Free falling...

A blessing... and a curse...

2009-10-19T10:19:00.000+13:00

I have recently been to a 'Conference' it was only one day, so it was bearable!

The guy who spoke (Brian Mclaren) is well known for what might come across as being a bit too controversial. But, needless to say I find comfort in that. I feel more at peace with a theology that seriously looks at how we interact with the social systems of our day as opposed to the monotonous thrashing of abstract and specualtive doctrines...

So it was good on one level... he had some good stuff to say... but I've read most of his books and his talks were basically a summary. And this I think is where the 'curse' get laid down...

We have in part, not all of us I might add, become obssessed with the next best idea, the next best speaker and the newest book. I love books and ideas... but this is all too much. No point going to seminars about a 'practical' theology. When does it become practical, all it does is fuel our apologetic cannons so that we can one up that guy at church who is set in his ways (ok that was a bit of an exaggeration!). But what now do we continue to go to seminars, do we continue to read books, do we continue to go out for a coffee, do we continue on talking about the most revolutionary ideas in history and just sit on our hands while time keeps passing us by?

The answer is pretty simple right? We'd love to shout out a resounding, "NO!" But it's not that easy, is it?

With all that said, this is actually the blessing of going to one too many conferences. We get frustrated, we get aggitated, some of us might just be apathetic to the cause. But I had some really cool conversations with really good friends of mine, that is a blessing. For me, and I hope it is the same for you, the milling of ideas that subvert the current way things are done inspire new practical ways of engaging, prosperity, equity and security.

If anything, I will probably go to more conferences in the near future because there are great people to meet, ordinary people who are looking for some inspiration and it's in those conversations with those people, not the lecture from the pseaker up front, that I get some of the divine inspired ideas I have ever come across...

Conferences, books, talks...

It's a blessing and a curse...

AndyC

oh yes I have another blog as well, criticalpixels.blogspot.com , I reflect on art, film, images and culture in a light hearted manner...

It's often easier to escape reality...

2009-05-05T21:44:00.003+12:00

It’s often easier to escape reality… because…

It means…

I don’t have to face the facts…

What I don’t know doesn’t affect me…

Children suffering on the other side of the world mean’s nothing to me…

Why should I care?

You see, it’s just often easier to just escape reality… sit on the couch… and just escape.

I heard it said that religion was the opiate of the masses, but I say we’ve missed the point!

Televisions

And

Couches,

These are the ‘opiates’ of our time.

It goes without saying that religion is no longer a dominant factor in mainstream society.

Tv’s, computers, fashion…

Images.

And more images.

These are the dominant factors of our society.

Because,

It’s

Just

Easier to escape reality…

We long for deeper relationships.

We want to make something of our existence.

We want to be good citizens, active members of our community.

We want the best for those closest to us.

These are legitimate ‘wants’, these are want’s that long to express that thing inside us that tells us to live.

We want to live.

Yet!

We consume,

We oppress,

We exploit,

We ignore the very fabric and pattern of life that enables us to live.

We fail to see that the very things we consume stop us from attaining these legitimate ‘wants’.

We fail to see that the very things we are told that are meant to bring us happiness and fulfilments are the same things that drive us apart.

This is the irony of technology.

This is the irony of televisions.

It is also the irony of social networks.

It is even the irony of this blog.

In that I am trying my best to connect you with my ideas, my thoughts and my feelings. And instead of being able, as I would if we personally spoke face-to-face, to see your reaction, hear your voice and to feel your physical presence with me in a space.

We are now

Limited

By one sense,

The one that we need to read.

By words that convey limited meaning and,

Express

EMOTION. [still not sure about this bit :D]

If this is the only way that we communicate we will only experience intimacy to certain degree.

And,

MATTER

HOW

MUCH

We find out about each other our relationship will not be real.

Because, even though we know what we ‘want’ and need,

STILL

Escape Reality…

[Just a little disclaimer: The post is both an exploration of 'space'and also a journey in finding out what, "The Medium is the Message" means. IT JUST AN EXPLORATION :D <3]

Love's New Reign [Spread the love like marmalade]

2009-05-04T18:24:00.001+12:00

You call me crazy
Our worlds cascaded
Life’s not arrived
Till Love’s new world has invaded.

Broken lives, and
Pumping fists
Even Love’s new reign
Is enacted in this.

Faith, hope and love
Ingredients brewing to be made
The recipe’s sweet taste, to
Spread the love like marmalade.

The power of the Spirit...

2009-03-30T20:11:00.004+13:00

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)

Jesus continually moved in the power of the Spirit. Sometimes it would truly be ‘powerful’, like when he healed people and told blind men and women to see and lame women and men to walk. Other times it was really subtle, like when he called young children to sit by him and he said things like, “Whoever becomes like a child will know what the kingdom of God is like”.

Then there were times when he was really, really subtle and he’d say, ‘Do you see the lilies in the field, even they possess the wonder and beauty of the Creator!’ Jesus, I believe, was aware of the significance of living every moment as though it were drenched in the presence, creativity and beauty of God.

Imagine what it would be like if you were aware of the significance of living every moment as though it were drenched in the presence, creativity and beauty of God. Imagine your conversation’s with friends at work.

I know it’s just an imagination exercise, but how would you describe the feelings and thoughts that accompany this awareness of the divine?

How is this different from the real world you live in?

Are your eyes open to the beauty of the creator in everything you do?

What is the biggest thing stopping you from being freely missional? What is the thing that stops you from being able to say, ‘My life is my mission’?

AndyC

Giving and receiving - an attempt to make sense of the greatest story ever told. [Pt. 1] God gives first.

2009-02-21T11:34:00.003+13:00

‘In the beginning…”

We’re made aware of this God who creates, who acts, who makes things and says they’re good. In the beginning …if we take seriously the nature of God, the understanding that we have gained through the resultant search of many before us, that God has no beginning, he just…is.

Then the creation story is somehow also about a God who wants to be involved, who doesn’t just want to sit back and wonder what it would be like to create. He actually does it.

So God, starts, he begins, he makes, he decides to act, and from the beginning we see that this God takes the initiative.

Could this be one of the building blocks to understanding what God is like? If God decides to create, to begin something, he has to give. God gives first.

GOD

GIVES

FIRST.

What would compel God to give?

What compels you to give? More often than not when we give something away, we somehow expect something in return.

Is this God’s motivation? Is God expecting something back?

When God creates he simply tells what he has created to keep on creating to multiply and expand and grow. It’s almost as though this God, receives pleasure when his creation keeps on giving. Somehow when this divine principle of giving is practiced by the Creator’s creation the Creator receives. When creation gives, the Creator receives. When you give, God receives.

AndyC...

P.s. I wouldn't blame you if you thought my writing and phrasing in this article has a Rob Bell feel to it, I read and listen way too much to his stuff :D

Oh yes and this is just a random experiment on my part to make sense of the bible it's not a hermeneutical expose, it's just random thoughts that make sense to me, I hope they make sense to you.

Torn bits of paper (Abstract Confessions of a Cynic)

2008-11-17T14:10:00.007+13:00

This is an attempt, by me, to be poetic. And not just for the sake of it either. There are limitations to endlessly trying to prove a point about anything, especially God! This is an attempt at removing those limitations. Writing a poem instead of an argument frees me up from being defensive, how do you defend a poem? You don't, you share it and allow people to come to their own conclusions. So, how do we get passed relating to God and Jesus in a systematic and rigid manner? I don't know the answer, but this poem is an attempt to be expressive not rigid, honest not defensive, hopefully it comes across this way...

The Poem:

Like torn bits of paper
At the mercy of the morning breeze
My thoughts are littered(I confess)
Disgusted and diseased

Like torn bits of paper
On a canvas of chaos
My heart is broken (I confess)
A mess and lifeless

Like torn bits of paper
In the hands of an artist
I am reconciled (I believe)
A mosaic in his likeness

Like torn bits of paper
Rough edges, tossed and tumbled
I am repentant (I believe)
Moved, aware, and humbled

Like torn bits of paper...

AndyC

So what 2... (pictures of faith)

2008-10-07T10:50:00.004+13:00

I've been really humbled in recent weeks by the lack of love I've been able to show to fellow followers of Jesus! It is really frustrating...

I've found that cynicism has robbed me of genuine intimacy in the body of Christ. I've found that I do not have it all together. I've found that at times I've been blind to love of God in the very people of God. I've found that my deepest struggles are not with people and what they believe, but with my own insecurities, my own feelings and thoughts of wanting to be right.

At the moment I'm compelled to go on my knees, but often find that I lack the words and will to be honest with God, Jesus and myself. What do I say when I'm so convinced and convicted of the shortcomings in my life? How do I pray to Jesus in this moment of tremendous awareness of my unwillingness to love, when I know I should? So what do I say, what do we say to Jesus at that moment?

There is a story in Mark 10 that sheds some light on this, its in a totally different context to the one I find myself in, but still fills me with hope, expectation and a longing to more faithful.

The story in Mark 10:46-52 goes like this:
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

What an encounter, right?! I think it's when Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth is walking by, is in his midst, that he is filled with hope. But it's really interesting that he doesn't ask Jesus straight away to restore his sight. In his moment of hope and expectation Bartimaeus shouts! "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Everyone else in the area then immediately tries to get him to shut up, 'but he shouted all the more, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

And Jesus responds.

It seems that no matter our situation whether we be blind to the love of God, calloused by our cynicism or overcome by our hurt and pain and disillusionment, when we call on the mercy of Jesus he responds. For Bartimaeus Jesus ultimately repsonds by restoring his sight. Bartimaeus' faith healed him. So what does faith look like for Bartimaeus? It looks like calling on the mercy of Jesus with expectation and hope.

Maybe faith isn't as complicated as I make it out to be? Maybe faith is as simple as calling on the mercy of Jesus to meet me in this moment. If there ever was an aspect of faith that we could be totally sure about, it would be that Jesus will respond to us with his mercy! Jesus will respond! Perhaps his mercy might be shown by restoring your sight or it might be totally different from what you expect. But be assured, he will respond and you will know his mercy. Call on his mercy!

AndyC

So what!

2008-10-01T20:01:00.003+13:00

Jesus...Faith...Doctrine? As I mentioned in a previous post, when looking or trying to understand faith from Jesus' perspective we'd be better off looking for how to live out faith instead of just...trying to understand? Does that make sense. Ok I'll get to it!

In Mark, chapter 9 to be exact, there's this amazing story. There's just so much to see, like Jesus for instance you basically feel the tension and heartache, maybe even anger in his words, "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?..." It's like he's just waiting for people to get alongside him and be part of what he's doing!
But when Jesus talks about "unbelief" what does he mean?

Then theirs the dad and his kid! The Dad sheds so much light on what faith could be considered to look like. After Jesus asks him what wrong with his son, the dad exclaims, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" What does Jesus do?

He heals the Boy! Not only does the dad struggle with "unbelief" he is taking on the faith of his son. So, two things, the first; having faith is not about conjuring up magical powers from God to know, that you know, that you know that everything will be ok. No, it seems that faith consists of being honest with the way things are, not pretending that you feel like crap, or that you doubt whether or not God will show up. But faith is not just wallowing in those unredemptive feelings and thoughts.

Secondly, having faith is not all up to me! Do you know how good that feels? I don't have to be all good all the time, I can be honest, I can be human, I can be me. I can rely on friends and family, when I just...don't....have the strength to pull through those times when I doubt and curse and can't see God in the situation. It's not all up to me, I have my part, but I don't need to pretend anymore.

I'm not suggesting that what I've written is 'the' model of faith, but I do think it's part of it. Why else would that story be in the Gospels?

AndyC

What Now? pt. 2

2008-09-03T21:04:00.005+12:00

I have a tendency to go in circles especially when I'm struggling with something! This time it's faith... how do we express it? How do we define it? Do we define it? Is it something we're absolutely sure about? Or is there room for doubts? There I go again! Maybe the only way out of this downward spiral or bottomless pit or any other metaphor you can come up with that isn't good, is for me to look at Jesus, his example, his life.

As with all the things Jesus teaches us, and I think the apostles have come to this conclusion too, is that inevitably all of Jesus' teachings are undeniably active. The Hebrew 'idea' or better yet the Hebrew way of knowing truth is to express it. For something to be true, it is expressed, it's lived, truth has meat and bones in the Hebrai worldview. So, for Jesus and the people in his time, the line between (their idealogical musings with) the doctrine of faith and faith itself does not exist, atleast not for Jesus and those who walked with him in the 1st Century. Might it be fair to conclude that nowhere in Jesus' teaching we'll find an exact doctrine of 'faith'? Perhaps we would, and I'm just putting this out there, be better off looking for a praxis of faith? A way to live faith out, instead of keeping it to the amount of 'will' I can conjure up in a trying time?

So the next best question to ask, i think, is: What does faith look like? At times it can appear as the calculated brush strokes of an accomplished artist, or like your first attempt at learning a new dance and then there are other times when it's just plain messy, and even ugly, undefined and out of control.

Can faith really be so many things? All at once, for different people or even the same person? Or do we need a strict definition or atleast a biblical-hermenuetic of the scriptures that pertain to the notion of faith in the believer?! Another formula perhaps, will this help? I don't know, can I just get that off my chest, I really don't know! Perhaps the Gospels will give us a better insight...yes we'll look to Jesus!

Next time...

AndyC

What now?

2008-08-31T14:28:00.006+12:00

Things have been really frustrating lately. Ever feel like things are just not adding up? Like everything, ok some things, don't make sense anymore. Yeah? Well, I don't know what to make of church, God and even Jesus sometimes. More recently, these feelings, these thoughts have come up more often than I'd like to admit to. Like this feeling or thought of me having to have it together in order to fully follow Jesus, to fully be in awe of God. To fully be Christian.

What do you do when the Jesus you follow isn't the one portrayed by mainstream, or more accurately the majority, of Christianity? What then? What now? Do you just throw in the towel? Do you conclude that, I don't know, you might not have an accurate or right picture of God? Would it be possible to feel like you're not following the Jesus of the Bible, because you're not too sure? Does struggling with unbelief constitute that you don't believe? What do you say? What do you do? What do you conclude?

Is this the way of Jesus? To have fool-proof answers to everything? To be so sure that you're right and that everyone else is wrong? That your picture of God is the right one. That you have it all together. Is this right? Is it wrong? Is it faithful to scripture?

Me asking these questions, is it faithful to scripture? Does believing in Jesus allow me to have doubts when, I don't know, when I don't feel like I have it all together? When I don't feel or think that following Jesus is worth it, worth the struggle, worth the fight? I have these thoughts, I have these feelings, I go through those times.

One things for sure, if I stay in this place, having these thoughts, stuck in this rut, with these feelings then it won't be long before... before I actually throw in the towel. So what now? Where to from here? What do we, what do I, conclude?

Maybe it's worth asking what Jesus has to say or teach about this? About living with your doubts, fears and imcompetencies... What do you think he'll say? How will he react?

So I've asked these questions...what now?

AndyC

Would you like to throw the first stone?

2008-07-28T21:35:00.001+12:00

There is a story in John, chapter 8, which has intrigued me lately. It's that one where the Religious leaders bring the woman that has just committed adultery to Jesus, and I just love Jesus' response! "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone."

But just before Jesus’ unarming response it’s interesting to note that the “Religious teachers” tried to justify the stoning by saying, “Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” By the way, while all this is happening Jesus is drawing in the sand. So, after Jesus’ response they all start walking off, one by one. Who was left to condemn her? No one. “Neither do I”, says Jesus, "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

So many times we "Christians" want to throw the first stone, we want to condemn and bring judgement upon those “unrighteous ones”. But how many of us haven't sinned? How many of us then have the right to bring judgement upon them? Maybe we have to look at ourselves first? Maybe the Church needs to sort out its own sin, before we go condemning people about theirs! Does Matthew 7 ring a bell? "Don't look at the splinter in your brother's eye, when you have a log in your own eye".

So my question is, why point out people’s personal issues when there are bigger things to worry about like the gap between the rich and the poor, consumerism, climate change or the Aids crisis in Africa?

Would you still like to throw the first stone?

Andy Crowe

Why do Christians s**k? by Tom Davis

2008-07-26T20:43:00.004+12:00

I found this article and thought that it would be quite a good article to post and to see what other people think!?

Why Do Christians Suck?7/17/2008by Tom Davis

Each Sunday, millions of Christians in America gather to worship the God who commands us to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” We belt out praises to the God who tells us that “pure and undefiled religion is caring for widows and orphans in their distress.” We kneel in pious prayer before the Almighty God of the universe who describes Himself as loving, gracious, merciful, and generous. Then, we walk out the back door of the church, step into a world in need, and proceed to withhold the love, grace, and mercy that’s extended to us.
We might as well give God the middle finger. Outside of a tiny minority of Christians, we have become a self-centered group of priggish snobs. In short, we suck. Before you pick up a rock and throw it at me, think about this: I could have used other words that aren’t as nice as “suck.” Like “white-washed tombs,” “brood of vipers,” “fools,” or the ever ego-inflating, “Get behind me Satan!” Jesus used all of these choice phrases to describe religious leaders and some of his closest of followers. But calling someone a white-washed tomb just doesn’t cut it anymore. "We suck" is a much better choice for our cultural context. Poverty sucks. Divorce sucks. And, unfortunately, some Christians suck, too.

Here are the facts: Eighty-five percent of young people outside the church who have had connection to Christians believe present-day Christianity is hypocritical. Inside the church, forty-seven percent of young people believe the same thing. And why wouldn't they? We’re pretty stingy with our money:

- 80 percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North America.
- Giving by churchgoers was higher during the Great Depression than it is today.
- Christians give an average of $13.31/week to their local church.
- Only 9 percent of “born-again” adults reported tithing in 2004.

And let's take a peek in on our neighbors:

- More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty.
- 500 million people are at the edge of starvation.
- 200 million children are being exploited as laborers.
- Half of the human beings on the planet live on less than $2/day.
- 1.5 billion people do not have enough money to buy food.

This is information that anyone can collect from the Internet, just as I did. Any reasonable person could make this simple conclusion: Most American Christians do not care about what God says in the Bible.We pick out the scriptures we like, as if we were dining at a five-star buffet. We conveniently ignore the scriptures that talk about caring for the poor, giving away material possessions, and loving money. Scriptures like:

- Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” (James 1:26-27)

- Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (James 2:15-17)

- "If you have two coats, give one away," [Jesus] said. "Do the same with your food." (Luke 3:11)

When Christians care about their political views, what sexual preference someone has, or their bank account more than they care about the millions of people who die in the world because they don’t have five dollars to buy the medicine that would cure them, something has gone drastically wrong. These kinds of Christians suck. What can we do to stop sucking? I think the answer is relatively simple. It's found in the Bible:

“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).Give away material possessions to those in need, love the unlovely, take care of the widow and orphan. This is not rocket science. It just takes a heart committed to doing the things God said to do. Want ten simple steps? You got it.

Christians, listen up: People are tired of being criticized, judged, and listening to the lip service we are so great at giving. Instead, why don’t we commit to making the changes we can make? Christianity needs a renewal of the principles that made it great. It needs to be more like Jesus—compassionate, self-sacrificial, unconditionally loving, and caring for those who are most in need. That kind of lifestyle allowed twelve men to change the world. It will help you change yours, too.

*This article was originally published by Beliefnet.

Bieng Serious about Change!

2008-04-30T21:08:00.005+12:00

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~Marianne Williamson

(widely mis-attributed to Nelson Mandela)

"Injustice furiates me. Yet I keep oppressing!
Two-thirds of our world lives in poverty. Yet I keep consuming!
I desire for all to experience the fullness of life. Yet I keep protracting!
I see the oppression on their faces. Yet I keep forgetting!"

When I wrote this poem I realised that there would come a time when; belief would lead to action, and truth is the way you live and breathe the teachings of Jesus. Belief in Jesus should no longer just mean agreeing with right doctrine and truth should no longer be theological ideas.
Now is such a time! Not just to be enthusiastic about the Teachings of Jesus, but also to be obedient to them, to live and act on them as it was meant to be. To be truly converted not just in the mind, but in the heart also and in the way we live.

Those who follow Jesus should be known for the way they live, and love and serve others and not for what they’re against. They will love their neighbours, but not only say they do, in fact they would as Peter says become, ‘administers of God’s grace’ (1 Pet. 2:10). Faithfully serving others with the gifts God has given them. Grace is not something we have earned, yet we hold on to it as though it were. We are to be ‘administers of God’s grace’. Jesus’ teachings call for a serious change in the lives of those who follow him. Changes in lifestyle and priorities, changes in the way we use our money, changes in the way we respond to those in need among us.

So, how serious are you about change?

Andy Crowe
Incedo Gisborne

*This piece was an article I wrote for the Gisborne Herald as a part of the Christian Comment for the week.

Got Fish? by Harry Heintz

2008-03-04T16:21:00.002+13:00

Text: John 21: 1-14

There are questions we don’t like to hear.

-Did you finish cleaning your bedroom?
-Where is that milk you said you’d bring home?
-Did you misplace this speeding ticket I found in your car?
-Is that your natural hair color?
-What birthday is this?
-Honey, do you remember what day this is?

If you know fishing and you’re fishing on waters you know well and you recently made your living fishing those very waters, here’s a question you don’t like to hear: "Friends, haven't you any fish?” Ouch. What do I answer? “Sure. They’re swimming right beneath this boat.” “Are you kidding? I’m a bass master.” In my childhood we went to Sunday evening worship. We would get home just in time for “Candid Camera.” That TV show would set up people to look silly while a hidden camera was catching the action. I remember one segment set in a pet shop. There was a wall of aquariums with colorful tropical fish. In the aisle was a large aquarium with this label on it: “invisible fish.” The camera caught just the right guy. He went from casual observer to obsessive watcher. He looked from every angle in every possible way. He was going to be the one that saw the invisible fish. Instead the nation watched him get caught by a simple net. I suppose Peter might have tried this line: “We’ve caught a lot of fish, invisible fish.”

“Hey, out there. You fishing men of Galilee on that weathered fishing boat. Have you caught anything?” "No,” they answered. Give them points for honesty. I wonder what that no sounded like: no, or No, or NO!, or what’s it to you, buddy? Don’t you hate it when someone sees you in a moment of failure and lets you know it? When I have a small fix-it job to do at home, the kind any kindergarten graduate should be able to do in, say, two minutes, I don’t want anyone in the house for the next two hours. I want all traffic within one mile of my home detoured. I especially don’t want any members of my family present. If I do it right I’ll let you discover it. If I don’t, please don’t remind me. There is a plumbing truck that says on its sides in big letters: “We repair what your husband fixed.” Have you any fish? No.

Why did they go fishing? The placement of this appearance in the Gospel of John is interesting. On Easter morning Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene in the garden. She goes to the disciples and says, “I have seen the Lord!” Then he appears to the disciples in a locked room, except Thomas isn’t there. There are overjoyed and when they see Thomas they say, “We have seen the Lord.” A week later Thomas, the one we call the doubter, is doubting this when Jesus appears to him and says, “My Lord and my God!” Now it’s a while later. We’re not sure how long. John simply says, “Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.” Seven disciples are named. Three are well known: Peter, Thomas, and Nathanael. Two are implied: James and John. And two are left unnamed. That means we’re there. Either named or unnamed, we’re there in those seven. With our faith and with our doubts, we’re there. And Peter, true to his nature, speaks up, “I’m going fishing.” The rest join him.

Why did they go fishing? There are several options. Some Bible students see this as a return to what they used to do. Though Jesus was risen and had already appeared, they knew he was going back to his heavenly home. So what had they to do but go back to fishing? Some see this as a way to get some food. And some see this a picture of the global mission of the Church. We remember that Jesus had said to these would-be disciples three years ago, “I will make you fishers of people.” There is a fascinating interpretation from a leader in the Church about 300 years after this. His name was Jerome and he noted that Greek zoology at that time had identified 153 different kinds of fish. So he, being a good preacher, saw the catch of 153 fish as a picture of the Good News of Jesus going into all the world.

Why did they go fishing? I take some little truth from each of those options. Fishing was what they knew how to do. Fishing can be very relaxing. And fishing wasn’t just a sport, but a way of making a living and feeding hungry people. Fishing is mentioned a lot in the Gospels, but never do the disciples catch a fish in the Gospels without help from Jesus. Seems there’s a lesson there about learning to depend on him in everything. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” We’re still learning that truth. What strikes me as far more important than why they went fishing was what happened while they were fishing. They saw Jesus. Again. He keeps appearing in the most everyday places.

Jesus is raised from a borrowed tomb. He then proceeds to appear to his disciples in their everyday lives. He doesn’t appear to them in the Temple in Jerusalem. He doesn’t show up only when they’re gathered for worship. He doesn’t appear when a committee has completes its planning and sends out announcements. He shows up in a garden. He appears on a long afternoon’s walk to an otherwise forgettable town named Emmaus. He arrives on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to help some fishermen catch 153 fish.

Where do we look for Jesus today? I think the more accurate question is, where is Jesus looking for us today?
Here are some of my suggestions:

-Look for him in the needy around us. He loves to reveal himself to people in need and through people in need.

-Look for him where people are rejoicing. Jesus loves to rejoice with those rejoicing. He loves a good party.

- Look for him where people are weeping. Jesus weeps with those weeping. Our tears matter to him. He is well acquainted with suffering.

-Look for him where people are serving. Jesus defined his ministry as serving the Father and serving others. Help serve the community dinner at First Baptist in Troy some Tuesday evening. You’ll see Jesus there.

-Look for him on mission trips. In the last month we have had people serving on short-term trips to the Gulf Coast and to Naivasha, Kenya. They saw Jesus in those places, in the midst of need and in the midst of active faith.

Let me make this clear. I believe Jesus reveals himself when people gather to worship God in places set apart for the worship of God. Jesus regularly reveals himself here, in this very space. I have experienced that and so have you. But if we only look for him here, we’re missing him way too much. The cross of our Lord was not set in a sanctuary and gilded with gold. It was set by a roadside where the everyday folks traveled and turned their heads from the gore of bloodied crosses. When we’re getting this right, what happens in here has everything to do with who we are and what we do out there. And who we are and what we do out there have everything to do with who we are and what we do in here. If Jesus is present when we break the sacramental bread and lift the cup to our lips in here, he is present when we have grilled fish and toast for breakfast on a lake shore. We’re trying to break down that wall between who we are in here and who we are out there, because the Jesus who is present when we gather in his name in here is present when we scatter from here to out there where we live and work. Elizabeth Barrett Browning said it as well as anyone I know: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. . . .” This risen Christ cannot and will not be confined to our sanctuaries.

Here is my simple challenge to us—for the next week, or month, or year, or all our years. Let’s be looking for Jesus where he is looking for us. In our daily living. In the stuff of our lives. In our fishing. In doing our homework and practicing the piano. In our neighborhoods and schools and factories and offices. Yes, in our worship center, too; but never only there. Never only here. If we are looking, we’ll be seeing him out there. And we’ll be saying it in here and out there, "It is the Lord!” We’ll join Mary Magdalene and the disciples in saying, “We have seen the Lord.” He is risen indeed.

an extract from www.ivmdl.org , a website dedicated to lowering the wall from being "in here to being out there".

"Appropriate Spirituality: Is there such a thing?" (Part 2)

2008-01-02T15:50:00.001+13:00

"Trips like ours are greener grass left unknown for fear of believing trite sayings; sayings that are sometimes true. But our friends back home live an existence under the weight and awareness of time; a place we are slowly escaping; a world growing fainter by the hour and the mile." - Donald Miller (extract from, Through Painted Deserts).

Why a narrow view of devotional life may not meet all our spiritual needs.

Picking up from the last article we'll continue to explore the topic of spirtuality, this time unpacking why a narrow mindset of devotions and spirituality can hinder our lives.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to build good devotional habits into the lives of young believers. Regular bible study, regular prayer and a disciplined approach to a relationship with Christ are all commendable and necessary. John 15:1-4 is as important today as ever. However when reading two different translations of the same passge we notice some differences. One (kjv) uses the very old-fashioned term "abide in me" which people simply don't use today.

Times have changed, imagery has changed, the way we live daily life has changed. Central biblical truths have not changed but the way we set them in our current context is different-and different for different people, circumstances and cultures.

For example,

- If our devotional literature uses mainly rural images and we live in a strongly urban environment, it is hard to make the connections.

- If the language used is not our language, it means we have an extra step in the process of understanding.

- If the content focuses on explaining background in the Bible times without linking the principles with current issues, then I'm left without help for the issues I face.

That which we use as an aid for our spiritual understanding must:

- capture my attention
- deal with my realities
- bring scripture to life for me
- contribute in a systematic and progressive way to my spiritual stature
- speak in language and pictures I can understand and identify.

Now that sounds like a lot to ask. What do you think of these demands?

If you use some form of devotional material, how does it rate by these measures?

And consider in passing two other simple questions:

Do I understand the content of my devotional reading?

Here's a qoute from someone who's been there and back, "Many people surprisingly have what I call the 'dose of medicine' view of spirituality. When we thake medicine prescribed by a doctor for an illness, it doesn't matter that the formula of the medicine is a mystery to us. It doesn't even matter that we can't pronounce what we're taking. What matters is that we take it!
"Sometimes people get thouroughly confused and think the important thing about 'daily devotions' is simply that they 'do it.'
" 'Understanding isn't part of the deal. I have taken my medicine for the day, God has ticked it off in my record in the sky so it will all be OK!'
"Now my apologies if this iis pushing the picture too far but there is enough reality there to be warning to some at least."

Does it work for me, with the personality I have?

Here is something we will come back to but it is considerably more important than most of us realise.

in some way even to raise these issues feels like trampling over sacred ground. Is it not destructive to analyse or criticise the way a person goes about the devotional life?

However the aim of this article is not pull down but to force us to ask if we have the very best spiritual resources available for facing the real world on Monday.

Please do comment on the articles as a big part of this project relies on feedback. And thats just another confession from me a Jesus Freak...

-AndyC.

"Appropriate Spirituality: Is there such a thing?" (Part 1)

2007-11-30T17:52:00.001+13:00

"Remember, we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Steven Covey

Phil was a financial controller for a real estate firm. It was a great job, lots of money, lots of perks and lots of brownie points in his CV.

It was also at times a difficult position to be in as some of the company policies and practices stretched the truth from time to time and certainly favoured company more than client. Phil knew about these practices and sometimes was expected to ignore the fact that they were happening as papers went across his desk.

It was Monday morning, early. Phil was a keen Christian, a man of strong character and firm discipline. He had been taught from earliest Christian life to start the day with God and so this morning, when the alarm went, he rolled out of bed, grabbed a cup of coffee to wake him up and settled into his favourite chair in the lounge to read and pray.

However as he picked up the latest copy of the devotional guide he always used something strange happened.

He looked at the cover, a tranquil New Zealand scene of mountain and bush. He read the passage, one of the more violent of the psalms and then the comments which soothed the violence down into a gentle murmur.

Then he thought of his day. Included was an interview with a sales rep who had pushed through a dubious deal, a check on the advertising budget which was under strain and a meeting with the CEO to express concerns about a new marketing strategy that was strong on sex appeal and weak on fact.

The devotional for the day nothing for him! Its themes were rural, tranquil and its comments simply explained the background of a world thousands of years and thousands of miles from where Phil sat.
It left him feeling confused, angry, guilty and let down. Surely there was more to his spiritual life than this!

So what is appropriate spirituality?

Appropriate spirituality, I believe, is that form of spiritual life that shapes a believer in a way that enables them to translate their relationship with God into effective daily living in all settings in which they find themselves.

It is not appropriate:

- If it sets us up for Sunday but not Monday
- If it works amongst Christians and not amongst non- Christians
- If it works at home but not at work
- If it works at work but not at home
- If it can be switched on and switched off
- If people who know us find they don’t really know us
- If it can be set to one side in the hard decisions and the ethical dilemmas we face
- If it makes it harder for other people to see Jesus
- If I am just at the same level of spirituality I was five years ago
- If I am not getting closer to my Lord

That’s a tough test right there! I suggest that you take some time out and see how many of the above statements that reflect your spiritual life…

The purpose of this exercise is not to make us feel bad but to make us reconsider the way we build up our spiritual lives. A lot of what we thought was simply the ‘norm’, standard practice, what "everybody else" does is simply not up to the job in a complex modern world.

To give ‘some’ shape to this study that we’ll be embarking on, let’s consider (for future reference);

- Why a narrow view of devotional life may not meet all our spiritual needs
- The rediscovery of the spiritual disciplines
- Spirituality and our support systems
- Spirituality and personality

This is a rough idea as to where this study might end up going. But there is always flexibility in terms of what needs to be discussed and worked through.

This is all for now, I’ll give some time to digest and rethink maybe some of the things you’ve thought had to be certain way?

So, that’s just another confession from me… A Jesus Freak!

-AndyC

Call Waiting... (pt.3)

2007-08-16T20:20:00.000+12:00

"If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo carved marble. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote pictures. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven will have to say, "Here lives the street sweeper who did his job well."
- Martin Luther King

Last time we covered the intentions and purpose of work, basically what work is meant to be like. How God has gifted us, and the attitude we have towards work. This article will be a direct continuation of the last one.

"How does this inform and light up our attempt to draft a sound theology of work?" This is the question we should be asking ourselves when we approach the theology of work.

So for example, one of the divisions of theology is eschatology, the doctrine of the end times. If we ask how eschatology affects our theology of work, it raises some highly charged issues:

- How do we understand the second coming of Christ? For example if we see Christ returning prior to a thousand year reign, prior to the Judgement (pre-millennialism) then our work makes very little difference to the state of the world and therefore affects the effort we put into it. And it’s vice versa for the opposing argument.

- How do we view the end state of things?A final judgement after which believers live with Christ in Heaven and the rest… Or do we take strongly the statements that there shall be a new Heaven and a new earth and therefore ‘work’ is going to be a continued part of the new creation?

And so on…

The point is that we can take each major doctrinal area and fashion an approach to work in the light of its teachings.

The way biblical figures have reacted to work-like situations.

The Bible is a book about real people and their stories can fashion our own approaches. The story of Joseph for example is rich in material of this nature. It is not just about work in terms of paid employment but it is a powerful for those in settings of both leadership and oppression.
There are examples in many places of the impact of God’s people on their workplace:
-Joseph, Daniel, Amos, Boaz, Nehemiah…

… and the way in which ordinary people are part of the mission of God wherever they are (Note in Acts 8:1 the fact that after the death of Stephen ordinary Christians were scattered and went their way spreading the good news, something that would have happened in the workplace as well as at home and in worship).

The whole balance of Scripture indicates that the majority of those who form the biblical story are ordinary people in everyday settings and not just religious professionals.

So how do we draw this together in a theology of work?
It is your task to form your own theology. By this I mean that you need to work out which biblical themes shape the way you perceive your work. There is ample instruction in Scripture about the way you work, your attitude to others, your relationships with those round about you, your ethical standards. But the big picture of work, how it fits into your faith, how it relates to the view you have of the Kingdom of God – these are your tasks.

Richard Higginson in approaching ethical issues related to business in particular, says he uses four key themes as the framework within which he constructs his approach:

Creation

- Why did God make the world?
- Why did he make us?
- How does this affect what we do and how we do it?
- How do we reflect His image and carry out His intentions?

Fall

- How do I understand myself as a sinner?
- How does sin specifically affect my workplace?
- How does sin affect the structures of work on both a micro-scale (where I work) and the macro-scale (work as a whole)?

Redemption

- In what way has the work of Jesus saved me in my workplace setting?
- Has my personal salvation affected my work?
- Where does work fit into the work of Jesus?
- Does the fact that Jesus came in the flesh (incarnation) have a bearing on the way I see myself in the workplace?

Future Hope

- How does work fit into God’s Kingdom intentions?
- Am I just ‘filling in the time till He comes’ or ‘preparing the way for his coming?’
- In what way is my attitude and my work a sign of hope?
- What do I expect to work at the return of Christ?

This is brief outline of how to approach a personal theology work based on the major doctrines of the Christian faith. This approach could also be adapted to other areas of life.
That’s all for this week, I try not to make the articles too long, but I’m sure you understand that when we’re exploring and discussing an issue it’s always as straight forward as we think! And that’s another confession from me… a Jesus Freak!

-AndyC

Call Waiting... (pt.2)

2007-07-11T19:56:00.000+12:00

‘…Your Caller is on hold...’

"Vocation is responsibility and responsibility is a total response of the whole person to the whole of reality…The calling of Jesus Christ to belong wholly to him; it is the laying claim to me by Christ at the place at which this call has found me; it embraces work with things and relations with persons…"
-Dietrich Boenhoffer as quoted by Richard Broholm.

Last time we covered three really eye opening points, which I hope didn’t take you by surprise! It takes a while to open up to new ideas, especially if you’ve grown up with different ones. I believe that the main purpose of ‘theology’ is to set people free from difficult questions, to encourage us in our faith (no matter where we’re at!) and to ultimately draw us closer to God! And that’s my hope for this blog and all of the articles I write that you will be set free, encouraged and drawn closer to God.

I take it that most of you reading this blog, are working already, or intend pursue a career of some sort. Even I intend to do something I love someday. There are a lot of ‘feelings’ out there about work and they’re mainly sad ones! There are even negative ideas within the church! Lots of people quote; Genesis 3:17, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat…" And from this verse many people conclude that this is when work originated, because of sin! I disagree. Didn’t God work during creation week? He worked for six days and then rested on the seventh. And didn’t God place Adam in the Garden of Eden to "work it and take care of it"? Yes he did, Genesis 2:15 tells us that, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

You see in the bible ‘work’ isn’t such a bad word, in fact when the bible refers to work we see that it is part of life. So how would we as disciples of Jesus Christ approach work in the 21st Century? Let’s see:

God’s creation purpose and intention.

This includes the creation mandate. What was God’s intention for human beings when he created the earth? How do we carry this out today?
Some people might see the task of sustaining the world as part of the creation mandate. Put plainly, taking care of the world! While this ‘green theology’ might normally be seen as a hit with liberal theologians, there is no need to exclude it from an evangelical theology. Look at it this way, if we believe that what God created was and that he gave it to us for our continuing use, then (I believe) it’s fair to say that abuse and neglect are hardly appropriate response, wouldn’t you say?

God’s provision and gifting.

There are a number of passages which speak of the way God the Father has given to us a very diverse range of gifts to carry out our work and that He loves creativity in the way we do our work. The provision of gifted craftsmen in the desert to make the Tabernacle (Exodus 31) is one example. And God’s creativity points in the same direction!

Reflections on the nature, conduct and value of work.

There are many comments on how people perceive work (Ecclesiastes has some very pessimistic reflections!). In the New Testament Jesus uses a number of work parables (e.g. talents, rich merchant, labourers in the vineyard, wicked vinedressers). He meets people in their workplace and some He calls from it (Matthew, the four fishermen) and he also transforms the workplace behaviour of Zaccheus.

Paul uses his work skills to help support his ministry alongside Priscilla and Acquilla in tentmaking (Acts 18:1-4), he also comments on our attitudes towards work for example in Colossians 3:23, 2 Thess. 3:7-12 and some other places. He also restores a runaway worker to his master (boss) in Philemon.

Despite all this we need to develop a theology not just from a list of references to work but from our perception of the entire drift of scripture. One helpful way to do this is to take each of the major divisions of traditional theology and ask, "How does this inform and light up our attempt to draft a sound theology of work?"

Well, I guess we’ll have to find out next time! As I said in the last article this is a pretty big subject, so it might take a while! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think about the article. I always wonder whether people read what I write, and if they do, do they agree or disagree? I don’t know maybe you could tell me? And that’s just another confession of a Jesus Freak…

Till next time,

-AndyC

...Call Waiting... (pt.1)

2007-06-27T16:22:00.001+12:00

“…You have 0 messages…”

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time… -2timothy1:8-9

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been wrestling with the fact that you have ‘no idea’ where God is calling you! If not, well keep reading anyway!

“…So how do you know you’ve been called anyway? Does God always speak directly to us? How do I know if I’m doing what God wants me to do anyway? If I’m not doing what God wants me to do, does that mean I’m stuffed? Why is it so complicated?...”

I guess there is many more questions that could fit in their, but I won’t get into that right now. What does it mean to have a ‘calling’ anyway? Is it only for a selected few? (So there are more questions!J) Are only pastors and missionaries called? Are they the only callings? Well, because of some of the stuff I’ve been studying and some personal experience I can tell you that these questions are, to say the least, rubbish! As Christians we’re already called!

-The call to salvation
-The call to holiness, and
-The call to serve

This equates to belonging, being and doing! Basically, we’re called to follow Jesus. So what does that mean? Let’s see!

God’s call to the Christian is general before it’s specific.

As Christians, God calls us to himself first. Unless we’ve been called to follow Jesus, there is no way we’re gonna know what specific ministry we’ve been called to! Makes sense doesn’t it.
God calls all of us to discipleship, which is a relationship with Jesus/God that involves understanding, growth, and obedience. The disciples walked with Jesus and learnt from Him and grew into the effective apostleship that founded the Church.

God calls us to a whole-of-life response, not just a response in terms of our “job”

These days we tend to equate “call” with “vocation.” In others words, we think that if, God calls us to something, it is likely to be a “ministry” or career or major task. Yet he wants us first of all to “be” rather than “do”.

This means in practice:

-We cannot switch off who he has called us to be. Calling is not a role but a lifestyle.

-We cannot wait for a “call” to do those things which are simply a matter of obedience. In other words we don’t have to be “called” to love others. That is simply part of the whole package of being a Christian.

-We cannot rely on our role to prove we are followers of Jesus (disciples). It should be something that shows through whether we are carrying out tasks of a particular role or not!

Calling remains through our life a dynamic, fluid and relational experience.

Lastly, there is real danger in the belief that once we have received a divine call and mandate, then nothing at all can change that. Call is related to function rather than status. It is not hard to realise the dangers that arise when a person considers that God has given them a task and status to accompany that task and need, behaviour, the perceptions of others are all equally irrelevant for the rest of life. You see, I’m not saying that God doesn’t call people to specific positions but it is the attitude that accompanies that call. The person, with an attitude such as the one above, sees God’s calling on their lives more important than the next person’s, and this is clearly wrong!

I didn’t realise how much there is to write on the topic, so I’ll have to write a couple more articles on the subject in the coming weeks! I hope you enjoyed this insight into calling,if there is anything you disagree please let me know. I have to say that a lot of it has been passed on to me through my lecturers, and some of it is what I personally found through life…as a Jesus Freak!!!

Till next time
-AndyC

...my confessions...

2007-06-26T10:55:00.000+12:00

Do you guys like the title? Anyway, i've got a couple of things i'm going to write about over the next few months, but i also thought it would be great if you guys could give me some topics too! That way we can explore issues together and learn from each other! I'm busy with an article at the moment it's called, ...Call Waiting..., I don't know if the title gives it away but I'm sure you'll enjoy it, it's due out by tomorrow night, so come back then to check it out!
-AndyC