attention to the care of each others needs? Do we turn up at a Central Gathering or any service of worship with the attitude of 'how am I going to serve the needs of others today?' Do we even know the basic needs of those we worship with? How far, anyway does a worship service permit the genuine serving of need?

One of the things that MSC allows us to do is to grow in this sense of each others needs, to provide opportunity for needs to be met. MSC provides us with fewer services and more opportunity for service. It takes time to form relationships that can meet needs as needs must be disclosed and will only be disclosed where there is trust and trust has to be earned. But there is something deeply attractive about Christians genuinely serving each other because from the overflow of such love others are served and cared for also. I love the quote that David Day had in his fantastic little book about Jesus called 'Pearl of Great Price' "She built a bridge of friendship to my heart and over that bridge walked Jesus." Wow!

Now of course if you are after a church that is focussed on merely on providing services of worship then our vision and practice is not for you. We are making it quite difficult to be part of this church because our times of gathered worship are not seen as the 'be all and end all' but merely part and parcel of a whole life of being a 'follower and a fisher'. We are serious about discipleship, leadership and that being a Christian is supposed to be an adventure for us all not just a select few who relish change.

Tabernacle People

2009-10-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Are we going to be a tabernacle people willing to give up the comfort of the fixed abode certainty for the uncertainty of pitching a tent wherever the Spirit leads us?

The Feast

2009-10-14T07:18:00.001-07:00

I am preparing for our celebration weekend - The Feast. Our take on a harvest festival -using the feast of tabernacles and Jesus' interaction with this feast found in John 7.
We are going to look back over the last year of significant development since launching into MSC exploration and development and all the other decisions and events. Lots to give thanks for. We will also be looking forward - expecting to see God move in and through us more. In faith we are expecting a harvest of salvation and committing ourselves to this in our way through MSCs and in our workplaces, families and friendships.
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles a key passage from Isaiah 12 would have been used as water was processed from the Pool of Siloam to the temple "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" - here is the expectation and understanding that the water of God is for more than just for our life - it is salvation water.
Jesus proclaimed loudly at this solemn moment at the pool of Siloam "if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink, whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him". John 7:37-38
We need to keep drinking of Jesus and live with the expectation that a constant flow of living water from within is more than just theoretically possible (if I am good enough etc etc) but actually guaranteed. Drink of Jesus and what comes out of you is salvation water. Fact.

And for the preachers among you.....As I was thinking about this I was reminded of DL Moody's teaching on the Holy Spirit. A good 3 point sermon...
The Spirit Irrigates, Illuminates and Invigorates.

Decisions and Status Going off the Map

2009-09-08T04:12:00.000-07:00

Just before the Summer holidays we had a flurry of activity in regard to the discussions about the future of St Mary's. Our church council responded to the proposal made by myself and the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds that St Mary's starts the process towards becoming a Bishops Mission Order rather than a normal parish church.
Clearly not that much of SMC church life has been normal and parish-like in recent years - saying goodbye to two ecclesiastical buildings has emphasised a different 'calling' for the church. Since last Autumn we have begun to develop MSC's - communities of disciples in mission - an exciting adventure into a way of being and doing church that is off the usual familiar map. In fact at New Wine this Summer someone who didn't really know what we are doing as a church came up to me to share what she felt God had given her for me - simply the words: 'Off the map'. There is a map that CofE Christians are familiar with - a parish church with a building at the centre and lots of activities that attract others into the life of the church and hopefully relationship with Jesus. There is something of God's call on us as a church to go off that map - not saying that the old map is bad - just that we are called to go off it and that God is in this and for us.
To lay down the status of parish in the CofE is quite a challenge - through the Fresh Expressions initiative there has been some legislation (called a Bishops Mission Order - BMO) made to enable us to 'go off the map' whilst staying accountable, supported and encouraged by the CofE. The BMO has to have defined objectives and there needs to be consultation and the drafting of the Order which is what is happening at the moment. So far there have been Church Council discussions and votes in favour, church consultation meetings and a deanery presentation/meeting. Things are ongoing and developing. There are all sorts of implications.... the renaming of the church, the change of my status from Vicar (Priest-in-charge) to Pioneer Minister, the parish responsibilities moving to other churches, decisions regarding how we lead and manage the church simply yet accountably etc etc.
Do keep praying that we work these things out - that relationships remain trusting and open to the new thing and that the Lord will indeed provide all the provisions we need for going off the map. There aren't many (if any) churches in the CofE making this movement - to be off the map is a vulnerable place to be - so we want protection!
Here are the objectives of the mission order:

To enable St Mary’s to function in non-geographical missional network across parish boundaries developing and planting Mission Shaped Communities (MSC’s).
To define the place that St Mary’s occupies in relation to inherited and other expressions of church in the Harrogate Deanery as one of mission partnership.
To focus St Mary’s fully on its distinctive vision and calling.
To ensure that the pastoral care/occasional offices that will be required in
the Cold Bath Road/Harlow Hill area of Harrogate are taken care of through
pastoral reorganisation.

Standing with others?

2009-09-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we held our first Central Gathering of the season - every 2 weeks we gather together and in between we are developing our MSC's. Jeremy Clough from Harrogate Town Pastors spoke powerfully and movingly of the call to care (do we really care?), the impact of the woundings in our lives, the challenge to learn what devotion to the apostle's teaching, to the fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer really is... and do it.
At the heart of what Jeremy shared was this little insistent voice speaking of unity - being ONE church - ONE with each other - ONE church in Harrogate and beyond. Almost as an aside he mentioned Acts 1:14 "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven" - highlighting that Peter stood up with others - he had support, he was encouraged in what he was doing. To have people standing with us is so important and to be people who stand with others is also absolutely vital. Are you being 'stood with'? Are you 'standing up' with others? At the heart of our vision to release communities of disciples in the mission of Jesus is the idea of standing together - together we can make a difference. We will need to make sure we aren't standing in the way and that our own preferences and problems are not providing a barrier for others. We will need to be supporting the development of leaders who like Peter are called at particular times to stand and draw the attention of the people around them to Jesus and his work.
Hmmmm

A book suggestion

2009-07-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have just read Steven Croft's little book 'Jesus People: What the church should do next'. A really simple yet inspirational read. Full of vision and encouragement. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41m63SmYcRL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

Compassion

2009-07-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

I was forcibly struck by Mark 6:30-34 the other day. Jesus planned a break with the disciples but the break never happens because of the needs of the crowd. Mark says that Jesus had compassion on them (the crowd) 'because they were like sheep without a shepherd'.
I found myself asking a number of questions...
1) What is it that must drive us? Compassion. "many are the plans in a human heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21) Compassion should take precedence even over plans we have, with all integrity, put into place. Preference (what I want) should give way to purpose (what the Lord wants)
2) What is it that will enable us to work out what the Lord wants us to do? What his purpose is? When we see sheep without a shepherd, when our hearts fill with compassion for a person or people who are lost.... that is what should signal our purpose and calling.
3) But surely there are two many areas of compassion to respond to? The compassion that fills the heart of one person may not be that which fills my heart. I will find myself at times following the compassion of another and catching their vision for shepherding in a particular area. At other times I will need to lead others in my area of compassion. My relationship with the Lord, with my companions on the way will help me discern what my response should be.
4) Surely this means that there is a cost to compassion? If compassion costs - are we willing to pay the price?Hanging around theme park rides with young people the other day reminded me again that there is a particular need to have compassion for young people who are so often sheep without a shepherd. My story is very much of people getting alongside me as a teenager, shepherding me, having compassion for me. Children need the same... as the song goes "everyone needs compassion" - are we compassion givers?
I believe that over the Summer the Lord will be sharpening up his calling in us through compassion. Let's pray that the Lord will reveal to us those areas where we see sheep without a shepherd and sense a calling to respond.

Church Model

2009-07-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some slides I have used to try to illustrate our model of church - what we are aiming to do. The Community/Communitas graphics come from Alan Hirsch in his excellent book "The Forgotten Ways" and his thinking on 'Apostolic Genius'. Hope you can read the graphics - I need to make them more web friendly!

kairos

2009-07-16T03:22:00.000-07:00

The ancient greek word kairos means the right or opportune moment - kairos is special time or an appointed time in the purpose of God. We need to be ready to respond to kairos moments - seeking to learn what the Lord is teaching us, what he is doing and revealing.

Last night I met with members of Harrogate Deanery (the CofE way of organising groups of local churches and their parishes). This was a kairos. I presented the 'What was, what is and what is to come' of St Mary's Harrogate for consultation. The meeting was very good natured and open. Inevitably there are a range of understandings and comprehension of something that is so different from the normal way of doing church. I was really encouraged to hear those that would often be imagined to be a million miles away from the kind of thing we are doing saying a resounding and enthusiastic 'yes' and offering support. I was struck by the oddness of watching others discussing the parts of St Mary's parish that their parish might take over - there is so much security in the CofE in regards to having a distinctive parish - 'my patch' - and having recognised authority over it and here we were in the act of laying it down, giving away security in exchange for an uncertain future, a new way. A kairos moment. I have found myself looking at the sending out of the 12 in Mark 6 again -

"These were his instructions: 'Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic'"

They were sent with so little security - just each other, his teaching & authority, a staff, tunic and sandals. How they must have felt... so vulnerable.

There is so much we could take for the journey we are on - but the work of the Lord in the life of this church seems to be so much more about us taking nothing for the journey.

Are we ready to meet the challenge of this? Or are we going to continually insist on taking stuff with us that will hold us back, slow us down? Part of the stripping away of securities that is happening for us is the continued adjustment to laying down larger gatherings in favour of smaller groupings/communities. We can lean on Sunday services or the way we have always done things and find that we go nowhere fast. No. We are needing to learn what it is to be people who take nothing for the journey except that which we find the Lord telling us to take.

I shared my feelings and reflections regarding all this with a friend in the Order of Mission. She sent me the encouragement of Galatians 3:26-4:7 just what I/we need in these times to be reminded of:

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

At times like this I/we need to return to an understanding of who we are in Him. I am a Son and Heir - clothed with Christ. I have the full rights of a son of our Father in heaven. Be encouraged!

Infiltration

2009-06-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

Last Central Gathering Richard and Jenny Dean shared their vision for the MSC they are leading called The Wanderers. They mentioned that part of their strategy was 'infiltration' - I love the idea of this - it is quite a word to use! It just articulates something of what we should be like as Disciples - people who seek after God's work in the world around us - not necesarily providing things that people come to but going to where they are, where life is and becoming part of it. So they are part of a number of groups and seek to share life with the people it seems they are connecting with.
Jesus' strategy for evangelism was of this type - to enter a place, see whether there is a welcome, where there is peace and the opportunity to stay. See Matthew 10.
All the MSC's in some ways function around this idea - that there are appointments that God has prepared for us, people of peace, doors opened out there in the world around us. So we continue to seek to be a church of communities of disciples in the mission of Jesus with a message not of 'you come to us' but 'we'll come to you'.

Counting the cost to be fit for service

2009-06-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday at our twice a month central gathering we were looking at 3 of Jesus' encounters with people:

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you
wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another
man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62

I noted 3 challenges for us as followers:

1) Comfort - the guy who tells Jesus he will follow him and maybe expects congratulation and affirmation only to be probably surprised or even shocked by Jesus telling him that his way of life is one where he gets nowhere to lay his head. It is not a comfortable way.

2) Convenience - this guy seems to have a pretty good reason not to respond immediately to Jesus calling him to follow. Jesus' reply challenges the way in which we seem to find all sorts of plausible excuses not to put following Jesus first in our lives. We fit Jesus into our diaries and calendars forgetting that we wil live better by submitting them first to him.

3) Distraction - "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me..." - how many times do we function by the word 'but'? Too much. It isn't wrong for someone to want to say goodbye - it just isn't great to be distracted - there are always things that could distract us - I am writing this with lots of commotion of our family-life around me and am having to concentrate hard so as not to lose the thread of my thoughts. It is so easy to find an excuse for not following NOW. As Jesus points out, if we were ploughing and kept looking back the furrow we have created will be next to useless for sowing and harvesting. So often we look at other things, we look back and find ourselves moving in the wrong direction. We are therefore not fit for kingdom purposes.

As we continue to develop mission shaped communities we will find that there are times when we have to tackle these kinds of things in ourselves - are we ready to count the cost?

Psalm 84 Pilgrimage

2009-06-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whoose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7

This Psalm beautifully describes something of our vision.
Finding Strength in the Lord
We seek to be people who find strength in God. The journey for this church has been the stripping away of all the things that usually churches find strength in - we must be wary of seeking strength in anything but God. Strength to strength - as in our weakness we find our strength in him.

Hearts set on Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage - a journey to God, with God, seeking God and experiencing his company. On the move, community on the go.

Bringing life and blessing
The valley of Baca is the place of tears - as we go we expect that the Lord's work in us will be life-giving - springs and God-blessing - pools.

Men's Retreat

2009-05-21T02:12:00.000-07:00

Recently a group of us went away overnight. We had a great time talking, worshipping, praying, eating and drinking and learning to shoot arrows together. I was struck (not by an arrow, thankfully) but by a number of other things. First that this grouping was mostly people who have joined the church over the last 12-14 months (fantastic!). Secondly, that we still need to form and develop relationships with each other and this kind of thing organised so well by Carl Good is a really good thing! Thirdly that we must keep the pressure up in our own lives as well as as a whole church to make sure we are clear about our target - that we have something to aim at. As we saw during our archery lesson if you aim at the bullseye you are almost sure to hit somewhere in the target. I see far too many people's lives that are targetless. We need to aim at something, we are designed to function in this way. Somebody once said that "we need a big vision, but a tight focus" - are we focussed enough?

As people with a heart for sharing God's love with those around us we are in what fighter pilots might call 'a target rich environment' - in other words there is no shortage of targets for the receiving of the good news - however we have to make sure we are asking the Lord to help us focus on the right target - the one that is being prepared by the Holy Spirit.

So often we are targetting the wrong things, pointing in the wrong direction or trying to hit too many things at once - the vision needs to be big but the focus needs to be tight. We need revelation from God because without it we don't work within the right restraints and if that happens, like an arrow released without control and thought, something or somebody could get hurt. Proverbs 29:18.

What a great time

2009-05-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

The New Wine Leadership conference this week here in Harrogate has been fantastic. Those of you who know me won't be surprised that I have been energised with the networking side of it. The speakers were of really good quality - prophetic voices of practioners in kingdom things in their specific contexts.
Personally I was struck by the challenge to focus on your higher calling as a disciple and child of God rather than being dominated by the leadership calling. I realise that I can get so wrapped up in the leadership task that I lose sight of the call to relationship with the Lord and with others. Somebody once said that they had met a French theologian who had been reflecting on the first question she might be asked on entering heaven. She came to the conclusion that it would probably be "where are the others?" Are there 'others' in my daily life? Or am I/we to wrapped up in other things like 'church' or 'work' or 'family' or 'troubles' or 'leadership' to be even aware of 'others'?
People who are wrapped up in themselves make very small parcels.

We (myself, Penny and the kids plus Mo and Andrew Clarke) had a great time also with St Andrew's Starbeck. We saw the Lord really stirring people up and doing some lovely things in their lives. Jesus is so good.... why would we really want anyone or anything else in our lives?

God is great but sometimes not so great things happen. We are sad that Rachel and Mark Turner will be moving on from St Mary's. What we hope for and anticipate won't always work out so all we can do is to return to Jesus.

Moving from the mountain

2009-04-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

I was reading Deuteronomy 1:3-18 this morning and one verse in particular stood out "You have stayed long enough on this mountain" (v6).

Movement is one of the signs of life - our instinct so often is to seek to settle down, to stay in one place - but the Lord kept calling the people on. There was more to come - something to aim for, to move towards... the place of promise. I had the distinct impression that the Lord was nudging me to continue the movement into his purposes for St Mary's. One of the main pictures we have worked with as a church over the last 16 months or so has been that of the pillar of cloud/fire leading the people on.... they stopped when it stopped and moved when it moved - a marvellous picture of revelation and response.... God moves... I move.... God stops.... I stop. In the coming months we will have to finalise a decision to move in the direction of becoming a network church - a network of communities with their unique mission and ways of functioning. This will mean deciding what not to do, and what to do more of. It will mean deciding to move from the 'mountain' of Anglican parish ministry that we presently occupy and for a time has been the right place to be and instead move into the unknown of being an Anglican new church of communities springing up wherever God appoints... a distant dream maybe... but possible under God.

I followed up by reading John 20:1-10 and found myself thinking that v8-9 suggests that full understanding doesn't always accompany belief - the 'other disciple' (John?) we are told "saw and believed" but then it says they didn't fully understand. This will be the case for us. Continually. As we head towards our vision of releasing communities of disciples to live the mission of Jesus we will find that belief isn't always accompanied immediately by understanding. If we always look for understanding first then we will be disappointed... if we trust that understanding will come as we do what we believe then there will be joy and quite an adventure.

So we must see... (which may involve looking into a grave - looking death in the face?), we must believe (assent to/agree with/do what we see) and then we will understand.

Messy Church

2009-03-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

This Saturday one of our MSC's begins Messy Church - if you want to know more have a look at our website http://www.stmarysharrogate.org/ The idea is that we have a chance to gather a whole load of families together for Glue, Glitter and God once a month as well as gathering around food in someones house and a small group at other times. This MSC is known as Outnumbered - the name taken from the BBC sitcom of family life - "Outnumbered follows the daily chaos of family life and two parents and three young children locked in an unequal contest." So much of family life is chaotic and challenging - Outnumbered MSC reckons that it is a good idea to include God in it!

Things often feel chaotic, or at the very least messy, in our lives. Somebody recently wrote about change, commenting that we are okay with continous change, the kind of change that develops out of what has gone before and can be anticipated and managed, .... but it is discontinuous change that is our main challenge a kind of change that is disruptive and unanticipated, that we feel ill equipped to deal with. This kind of change seems to be what we are so often dealing with in our present circumstances but we believe that God brings order out of chaos, that he redeems and turns things around. We are a people of hope even in the face of change and uncertainty and we see this being worked out in our lives as we remain faithful to him and his promises.

Working on a Dream

2009-03-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I just spent a whole weekend with people from St Peter's Shipley in the Lake District. They have a regular pattern of weekends away - one of the ways they have developed to stay connected in a church that numbers several hundred. They are a great bunch of people and I tried to do some reflection with them on what it means to be a great church not merely just a good one.

It makes me think that there are often so few differences between the christian and the not yet christian, or church and world. There are things that any church leader can do to grow a church that someone without faith could easily do from common sense and see some growth. Ouch - that line of thought hurts and challenges... is it really true?

I think the philospopher Nietzche said "I would be more willing to believe in the redeeming God of the Christians if Christians were more redeemed" - Hmmmm.
I believe the kingdom is not just good - it is great. We are to reach for greatness - greater works and this involves that amazing paradoxical Jesus mixture of humility and will.

The new Bruce Springsteen CD is called 'Working on a Dream' - our dream is the kingdom and the work involves acts of will that take us towards that dream and humility that enable us to travel well towards the dream coming to reality.

I love what we are trying to do here - wilfully choosing to organise ourselves around a vision of communities of disciples. We have such flexibility and opportunity to do this and though, as Springsteen says "...it seems so far away", we have to keep working on it.

I am aware of people being really interested in hearing what we are attempting to do and have had a real sense of challenge not to overhype at such an early stage of development – just keep working on it, share only the insights we actually have and boast in Jesus of course. Keeping a necessary sense of humility and awareness that we are not the be all and end all – just bunches of disciples trying to do what we are told!
Be encouraged!

God in public life

2009-02-24T04:20:00.000-08:00

I am very aware of a massive difference between what the broadsheet intelligensia say about religion and its role in society and what most ordinary people would say. I must say I am pretty sick of reading papers and hearing new reports that are biased and at times aggresive regarding the faith of many millions of people and the influence that such faith has. I see so many Christians exercising their faith and allowing it to have an influence on lives around them - there is a kind of blindness to this that seems to have infected the people and places of power in this country. An ex-Archbishop I know used to spend a significant amount of time trying to highlight the foolishness of privatising religion and isolating it from any influence on public life. Militant atheists and certain government ministers have exerted pressure to remove religious influence from public life and yet the following article and BBC poll would suggest that ordinary people still roundly reject secularism. Hurrah!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7906595.stm

A BBC poll suggests that most people want religion and the values derived from it to play an important role in British public life.
Of 1,045 people questioned by ComRes, 62% were in favour.
Meanwhile, 63% of those questioned agreed that laws should respect and be influenced by the UK's traditional religious values.
The findings contrast with calls from some politicians and secularist groups to exclude faith from the public arena.
Guiding principles
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor warned a few years ago that Christianity was "all but vanquished" as the guiding principle for Britain's moral framework.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor argued that Christian beliefs - such as the sanctity of human life and the rule "do as you would be done by" - should continue to underpin the behaviour of Britons.
Church leaders have warned that recent legislation has elevated goals such as freedom from discrimination for homosexual people, above the freedom of religion.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams warned that the government was using legislation to control people's morals as well as their behaviour.
Secularists, including an increasingly militant atheist movement, have stepped up their campaign to "free" the public from what they see as the burden of a lingering attachment to religious belief.
There have been advertisements on the sides of buses, and in the last few days, a network of student humanist associations has been inaugurated.

However, the BBC poll indicates that even at a time when baptisms, church weddings and attendance at Sunday services are declining, people are unwilling for secularism to displace religion altogether.
They may be dubious about specific religious beliefs, and unwilling to accept the teaching of religious organisations about how they should lead their lives, but the survey suggests they are not yet ready to cast God out of public life.

Mountains and valleys

2009-02-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

I am looking at Mark 9 - Jesus is transfigured - changed so they see the outward reality of his appearance changing to match the inward truth of his nature as the son of God. I have been asking the question - am I seeing/experiencing transfiguration - seeing spiritual realities. Which leads me to another question... am I spending enough time on the mountain in order to do so?

Also I was struck by what someone said about Peter's desire to build monuments to this moment - to capture it in time. They said "But the mission was in the valley, not on the mountain." There is a need to balance time on the mountain with time in the valley though my experience tells me that we have a tendency to avoid the mountain.... why? Perhaps because we have to climb up to it - I seem to prefer to descend than ascend or at least walk on safe level ground. It seems to me that mountains can be a little dangerous.... I'd better not risk the climb.

Hmmmm

Digging or doubling?

2009-02-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I spoke on the parable of the talents. Three men, two of whom had a 'doubling' attitude (they doubled what the Master gave them) and one that had a 'digging' attitude (he dug a hole and buried that which the Master gave him).

The 'digger' had an attitude towards the Master that was wrong. He somehow felt that the Master was mean and lacking in mercy whereas the response of the master to the 'doublers' showed something very different.

We need to check out what our attitude to God is. Do we really see him as a generous father who will give good gifts to his children? If we see him like this we are much more likely to

1) live a life based on making positive investments - putting our money where our mouth is. One of the biggest laughs we had on Sunday morning was when Ian Jenkins was reading the Parable of the Talents and got to that bit where the Master tells the 'Digger' that he could have earned some interest on the money in the bank! Some investments will fail - if we are to speculate to accumulate there will be an element of risk taking. But we must still seek to make investments - not to dig a hole and bury what we have.

2) be unafraid to take risks. One of the things that most winds me up is over cautiousness. The church in our country is too often characterised by a paralysing caution and a fear of failure. I want to encourage an environment that sees taking risks, making investments and making ourselves available to God as key parts of our common life.

Our direction as a church is an investment and a risk. We are investing in mission shaped communities, in releasing communities of disciples in the mission of Jesus. This is a risk because if we wanted to play safe we would have stuck with focussing our energies on more traditional forms of being and doing church - which in themselves are not bad - they are just not what we are called to do.

I am so glad that all the indications are that 'doubling' is what we are interested in rather than 'digging'. But we need to regularly check ourselves on this. Am I investing and putting my money, resources, gifts, skills where my mouth is? Am I prepared to take risks or responding out of fear and therefore becoming over cautious?

Fundamentally am I avaliable to the Lord and responsive to him?

Remember this...

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

A good quote

2009-01-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

“The whole church... must become a mobile missionary force, ready for a wilderness life... it is time for us all to be thinking of campaign tents rather than of cathedrals” John McKay (Whitby Conference 1947)

Mission as organizing principle

2009-01-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

I found this on Alan Hirsch's blog (Alan is author of a really challenging book: The Forgotten Ways)

Mission as organizing principle
In a remark ascribed to Gordon Cosby, the pioneering leader of that remarkable community, Church of the Savior in Washington. DC, he noted that in over 60 years of significant ministry, he had observed that no groups that came together around a non-missional purpose (i.e. prayer, worship, study, etc.) ever ended up becoming missional. That it was only those groups that set out to be missional in the first place (while embracing prayer, worship, study, etc. in the process) that actually got to doing it. This observation fits with all the research done by Carl George and others that indicate that the vast majority of church activities and groups, even in a healthy church, are aimed at the insiders and fail to address the missional issues facing the church in any situation.

Interesting.

Called to deep water

2009-01-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch" Luke 5:4
Jesus had been teaching the crowd from a boat in the shallows and he then commands Simon to go fishing after a night spent unable to catch anything. Simon obeys and they catch an abundance of fish which is taken to shore with additional help. Simon breaks down and calls Jesus 'Lord' and is promptly called to follow him, which he does, leaving everything.

Shallows and deep water
Shallows are lovely and safe. We sometimes need time in the shallows but we don't need lots of time there. You can't let down nets in the shallows, fish are unlikely to be there. You can get some good teaching in the shallows but then you do need to put it into practice. In the shallows you can rely on yourself, in deep water you have to rely on Jesus.
It is no wonder that Jesus wanted Simon to do something that was against his 'better' judgement - he was teaching him a lesson of reliance and trust - Simon had already seen that Jesus could heal his mother, now he would see that at the word of Jesus he, himself, could do something just as amazing in the company of Jesus and with help from his friends!
There is a tendency in us to seek control - especially amongst professional middle-class Christians. If we stay in the shallows we can manage things, we can make the most of what there is in the shallows - we play at church rather than live as followers of Jesus. We play safe and rely on our own understanding, skills, talents and experience. Of course we do have the nets and the boats that can be used for a catch but if we aren't following the commands of Jesus then we will end up not going deep enough to let them down in the right place.
Deep water is not very comfortable for us when we have spent so much time in the shallows and yet it is what we are called to and where the teaching and example of Jesus constantly calls us to be. As a church we are putting out into deep water and we have to give up on our better judgements, sacrifice our own control, stop relying on ourselves and keep trusting that Jesus knows what he is doing and if he says do something.... then we do it and we will have a catch of fish.

The impulse to go

2009-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

"they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.'" Luke 4:42-44
Jesus clearly understood his 'sent-ness'. Rather than give in to the compulsion to people-please, staying where there was success, where the kingdom was clearly coming he heads off to where the kingdom has not yet come but will come as the good news is preached. Too often we feel a sense of compulsion to people-please, to play safe and we end up domesticating the 'wild gospel' which has at it's core an impulse to go elsewhere, to go where the gospel hasn't yet been and where the kingdom is near.
We are developing mission-shaped communities in the belief that the we are not supposed to be a domesticated church but rather one that goes out, goes elsewhere because we believe with all our hearts that the kingdom is near and people want this good news of the kingdom.
I find it interesting that Jesus expressed the impulse to go from the place of prayer... a solitary place. How are we to get the kingdom impulse in our lives? How is it to become the impulse behind our MSC's? Prayer is the place to start.

2009-01-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am at Harlow Hill Methodist church - one of the 'united services' between Methodists and Anglicans that have been going on for some years. Just part of the variety of things I find myself doing in this extraordinary situation of 'emergence' at SMC.

I am focussing on the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1 and part of what I say will be regarding the calling for our baptism to be 'manifested' or 'shown'. Something that makes a difference. Robert Crampton, the columnist writing in the Saturday Times once said that Christians "have a purpose but not a product" - ouch! Matthew 28 suggests that Jesus thought our product should be disciples baptised and taught to obey him. Jesus clearly set a high value on baptism and expected that as a result of his work and commission there would be a product.

As I have continued reflecting about all this (maybe helped by the depth to which temperatures have been plummeting to this week!) I remembered something someone else taught me...

We aren’t supposed to be thermometers - measuring the temperature, we are supposed to be thermostats - changing the temperature.
Mission-shaped community is thermostatic.

My thermostat for central heating needs to be set to the right level for the right effect. I don't want a temperature that is too hot or too cold.

It also takes time and experience to get the right temperature - our last house was a warm one, our present one is older and draughtier and getting the hang of the heating has been quite a challenge.

Getting the hang of how to live as a community of communities will take time and experience and of course getting the temperature of our communities right will be a challenge.

It is reassuring that Jesus concluded his command to 'Go and make disciple's' with the words "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." We do all this knowing Jesus is with us and therefore however fragile it looks (just picture how few Jesus gave his commission to in the first place) we can 'go' with reassurance.

I am praying that the Lord will bless and prosper those gathering in different places tomorrow as the communities of our community - 3 groupings in people's homes and one in a pub. May they be thermostats and not thermometers.

The right attitudes for anxious times?

2009-01-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning (Sunday 4th Jan) I will be preaching at St Peter's Shipley in advance of speaking at their Church Weekend in March. John Rainer, the Vicar of St Peter's, will be with St Mary's at our 9am and Central Gathering.
I will be using Luke 2:41-51 which is the account of Jesus getting left behind in Jerusalem and being found by his anxious parents engrossed in the question and answer teaching sessions of the Rabbi's at the temple.

Luke 2:49-51 have especially caught my attention; "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them"

I guess I am reflecting on this passage in the context of our re-engagement with an anxious western world during this New Year period. I find myself asking what is the right attitude for anxious times?

The passage raises questions about Jesus - surely he's being a bit perverse?
Initially this may be what Jesus looks like here. I reckon his mum goes into parental anxiety mode (a mixture of fear, worry, guilt produces a telling off for the child who doesn’t really deserve it).
But no – we do see Jesus seemingly working out what his Fathers 'business' (as the KJV puts it) is. Always, but especially in these times we need to be interacting with the scriptures, questioning and working out what is going on, what we need to learn and understand.

The passage presents a picture of a child dealing with tension
‘didn’t you know I had to be’ – indicates a sense of compulsion – expressing a necessity/compulsion to be responsive to his heavenly father whilst also having a need to be responsive to his earthly parents.
Here is a tension – here is a challenge – he is pulled in one way to be with his parents and the other to be with his heavenly Father. How is one to deal with this? It is good to know Jesus coped with tensions. How are we to deal with the tensions of life?
How did Jesus deal with it? He sensed his call to obey the Father but found that part of this involved submitting to his parents.
There will be times this year when submission is necessary at least for a time so that God can work out other things in your life. You may be able to do better than another, you may be cleverer, more skilled, more able in many ways and yet submission to another may be your call.
In fact in Jesus we see that submission was everything – it was exactly what enabled him to achieve his destiny and it may well be that Luke has given us a glimpse of how Jesus became mature enough to follow through his destiny to be our saviour – through many minor submissions and petty obediences.

This passage shows us a lost child who finds his security in the right place
Jesus must have known it was dangerous to attempt to go home alone – he wouldn't be clear how long it will take for parental help to come – so he goes where he will be safe and where he thinks is the obvious place to be.
Jesus’ logic is that surely his parents would know he would be in ‘my father’s house’.
The best translation is ‘house’ denoting ‘place’ – in other word's where the Father is. In the face of ‘lost-ness’ of insecurity and of anxiety Jesus is found in his father’s house.
Jesus, as a 12 year old, articulates something startling and profound – an intimate connection with a heavenly Father who is ‘daddy’.

We are meant to find our way to the Fathers house – the place of intimate connection, of security and of peace. We are meant to find Daddy – to find security in him – whatever the state of our relationship with our real Daddies – there is a true Daddy in whom we can find security, peace, meaning and joy.

When you lose your way... where are you found?
Are you found in your father’s house? Where Daddy is? Seeking his business? Do you even know him as Daddy?
I wonder if 2009 will be a year in which we (the Church) find a sense of calling to return to the Fathers House – rediscover relationship with Daddy.

In an anxious world what might our attitude be?
· Interact with the scriptures
· Be prepared to submit
· Find your way to security in Daddy – come to the Father’s House.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-24T04:37:00.000-08:00

I have come across the following and found them thought provoking as I prepared for Christmas - the poem is used at the beginning of the Thomas Merton piece (the whole of Merton's 'The Time of No Room' is well worth a read but be prepared to be challenged).

Happy Christmas to you!

"He who has come to men dwells where we cannot tell
nor sight reveal him,
until the hour has struck
when the small heart does break
with hunger for him;
those who do merit least,
those whom no tongue does praise
the first to know him,
and on the face of the earth
the poorest village street
blossoming for him."
Jane Tyson Clement

"The Time of No Room," Thomas Merton.
"Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ has come uninvited. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world."

Ambitious for what?

2008-12-20T05:32:00.000-08:00

I have had 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 on my mind recently:

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. "

It is an intriguing thing to be instructed to be ambitious for a quiet life as opposed to the amplified lives of visible activity, that announce busyness to a world that is obsessed by outward manifestations of work. Another bible translation talks about living a calm life, indeed, a calm life is exactly what is necessary in this disturbed and shaken world. What an uncertain and troubled
world needs are communities of disciples living unflappable, calm and quiet lives of faith and love. We need to ask ourselves whether we are contributing to the disturbance by trying to work our way out of difficult circumstances by frantic activity and our own endeavour or are we living the calm life of faith.

Minding your own business is also a big challenge to us! Too often we look over our shoulders at others like Peter did at John (John 21) and we need to hear Jesus saying to us, as he did to Peter "You must follow me." Minding your own business is about simply following - not sitting in judgement on others and making their business yours. Of course we should be allowing the principles of Matthew 18:15-17 to guide us so that we live accountable lives as Christ-like community but there is a difference between that and being busy-bodies!

The thing is that we all have work to do. There is a purpose to our lives - we are to get on with pursuing that which God has called us to do - getting on with it not for our own benefit but because what we do has an effect on those looking on. This is one of the things that we value as a church - everyone getting on with the work the Lord has given them rather than just the chosen few. You no doubt will have noticed that the church doesn't get very much respect. I think this may be because we haven't earned it by getting on with following Jesus in our daily lives, we have put too much focus on the church and not enough on Jesus.

We are called to be 'plantings of the Lord for the display of his splendour' (Isaiah 61:3) - sometimes I think we take our eyes off this truth and forget that the work of God in our lives will always be about enabling us to become something that shows his glory. I hope and pray that this Christmas and into the New Year we will be able to focus on becoming plantings of the Lord for his splendour.

Where we are up to....

2008-12-15T05:03:00.000-08:00

A little while ago I wrote this for our first e-bulletin and thought I ought to include it on this blog....

Dear Friends,
I thought it was about time I shared some of my reflections regarding where we are up to at SMC especially in the light of our entry into a new pattern of gathering (consistent with) the direction we feel called to go as a church. The 9am Parish Communion service continues to develop on 3 Sunday’s per month – a traditional service with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. At 10.30am twice a month our central gatherings occur drawing together a larger group of people of all ages worshipping, encountering Jesus and responding to his word. Rachel Turner is beginning to get the measure of her task as Pioneer Children’s Leader and her creativity, openness to the Spirit and teaching gift is sure to be of great benefit to us. We have created exploration space for the development of a more significant change in the way we do church in MSC Sundays. These Sundays are the opportunity to search out the ways in which we can gather in groupings that are shaped by mission. Steadily things are taking shape for us; I expect we are going to learn an enormous amount over the months ahead.
Well done to all of you who are contributing to the process of MSC development already, to those who have ‘stepped up’ at central gatherings and have ‘stayed with’ SMC in the process of the closure of All Saints.
As we develop a new leadership structure for our new season, the leadership team has ceased to meet in favour of the creation of new structures. All those who have been involved in the leadership team will continue to serve as key leaders in this church. We all owe this group of people a big thank you for the way in which they have served and continue to serve.
One of the images I have worked with in thinking about SMC has been of this church as a tent community. Our recent and significant history as a church has been of the removal of ‘sacred’ buildings from our possession and the entry into a new way of being church that has a temporary, flexible and simple approach; a tent mentality. The way in which God’s people were organized and released to travel from Egypt to the Promised Land is of particular inspiration as well as the way in which the early church worked. Recently I have been struck by the need to make sure we have a ‘base camp’ that fulfills the purpose of supporting the missionary vision of the church. I believe that some of you will feel a call to the base to resource, pray for and support the work of those who are called to establish missional communities. Base camp, of course, is vital for the success of any expedition.
I think this is a really amazing place to live and serve and I am grateful for being with people who genuinely want to see God’s kingdom come in Harrogate. God has called us to something distinctive and special and I am looking forward to seeing what he will do in the coming months and years.
Thanks for your support and prayers,
Mark Carey

Fishing on the right side - creating new families

2008-12-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

At the end of John's gospel we find the account of Jesus directing the disciples who had been fishing all night without success to put their nets over the other side and they will make a catch. They haul in 153 fish.

This passage has occured a number of times recently as groups of us have prayed.

For me it brings to mind that as a church we have been called by God to cast our net over the other side of the boat - the 'right side' for us. The process of moving into missionary communities will at times be uncomfortable if only because we have been so used to a certain style and way of doing and being church. For many of us church in a certain way is ingrained - the neuroscientists talk of the brain circuits we develop - often considered to be very hard, if not impossible, to change. Penny and I went on a day conference recently on adoption and the attachment issues raised for children who have truamatic start to life. One of the speakers gave the following quote;

"What is helpful about recent neuroscientific evidence is that change is certainly possible throughout the life span. We might never erase the old experiences and their related brain circuit but we can build new experiences and their related brain circuits, new expectations, new circuits in the brain" Miriam Steele. Creating New Families.

Our journey is one of building new experiences, new expectations and new circuits - it is about creating new 'families' - communities of disciples in mission. That is our kind of fishing.

Breakout - Revealing mysteries

2008-11-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

A few of us went down to St Andrew's Chorleywood for a day conference called 'Breakout.'

We heard from them about how they have seen MSC's enabling them to breakout from the confines of a church building and consumerist attitude. They have seen many more people becoming Christians and many more Christians becoming disciples. I say that deliberately as it seems that most church growth produces Christians but being Christian isn't just about believing in Father, Son and Holy Spirit it is about following the Lord and having this Lord in our lives means our lives are to revolve around him not vice versa.

I want to the Chorleywood day knowing that to seek to release groups/communities of people in mission is the right direction to go in but reflecting on an ongoing struggle with the 'how to'. What is the process that releases people as the missionaries they truly are? I came back sure about the direction, helped and encouraged yet still challenged by the mysteries of it all.

I was reading the book of Daniel this morning and came to the part where Daniel has prayed and heard from the Lord what Nebuchadnezzer has dreamed and what his dream means. He is able to save the lives of many because he is able to here and receive from God. He stands in front of the most powerful king of those times and is able to say

"but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries."

I believe that we will see people's lives saved as we learn to trust in the God who reveals mysteries and I believe that the Lord is confirming that he will reveal the mystery of this current time.

Responding to Halloween

2008-10-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

I was amazed last year at the number of people engaging in Halloween related activities here in Harrogate. Evangelical Christians tend to be suspicious about Halloween and over the years have tried to offer children alternatives on the night itself. I am, and have been for some time now, a bit disturbed regarding the lack of reflection and prayer that goes on amongst Christians to do with this. We need to know why we say no to Halloween and make our response a positive one.
Why don't we support Halloween?

The menace effect
There is a degree of menace at times to do with Halloween that goes beyond 'mischief'. Even though most trick & treater's will not respond by doing something nasty - there is a threat in the air, some fear sown into people's lives. To some people (not all) there is a fear of harm at Halloween.

The overemphasis on darkness & the celebration of the representation of evil
We are familiar with the contrast in the Bible of light and darkness. We are not supposed to have anything to do with things that are dark - we are children of the light. We don't need to be afraid of the dark because light overcomes darkness (John 1) but we can't be found to be relating to or colluding with things that represent darkness (that which is not God). Halloween continually overemphasises things that can only be associated with darkness.
Lets take the previous thought one step further... the 'fruitless deeds of darkness' - things that are evil are not to be celebrated. We need to focus on good things, on the giver of all good gifts.

What to do?

Look for the opportunities of Halloween as well as the threats
We need to recognise that there have to be times and places of connection with good and evil - people are continuously telling us, and indicating that they are spiritual... but they have less time for religion. If we have a religious response to Halloween it will come over as negative and unhelpful but if we can engage with the issues of good and evil, have a good theology and practice of the kingdom coming and invading people's lives and a dark world and some creativity then lots could happen.

Earn the right to speak into people's lives
Back to the danger of being 'religious'. People do not want us to be telling them that they are wrong, bad or sinful. They see these things in our lives anyway - they know that we are not perfect and believe that in many ways we are hypocrites. Through relationship and consistency of contact and authentic effective Christian living we will earn the right to speak into people's lives.

Hold a gentle but firm, principled line
We always need to be prepared to give an answer on where we stand and why we stand there regarding Halloween - work out what you are going to say. Don't condemn someone elses thoughts or responses. I think people respect principled stands they don't respect hypocrisy or flakiness.

Develop a ministry and not a hit and run event

An event without connection to good ongoing kids and youth work is not useful. What happened to engaging with whole families? All our events at Halloween seem to be primarily children based? Things to do with good and evil, the right approach to death and thinking about death, light and darkness are all things that we need to equip young and old to deal with throughout their lives not occasionally at Halloween.

Final thought
Over the last couple of years we have bought a pumpkin and carved it with the children and put candles in it. Shock horror! We have always carved christian symbols as well as faces in the pumpkin and it has always proved to be a good way of discussing Halloween with the children.

A quote I am thinking about

2008-10-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

"...there exists in every church something that sooner or later works against
the very purpose for which it came into existence. So we must strive very hard,
by the grace of God to keep the church focussed on the mission that Christ
originally gave to it". C.S. Lewis

Cheer up!

2008-10-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

I love the way in which people spoke to Bartimaeus the blind man when Jesus told them to call him. They said "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you".

What a great combination of attitude and action. We can cheer others up from the basis of our faith and trust in the one who has called us and will call them. We can enable them to get on their feet so they can move towards Jesus - you can picture people hauling the beggar up and ushering him towards Jesus.
It strikes me that this is all we are asked to do - Jesus does the rest. With Bartimaeus he interviewed him about his need and then met it and he will do the same with those that we cheer up and help towards him.
So if you are feeling a bit gloomy or despondent today... cheer up! He's calling you! Get on your feet and draw near to him.

Giving is...

2008-10-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'd better explain - we are in the midst of our regular vision and commitment process.
We cast the vision for the coming year with vision targets and seek to prayerfully respond. We believe that where God calls he equips, but also understand that often we are the answers to our own prayers. So we have to ask questions, with the Lord, about what and when and how we give. We certainly need to revisit the key principles of biblical giving. I work on the basis of 'tithe & offering' as I am a simple soul that needs a framework and I find this in the Bible. I seek to give a minimum of 10% (tithe) to the part of the body of Christ that I belong with and I seek to give 'offerings' over and above what I am already giving.

Our vision targets for this year are:
BASE - to build up our 'base camp' - the church centre with appropriate admin and communications to be able to support the mission of the whole church. Building development, staff costs, practical things like the website.
COMMUNITIES - to build up and invest in the development of MSC's, releasing at least two MSC's in 2009
PIONEER - to fund the employment of Rachel as a pioneer to build up and develop work amongst children and families

While thinking about giving the following thoughts occurred to me.

Giving is....
... devotion. Our hearts, our worship, our love for him not of money
Jesus said something about treasure and hearts. When I give I demonstrate devotion - where my heart is.

Giving is....
... discipline. Martin Luther talked about people needing two conversions, one of the heart and the second of the pocketbook(wallet). Finances that aren't submitted to God get in the way of my relationship with him. Jesus said 'when you give' - in other words it is part of life - a discipline. It is something we have to learn and develop in our lives. It is good training to give.

Giving is....
...development. Our relationship with the Lord will develop and grow at times through the exercise of trust and faith to do with finances. Sometimes I will be stretched in my finances in order to help me grow in faith – he may ask me to give, to sacrifice as a loving act that releases more blessing and more trust in him. Furthermore God doesn't need us to give - he doesn't need money - but he does want us to exercise the kingdom principle of 'freely you have received, freely give'. In the exercise of giving, of sometimes being broken in this area we find that other breakthroughs come.

Bread upon waters

2008-09-29T02:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in our second MSC Exploration gathering someone was reminded of Ecclesiastes 11:1 & 6.

Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again...
...Sow your seed in the morning,
and at the evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well

Well, I know that God gives daily bread because Jesus tells us to ask for it, and I think that was yesterdays daily bread for us as we met together to explore MSC's. We would all love to have the detail, know whath we are doing, not to have to engage in this way - but we are casting our bread upon the waters and we are sowing our seed. We have to trust that the Lord will lead us as he has promised and not be put off or demoralised by the messy and challenging nature of this time.

We are beginning to create multiple places for people to belong:

the 9am Holy Communion

men getting together for encouragement and accountabilty in 2's & 3's

small groups (housegroups)

central gatherings

prayer meetings

MSC exploration

these and other areas are good enough for people to have belonging and encounter the Lord. We just need to come as open people expectant that daily bread will be given to us.

If

2008-09-27T03:05:00.000-07:00

If I was going to start something new I would

Pray

Find out who else wanted to do it with me

Spend time with them praying (and eating)

Work with the idea of UP-IN-OUT always in mind

Check my plan with the church leader for accountability

Get on with it

Be prepared for it to feel like it is impossible at times

Trust that when God calls he equips

Relationship First

2008-08-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sometime last week Mark 6:6b-13 came to mind. It is when Jesus sends out the 12 Disciples and gives instructions to them. He tells them to take the bare minimum, to go in pairs and to only stay where there is a welcome and a listening ear. What he doesn't need to tell them to do is call people to turn to God, drive out evil from peoples lives and do healing. Why? Because anyone who spends time with Jesus will do these kind of things - it goes with the territory - they do what they saw Jesus doing. That's a challenge for us!

I like the thought that there is another implication in what Jesus tells them not to take... it is that going out in pairs with just a staff (well everyone needs something to lean on) and the clothes they stand in is enough. It is enough to have someone to walk with, someone to travel with - that is enough to do what Jesus did.

There has been a recognition amongst quite a number of us who lead churches in Harrogate that we need to walk together. That walking together is good. It isn't about spending all the time with each other or being exactly like each other it is simply about seeking to do what we can together... walk. The Outpouring gatherings have been a case in point, the regular monthly prayer meetings and we hope also the gathering of the church leaders at Wydale in September will be a manifestation of this.

A friend of mine, in commenting about the current outpouring (visitation) of the Spirit that we are seeing, said "don't live the experience... live relationship... where power is increased and outpoured seek to build community". Wise words. In the kingdom it is always relationship first.

What a great week!

2008-08-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic time at New Wine North and East.

The weather was good - which helped a great deal - but there was also a tangible sense of the presence of God. One night 20 people (at a holiday week for Christians) invited Jesus into their lives and throughout the week people were getting healed and set free and generally having a great time!

We have returned tired but encouraged.

For Penny and I and the kids it was special to be with so many members of our new family here in Harrogate - you are a lovely bunch of people who can do serious damage for the kingdom!

SMC at New Wine North and East

2008-07-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Well a whole load of us from SMC are going to New Wine - joining the Harrogate encampment on Red 8 at Newark. Delegate numbers are heading towards 5500 and team members bring us up to over 6000 for this 4th northern conference/holiday. Penny and I are involved in helping to lead and have worked out that this is probably the 17th New Wine Summer conference we have been to. Wow! We love New Wine and how through it we have met with God, others and been able to be equipped to beter serve God in our daily lives. We have seen his kingdom come in our lives through new Wine and want that for our children and for SMC.

I was reading Mark 6 and 8 this morning and thinking about the miracles of 5000 and 4000 being fed by Jesus. I noticed 5 common areas in Jesus feeding thousands (there may of course be more).

1) Thousands had gathered - yes obvious I know - but in a culture that constantly emphasises the selfish individual need and undermines corporate community life it is important to remember that Jesus related a great deal to crowds and not just me! One of the reasons why New Wine is great is that it gives us the chance to get involved in something that is bigger where normally we are in our own little worlds doing our own little thing.

2) Jesus had compassion. In the feeding of the 5000 his compassionate response was to lead them as they were like sheep without a shepherd. There is a desperate need for leadership in our day which is why it is one of our priorities as a church - to lead like Jesus. This is a compassionate response to the need around us.

Secondly in the feeding of the 4000 his compassionate response was to feed them - there is of course a desperate need in our times for people to meet with Jesus who is the bread that satisfies.

If people are led without feeding they will collapse and if fed without leading they will become fat - neither of which are things that we want to encourage. Jesus knows we need leading and feeding and in his compassion he does this and calls us to partner with him in it.

3) Jesus did a lot with a little. We are, at present, a small church with correspondingly few resources to work with. The tendency for us is to think we can't therefore do much because we have so little. This is not kingdom thinking - Jesus did a lot with a little and will do a lot with the little we have. Where he calls... he equips.

4) There was food left over. I believe that the true merit of things like New Wine is that they give us food to be distributed after the conference is over. Because we come hungry we are filled, and the overflow is of blessing to others. We can, though, leave the baskets of left-overs sitting unused and we have to resolve to say that we will not let that which God has provided go stale.

Summer 2008 Text of a letter given out Sunday 20th July

2008-07-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

SMC: A Community of Communities
Simply loving, living and leading like Jesus

Dear friends,

Transition.
We are moving into a time of transition for the church that will be gathering pace from September onwards. In order to make the transition our focus has been very much on readying the church centre for reoccupation and doing the initial thinking regarding developing mid-sized mission shaped communities (MSC’s).
We will move from being based around a Sunday service at the Grammar school to meeting in a larger gathering twice a month (1st & 3rd Sunday). During the autumn term on the 2nd and 4th Sundays we will still be meeting together in the church centre to explore the dispersal into the MSC’s further. In January we will take the next step ‘out of the boat’.

MSC’s.
Do look at my blog via the SMC website or this link http://smchurch.blogspot.com/ and you will find some of my reflections on MSC’s amongst other things.
I expect that we could explore starting up some MSC’s with a specific mission focus such as:
1) Family MSC
Vision: Encouraging and Supporting Families
2) Footprints MSC
Vision: Connecting with the wider community
3) Life beyond loss MSC
Vision: Caring for those who have experienced loss in one way or another
4) (Younger Adults MSC?) (Cold Bath Community MSC?)
Vision: Building community of faith amongst those who are spiritual but not religious(?)
These are just thoughts at the moment but I wonder whether as you reflect on these kinds of things over the summer that you may feel you would want to be part of one of those areas. You may even have a vision for leadership in one of them. Over the summer I am most available during the last two weeks of August if you want to get together and talk this through. Simply phone me on 07841595203 or email me mark@stmarysharrogate.org.

Help.
We want to get the SMCentre redecorated over the Summer – please don’t leave it to the usual suspects – spare a morning or an evening to help out. Andrew Clarke can advise you.

Pioneer Children’s Leader.
Do pray that we are able to get the Cold Bath Road flat sorted out quickly for Rachel and Mark Turner to move into at the end of September. Some of us will be meeting Rachel at New Wine.
Until Rachel arrives we will be carrying on working together to support the children’s groups. Again, ‘transition’ is the word… Rachel will need help and support as she takes things on.

Parish Communion.
Our 9am Holy Communion service is taking shape. This service has a traditional feel with liturgy and hymns and is open to all (not just those who have been involved with All Saints). If you feel that the MSC’s may be a little hard for you to feel at home in why not see if the 9am parish communion is a better place to belong. The meeting room, to the surprise of some, makes a very worshipful chapel-like venue and I envisage services being held in there indefinitely.
Please pray for those who are making the transition from All Saints to this service and those who are making a transition to other churches after much prayer and reflection.

The Anglican Communion.
Do pray for the gathering of Bishop’s called the Lambeth Conference that is happening at the moment. The political game playing, bad press and absence of up to a third of the conservative Bishop’s will keep this in the public gaze. I’m not sure how much of it will be good news and I feel sad that things have come to this. As I write I am reminded of Hosea 6 and especially the first few verses – why don’t you look these up and use them as a basis for praying for the worldwide church and especially the Anglican Communion.

Here comes the summer! Keep an eye on the FYI and website for details of services.
A good number of us are going to New Wine and onto other holidays – have a great time wherever you are going.

Baptisms at SMC

2008-07-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

Today we are celebrating! Matt (12) and Timmy (11) are being baptised and we are gathering with them to eat together and make a public spectacle of this important decision.
I will be speaking from Acts 8 - the bit where Philip meets the Ethiopian Eunuch (an important official of the Egyptian court). The encounter ends with the Ethiopian saying "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptised?" He has heard, received and accepted the good news of Jesus - he believes and therefore the next obviously step is to fully identify himself, immerse himself in the way of the gospel. I will be speaking about the three commitments we see in Philip 1. to Christ 2. to the body of Christ 3. to the work of Christ in the world.

But it strikes me that there are other things to learn from Philip...

1) He followed instruction
An 'angel' tells him the barest detail - where to go and Philip goes. We tend to press for more detail and over complicate things... Philip trusts and goes. we have to prepared to go following Christ with less detail trusting that the detail will come. In the current outpouring of the Spirit this is one of the things that I see happening - a preparedness to follow instruction and be obedient.
2) Philip responded to opportunity
He knew he was in the right place but still had to wait for the opportunity - at one point Philip was instructed again to go to a certain chariot and 'stay near it'. We are not told how long he 'stayed near it' but being near it brought about the opportunity - he saw the man reading something he knew something about. Sometimes we are called to run alongside and observe, waiting for more instruction - don't be hasty... the opportunity will come.
3) He told the good news
With an invitation from the Ethiopian Philip launched into explaining the gospel starting from where the man was. Our starting point can be different - we have a tendency to start from where we are which is different from where a newcomer to the good news is. Sometimes where we start sounds anything but good news to someone else. For instance, we start with 'church' whereas truly the best place to start is Jesus. How are we at thinking and explaining the good news? is it good news to us? Have we got a reason for the hope we have?
4) He stayed until it was right to go
Philip baptised the Ethiopian and then, it seems, his job was done and the Lord took him to pastures new. Too often we over-stay, or go before it is completed often depending on our personalities and the things that drive us. But if our commitment is first to Christ and open to his guuidance by the power of the Spirit we will know the answer to the question should I stay or should I go?
I hope these thoughts will be helpful to you.

Don't look at the fog!

2008-07-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I told the story that the Evangelist Charles Inglis told of George Mueller - one of the great men of God in the 1800's.

Inglis said that on his first journey across the Atlantic to America he got to know the Captain of the Steamer he was travelling on. He was impressed by the Captains devotion to God and found that the state of the Captains faith was largely due to an encounter with George Mueller just five weeks previously.

He said that he had been on the bridge of the ship and received a visit from Mueller "Captain," said Mueller, "I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon." This was Wednesday. "It is impossible," said the Captain, to which Mueller replied, "very well, if your ship can't take me God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an arrangement in fifty-seven years."

The Captain expressed his helplessness and Mueller proposed that they go down to the chart room and pray.

The Captain said to Inglis that at this point his thoughts were along the lines of what lunatic asylum this man came from. He said "Mr Mueller, do you know how dense this fog is?"

Mueller replied "No, my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life."

Mueller went down on his knees, and he prayed a most simple prayer something like this:

"O Lord, if it is consistent with thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes, You know the engageement you made for me in Quebec for Saturday. I believe it is your will." The Captain said that he was about to pray also when Mueller told him not to and said,

"First you do not believe God will do it; and, second, I believe He has done it and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it." The Captain said "I looked at him, and George Mueller said this: 'Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, Captain and you will find the fog has gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone. On Saturday afternoon George Mueller was in Quebec."

Defining MSC at SMC

2008-07-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

Medium-sized - 15-35 people but can start smaller

Mission-shaped - defined by a common vision

Community - building a shared life

"big enough to compete and small enough to care"

"small enough to have a common vision and big enough to do something about it"

SMC Changing... some FAQ's (frequently asked questions)

2008-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

What is the plan?

During the Summer of 2008 reoccupy and resettle the SMC Centre/Hall.
During the Autumn 2008 begin to focus on two main organised worship gatherings with children's work, worship, teaching and ministry per month.
The intervening times we will begin to explore, envision and develop MSC's (medium-sized/mission-shaped communities).
We will seek to appoint a Pioneer Leader to work especially amongst children and tweenagers from September 2008.

Here are some of the things I would say in answer to questions that people may find they don’t always get time to ask/reflect on regarding what we are doing/developing at SMC...
Why don’t we just continue to do what we are already doing?

there is a town to call back to God and generations of people (especially younger people/children) who are open to God
what we do at present is good but not missionary - we are able to do UP and IN to some extent but we are less effective at doing OUT.
our focus is primarily Sunday based and service orientated – designed to attract people but in a limited way
we are finding it hard to resource a Sunday by Sunday service pattern and don't want maintaining a Sunday event to be the be-all and end-all of SMC
we don’t want to grow on the back of transferring Christians from one church to another
24/7 discipleship is not being promoted and encouraged adequately
it seems that the loss of identifiable church buildings has positioned us to do a new thing and take advantage of a new and unusual opportunity

Why MSC’s?

because this medium-sized grouping enables us to be large enough to compete but small enough to care
because MSC’s can be mission focused in a way that larger gatherings often can’t
because MSC’s offer a primarily social feel thus enabling a higher degree of participation and ability for people to belong on this level that they can’t on other levels
because MSC’s can be flexible and gather in all sorts of different types of places and ways
because MSC’s embrace what is best described as ‘biblical congregation’ – the kind of grouping that St Paul was setting up, teaching and serving e.g. Corinth
because the thing I have most often heard from the Lord as I have prayed regarding direction has been regarding being a tent community with a tent mentality - and MSC's have the potential to be such things