Getting firmly established

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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/