What is being 'Christian' all about?

"Now that's a very good question," I thought to myself as I struggled to find a reasonable answer and, reasonable or not, I gave one anyway - and this is how it goes:

"In my book Christians are people who, recognising the distance between them and God, are rather grateful that Jesus popped in and did the 'cross thing' because that (the 'cross thing') plays an important part in removing the distance and reconciling us to God.

Not only that but Jesus (whose job title in this role is 'The Christ*') having died pops over to hell (which because we use the term 'descends' must, I guess, be located in a downwards direction) and kindly points out to the bloke what runs the place (hereinafter refereed to satan (not Stan as my spellchecker sometimes suggests) that the only real power he has is death because this is the penalty for his (satan's) only product 'sin' and, having died and come back as alive, means that He (Jesus) has broken the only power he (satan) had.

Then, having come back from the dead he (Jesus) points out that when he broke death He did it for everyone - not en masse but in a one-for-one, real-time, act - so all you need to do is recognise who He is and What He did and (thanking Him) take a 'get out of sin free' card from Him (Jesus) and satan is stymied."

In a shorter form it goes like this:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

John 3.16

So it's all very simple:

God and us were meant mates but became separated from each other because of sin

Jesus death on the cross breaks the power of sin (death) and restores the relationship between us and God

Accepting that Jesus, the Christ, has done all this and deciding to take the ticket from Him and live in the reality of forgiveness, eternal life and . . .

. . . Relationship with God through, for and with Him (Jesus)

That's what it's all about.

Can it get any simpler?

* Christ not being Jesus' name but a description of the role He occupies in that He, as the Son, comes to this world of ours as a man (that's a reference to His sex and to the fact that He is also human) as the 'anointed one of God' - He is God's solution to all the ills of the world basically.

Blue Sky Thinking: All or Nothing

This is a quote from C S Lewis that has been stuck to the wall for many years and is one that I try to live by (and encourage others to do also):

In or out - we should do it fully. I'd rather a rampant atheist than a lukewarm (or ersatz) Christian.

Thought for the Day: Seven Dangers

I love this and thought that it might just make a good point for reflection today - especially as it will also enable those who moan about me being 'too Christian' (like Duh!) to have someone who was not a Christian as the source for a change.

Faith: 'Not as clear cut as you might think!'

had a most interesting conversation this morning, the pinnacle of which was the statement: 'Christianity is not as clear cut as you might think!' which provided me with plenty of food for thought. After all, I've always known that, as has any thinking and open Christian, so why the surprise? Probably because the issue under discussion was one that actually I considered to be pretty clear cut!

The conversation centred along the lines that the defining Bible passage for everything was the 'golden rule' - that we treat others as you'd we'd to be treated and this was the basis upon which every attitude and act was judged. That we just loved our neighbour as ourselves and
made real the words of Matthew Chapter seven's account of the sermon on the mount as we refrained from judging and accepted whatever others did, approving and affirming rather than rebuking or denying.

Apparently the key to removing what some consider to be 'sin' is to remove the label sin from it. What we need to do is accept that people are different and the 'one size fits all' approach of Christianity is flawed and doomed to fail from the start. Better to accept that we're all different and concentrate on the things we can agree on and agree to accept the things (perhaps ignore is a better term) we can't.

The Church is an evolving body of people and they are realising that what we believed in centuries past is no longer relevant or valid. People are apparently realising that these days 'we are not called to live and act' as they did before and 'happiness' is the universal indicator of the rectitude of such thinking.

Having heard what they had to say, I have to be honest and say that I thought their views to be flawed and not merely self-indulgent and approving but actually, if Christian is what we are as a breed, a terminal disease!

There are many good things to be found in this world and many that are obviously bad - or are they? After all, I hear more and more people proposing that we should act illegally to deal with people who act wrongly - so the old statement 'two wrongs don't make a right' has now obviously itself become wrong.

One of the joys of being Christian is that we have, or at least should have, doors, arms and hearts that are open to everybody - for Church is an 'inclusive' entity. The problem for many comes with the reality that it is not a 'permissive' entity.

So this morning, whilst I heard what was said I really couldn't agree with it because what was being demanded was that I put aside my views in favour of theirs in the name of some misplaced understanding of love. I was being told that the only way to be loving was to ignore those things I considered wrong in the name of unity and 'being kind'.

The stumbling block for me came with the parting shot in that the other party considered that what they were asking for was exactly what Jesus would have done.

Obviously not only a different theology on display here but a different Jesus too!

Meat-Eating Vegetarians

Seems to be just one issue in the news at the moment after the Church of Scotland (CofS) voted, as one of their spokespersons put it, 'to uphold traditional views and support diversity'.

This appears, at more than first glance, to be akin to a Vegetarian Society approving and endorsing the eating of meat, the caveat being that each of the local groups must approve of one of theirs being a meat-eater. Not for them the understanding that they might have meat in their cupboards and 'fridges but were still keeping to the Veggie code as long as they never ate the stuff - now apparently, using the CofS it is now possible to uphold the 'non-meat' mantra of the vegetarian and partake of the hitherto forbidden fruit as well - excellent news as one can't beat a bacon sandwich in the morning!!

I am troubled because the wording in so many places speaks of 'affirming the traditional teaching of the church as favouring vegetarian ministers  yet permits local groups to select meat eaters in leadership roles should they wish'.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the 'favouring' because I dislike the 'having favourites' mentality, it speaks of something unfair. Still, they continue:

'This has been one way or another, a massive vote for the peace and unity of the vegetarian community,' said a spokesperson, 'For here we have 'a compromise' and now vegetarians everywhere can live at peace in a 'mixed economy' - which oddly they always have done, it's called the world; a place where meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, burger fans and others have always mingled on an 'whatever floats your boat' basis. There are two places - the world and the club and both live, think, feel and act differently from each other.

I asked a staunch veggie friend whether they could work in such a setting and they admit that whilst happy to live in a world where others make their choices, they choose to be a vegetarian and work on the theory that you either are, or are not, a vegetarian. 'You can't be a bit vegetarian, ' they said, 'But then again we live in the world where there are many choices, preferences and tastes. It's not like it's Church because they're not the world but in it, aren't they?' 

Interestingly they also said that they were really frustrated at people who claimed to be veggies and yet, in reality, weren't - 'The two are very different and it's not just about what we eat, it's about how we view things and see ourselves. If we had veggie clubs (which I don't think we do) then we would not be permitting people to eat meat within it because that's not what we believe! is right or healthy'

All very interesting stuff isn't it? Tofu or A Big Mac - if that was the choice I'd opt for tea and toast ;-)

Christianity - Free Lamborghini or McLaren anyone?

Here's a really quick splurge from my grey matter onto the electronic paper of this blog and I apologise for typos, rushed edits and and confusuioon but here goes:

Last night saw the second evening of an Alpha course that we are running jointly with our local Methodists and as we chatted about the Cross and addressed the question, 'Why did Jesus die?' I became very aware of the fact that, generally speaking, many churches (and members) I engage with appear  to fail to make the cost of commitment real and obvious.

For me the answer to the question 'Why' is summed up in the words of John 3:16:

'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God didn't send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that through Him (Jesus) it (the world = us) might be saved!'

The 'Why' for God and the 'What' for us are both clearly visible.

God - Die

Us - Believe and accept that salvific act (made ONCE, for ALL, upon a CROSS)

Simples innit?

So here we are, God is offering us, free and gratis something that is precious and unique, namely:

i. Restoration of relationship with God,

ii. The breaking of the power of sin (which is of course death - and by coming back on Easter Sunday He handed it back to satan with the words, 'Whoops, broken it!', and

iii. The becoming of a new creation - through the indwelling and enabling of the Holy Spirit, one that is about to live within the freedom of 'free choice' making the right choices (and wrong choices, when they are taken, less often).

And all we have to do is accept it and keep it on the road. But it is just too easy to have God bear all the cost and us live with all the benefits. There is a cost for us too and many of my friends over the years have paid out (often sacrificially in terms of money, marriages and relationships) to keep cars on the road, aircraft in the air and radios on the airwaves. Others have devoted free time to trains (real and model) or stamp collecting or many of the other hobbies people have, and this is where it gets hard for me when it comes to Christianity.

I know people who put everything on the line for a hobby and know many people who claim to be Christian and yet are willing to do nothing but accept and demand and give the very minimum in time, money and energy.

If I were to offer you one of the top marques of car (Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, etc.) free of charge, how many would take my hand off in the rush to accept it? But to keep a car like that on the road take some real commitment (and it's not just money I'm talking of here).

A friend with one such car told me how it cost him 'a few thousand' every year to keep his beloved super car on the road and yet, he claimed, it was worth it because look at what he had!

God, through the Cross of Christ offers each of us something that cost Him everything and lasts not just for our lifetime but for eternity and yet many of us will commit less to keeping it on the road than we do for our hobbies and pastimes - after all they cry, 'it's a free gift - how can it cost us anything?'

And oddly, these are also more, often than not the same people who complain about the lack of things being done in the church. They are the same people who wished to be served and to be cared for and to be provided for and to be made happy and listened to and obeyed (yep - that too) and yet they don't put anything in to keep the vehicle that is the church or the component that is their life working effectively and efficiently.

Now here's some questions:

Are you the problem or the solution?

Are you willing to pay (and I don't mean with mere money) to keep your faith on the road?

Is your faith an interest (your hobby) or a life-changing, life-long commitment?

Are you willing to pay what it takes or merely willing to take?

The time is coming when we need to realise that if you merely wish to be an associate member (and you're welcome as such) then you will also have to realise that whilst we can guarantee a life membership being open for you in Church, we cannot guarantee and eternal life membership.

Your choice

Christians - 21st Century Revolutionaries

this is what we are called to be

this is why we are counter-cultural

this is why why don't want Church to look like the world!

CHRISTIANITY - TELLING THE TRUTH

EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT WHAT SOME WHAT TO HEAR!

Come let us sing - don't they know it's . . . ?

This morning I could not contain my excitement as I ran around my study doing my Lancaster impressions and called out to God and was glad in his presence, singing songs of joy and interceded for the world and all within it it!

No, I hadn't gone more bonkers than normal but the words of Psalm 46, which are to be found as a hymn set to the 'Dambusters' tune, and the 'Venite' (psalm 95):

'O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. . . . '

Just set me off on a roll. How could I not sing His praises and sing out joyfully in psalms and songs of praise?

How could I be silent as all around me those who claim to have no Christian belief are singing songs about the LORD (the ultimate, absolute and everything being) coming to earth in flesh as one of us to reveal His solution to ALL the world's problems? Of course, they (generally) think that what they have before them is Argostide, the season formerly known as 'CHRISTmas' (also featured as the  'Oooh, it's for the kiddies!' event of the year!).

People who would wish to deny the reality of Jesus and would distance themselves from His birth by use of the banal 'Happy Holidays' (what on earth does that mean?) it's as crass as Birmingham's 'Winterval' as they seek to lump people of differing faiths and none!

Mind you, they make sure they can display their contempt for the season by:

i.    getting as drunk as possible as often as possible,
ii.   by engaging in acts that deny the message of love, peace and reconciliation, and
iii.  by corrupting the humble gift of love that is Jesus; the sacrificial giving of a long-gone bishop (Nicholas) and making it about money and stuff.

So, are you one of those who will stand by today and tomorrow and keep silent or will you be singing out for the LORD I wonder.

I know what I'm going to keep doing - after all 'they don't know it's CHRIST's mass (appeal) time?

And whose fault is it if they don't I wonder? (hint - have a look in the mirror and ask them too ;-)  )

Advent Caption Calendar (9) - Action Jesus

It made Bradley Wiggins popular but few knew how he learned to ride!

And Jane Torvill enjoyed it too!

Jesus - How do you imagine yours?

Advent Caption Calendar (8) - Action Jesus

Here's a depiction of Jesus that's definitely going downhill:

Amazed how many people asked why He didn't have skis!

Work - Life - Church: balancing the numbers

Following on from the  'Church without Straw' entry a couple of days back I thought it might be useful to consider some of the ways of looking at life that exist. The first of these is 10/110.

At a conference last week, LICC's*  Neil Hudson suggested that maximum number of hours a person spends each week splits into 10 doing Church and 110 living (the remainder spent sleeping) life. This 10/110 state begets more than a few questions but here's two of them to get us thinking (and I'll deal with the first today):

Neil's question: "How does the 10 equip us for the 110?" collided with the question on the lips of others which went, "How do we get our members to do ten hours?"

Some merely said (out loud): "How comes so little? Just ten hours a week!" whilst others thought (for these are words that point the fingers at both members and leaders): "I'd be happy if our members did five (or even four) a week - I can't get them past a couple of hours!"

Neil was extremely challenging in that he spoke of discipleship (not just attending and paying the share) as something that took up the whole of our existence. The reality being that discipleship is 'holistic' (and I know how some out there hate that word) for it relates to the whole person: Body, mind, spirit, leisure and work!

The problem is that church leaders do seem to think that the work of evangelism is primarily that of bringing people in to pay the Parish Share and to supply new workers for the day-to-day activities, evangelistic, social programmes and all the other projects in the church. Neil put this into a more concise form (hope my notes are correct):

“The mission of many churches is to recruit the people of God to use some of their leisure time to join the missionary initiatives of church paid workers”

A pretty fair representation of the situation and something that indicates something deeper regarding our take on discipleship in that we ask people to use their 'leisure' time to do church and this, perhaps, is one of the main reasons that 'church' is regarded as one of many leisure activities rather than a lifestyle.


POINT ONE
We ask those who come to make church ONE of their hobbies and not the WHOLE of their existence!

I have friends who have a multitude of hobbies and interests and there's no thought that these might transfer into, enable/modify/or have an impact upon, their working or family life. They also happen to have on their list of 'interests' - Christianity! It's something that they do not something that they are!

ACTION
If I believe God is everywhere and if I believe that Jesus, the Christ, died for me to restore the relationship with this 'everywhere' God - why do I seek to engage with Him only in certain places and at certain times? If He's always with me then how comes I'm not always with Him?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (PS 139)


POINT TWO
When people come to church we tell them stuff that sits within the box marked 'Christian time' stuff and rarely tell them how to make that 'all the time' stuff.

We don't need to major on esoteric faith life but an inductive and grounded in 'life outside the box' (the box here being the church building) Christian living. 

ACTION
The way to make disciples is to be a disciple and just like flying (and every other hobby I have been engaged in) it is in the gathering together that one learns the craft, honing skills and extending knowledge. What we do in the clubhouse is learn to do that which we do outside of it better.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matt 28 // Mk 16)


POINT THREE
The world runs along at 168 hours a week, every week for as long as we are in it and yet we (The Church) focusses only on that bit which is important - the service and the extremely small (and increasingly diminishing and marginalised) world of 'Church' and the ways we can keep the rules and be 'good'.

When people come into contact with the Church it should do so in the world not in the ghetto. Christians must live in this world, but they are not of this world. 


ACTION
As the Father sent Christ into this world to minister, so he sends believers to be ministers in the world (Jn 17; Titus 3) 

This is a pretty messy blog in that I've written in off the top of my head (as always) as the dialogue formed. I hope that this will shape and influence your thinking on the was we live as Christians.

As we draw to a close (tea drunk, office done and All Saint's communion forty minutes away) I have come to a rather painful realisation:

The thought that when I flew I was a pilot. I didn't do flying, but being a pilot was what I was. It translated into everything I did and formed my identity and influenced my conversations. When people introduced me they said, "This is Vic, he's a pilot."

How sad that I don't ever recall being introduced as, "This is Vic, he's a Christian!"

Every hour - Every day

LICC - London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

Church - Inoculates against faith epidemics

Many years ago when I was a Pentecostal Pastor type I became aware of the Church's practice of inoculating non-believers against developing a most chronic disease - faith! Let me explain:

Inoculation is the process whereby a body is exposed to a weakened form of the contagion which triggers causes a mild strain to be developed. This situation brings about an antidote to the 'disease' that is faith in the well-known, 'I've tried it before thanks!' antibody.

here's a couple of 'for instances':

As a Pentecostal Pastor I attended many services where people were asked to commit their life to jesus. They were asked to stand (as a public witness) and pray the 'sinner's prayer' and were then told, "Congratulations, you have made an important decision today - you are now Christians! Welcome."  And then they went home.

Sometimes we took their contact details and tried to help them become regular members (which now seems as if this might have been the most important bit :-(  ) and other times we left the 'new believer' to make their own way in the sea of faith, swimming as best they could (but always with the promise that we were there if they needed us). Sadly, whilst some of these tried to grow their faith, many others never did and this sows the seeds for immunity to the call of God later.

My second 'for instance' comes from the large evangelistic event such as missions and 'Crusades' (not a harken back to the good old days of Saladin but more reminiscent of Billy Graham, Luis Palau and Peter Polycarpou - who I'm sure goes by the name J John these days) and the pouring in of people to football grounds and tents (not what we mean by intents Christianity I'm sure).

I was a counselling supervisor at one of the large mission somewhere events and a few weeks after the event had a go at contacting a random sample of those who had come through the doors as having made a commitment. My sadness was that not a single one of the people who had made a commitment had actually settled into a church congregation (and they were all represented).

What we had done in both examples was 'spawn bastards' for we had brought them (supposedly) to 'New Life in Christ' and failed to parent them (for this is what making new believers is if we don't bring them through to maturity as shown by being disciples!).  If you think this, or the words I am using are harsh then I can but point you to Paul's words in Hebrews  12: 7 - 8:

"For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline - then you are not legitimate . . . "

The Church is guilty of presenting a weakened form of Christian faith to people in the hope that a weakened strain will be both palatable and acceptable. One insipidly weak strain presents some form of permissive ersatz Christianity, which sadly is assumed to be merely 'inclusive'. Another tries a social gospel and something that makes Jesus look like a New Testament social worker or Green campaigner. Yet another attempts to work on the fear glands of those outside the Church by frightening people into Church by presenting the grim spectre of hell (and offering Jesus as the great 'Get out of Hell free' card!).

Sadly, there are many more strains including the fundamentalist, the 'True  Church', the Charismaniac, the isolationist (we really are the only true believers left - honest) and more than I have time, or inclination, to describe at this time.

Here's the reality - we need to engage with a 'full strain' variety of the Christian faith with the effect of making Christ known in the host and bringing forth the symptoms of discipleship. This will in turn bring our sympathetic cell cultures of commitment,  worship, prayer and (let's make the archdemon's happy) paying the Parish Share.

We need to stop worrying about numbers - let them take care of themselves (like grey hairs).

We need to stop worrying about Parish Share (but always ask ourselves whether we can justify a post)!

We need to concentrate on talking about Jesus such that people catch the bug and develop a full set of symptoms - a full on, in your face, active and aggressive strain that infects the places we serve and the people who live nearby and the people passing by and their friends, families and colleagues.

Resistance is futil - we are the contagion and the cure :-)

Mission-Shaped Church - Blessing or Curse?

I think Mission-Shaped Church (MSC) is a good thing and I base this on the 1994 CofE report of the same name and my experiences of same.

MSC, as I recall, has roots in a great book by George Carey and Charlie Cleverly and I see nothing sinister in the name or the reality. In fact the five values for a missionary church are exemplars of what Church (and church) should be (for the official words see 'Mission-Shaped Church p. 81 onwards).

A missionary church is:

Trinitarian  - A relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit that brings forth prayer, praise and action with, and and through the three members of the Trinity is our goal and purpose.

Incarnational  - It makes visible the invisible God in the communities in which it is called to serve in such ways that whilst remaining counter-cultural is also a part of that community.

Transformational -  It changes the community by preaching the Gospel in word, action and intent by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the example of Christ and the Love of God the Father.

Discipling - It draws people to Jesus, the Christ, and helps them, individually and corporately, learn to follow Him on the faith journey that leads to the Cross.

Relational - It builds relationships with others by being open and welcoming not rigid and restrictive. An inclusive (yet not permissive) approach to those who come in from outside; a structure free for cliques and power groups.

These are what I see as the basics of being a Mission-Shaped Church - are there other outworkings of this that I do not understand?

Pax

Church - our core is . . .

Loving others with a love like that which Jesus (the Christ) has shown us to form relationships with those with whom we come into contact (and whom we, like Jesus, seek to serve). Relationships which enable us to come alongside just as the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, does with us by revealing, reconciling, inspiring, motivating (and mobilising) and bringing healing.

This is our individual and corporate calling.

The gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit as He reveals those things to us which separate us from God and one another is no different from that which we are called to do also and this cannot be done from a distance or with those who are distant from us (or vv). It only comes through having a relationship and this means that we need to be accessible and outward facing.

Reconciliation is not what we do but who we are. Reconciling man to man and man to God.

Inspiring people to think, live and respond rightly. So often we fail to respond to others the way that Christ calls us to do and yet it is by our example that others will learn and if they're not in relationship with us, how can they see the examples we are [Mind you knowing the example I can be at times it might be better if they didn't see me ;-) ]  ?

Motivating (and mobilising) those around us, especially those who are distant from God in oh so many ways, is something that we do by being contagious Christians. People see the difference in us and the difference we make because of that difference and want to be part of it. We have had some people who have come into contact with us because of the things that they see and they want to make a difference too! Motivation comes from two directions but we take our model from the Great Shepherd (Jesus) rather than the Western shepherd.  The difference?

The sheep follow Jesus because they know His voice and trust Him whilst with the Western model the shepherd walks behind the sheep kicking them up the behindside until he gets them where he wants them.

Now there's a challenge for some who would be leaders!

Finally we come alongside and bring healing to those around us. Whether it is by affirming them or standing with them in their troubles; taking their part in courts, council offices, social services, debt agencies and the so many other places where being broken, beaten and worthless becomes heightened and despair reaches its lowest point. In weeping with those who are dying or just holding a hand and being a friend. Church and healing are synonymous but of course only where we have the the ability because we are alongside!

So, just to recap, the core business of the Church is:

BEING THERE WITH THE OTHER PERSON

BECAUSE OF CHRIST!

After all - Jesus didn't shout at us from a pulpit but got in the poo and, coming alongside us, swam with us to lead us out of it. New life in Christ comes about by obedient and sacrificial lives in Christ.

Pax

The things people say - 3

Had an interesting conversation just now and one of the things that came up was the issue of which Bible version to read and how much of the Bible we should take take as being true. "After all, " said the other half of the conversation, "It's not like it's the Gospel truth, is it?"

Well of course I had to say that it was exactly that and this caused a bit of a stir as they'd been told by their cleric that the majority of the Bible had been added to make jesus fit the prophecies and to win over powers and people to the Christian way of thinking. Seems that we shouldn't be taking the Gospels as 'gospel' as the editors pencil and Tippex were evident all over the place.

The other funny thing today was the person who asked me whether you could be a Christian and a Buddhist as they were thinking of becoming one but wanted to keep their 'Christian' label too. The reason?

Apparently being English and Christian are one and the same thing and my enquirer didn't want to stop being English, they just wanted to find an inner enlightenment and the peace that this would bring.

Like a mug I asked whether they'd considered peace and enlightenment might be found as the fruits of following jesus and living the Christian life. "Too many rules and things to keep away from with church, "they explained, "Better to look inside and find out what makes me happy and enjoy doing it!"

I smiled and told them I hoped they'd be happy and that they'd need to make a choice and left them to it (wondering if there's someone out there who is pointing these people in my direction? And thinking that if it wasn't God, how much I wish they'd only send me one a day :-) )

Hey ho - no one said it wouldn't be fun did they (and it certainly is!).

Pax

Thought for the day

Which do you prefer:

Those who aren't with us are against us

OR

Those who aren't against us are with us?

Thought for the day

Seek good, not evil, that you may live.

Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.

Amos 5: 14

Thought for the day

so, which season is yours?

What the Vicar does or doesn't do!

One of the interesting considerations that crops up in my working day is a visit to, "You do too much," city! An interesting condundrum which involves that which I addressed slightly in the blog 'If you build it' and the blog entry which considered the issue of 'Healthy dogcollar or healthy church'.

The issue is that when I engage in conversation with members of churches regarding mission, the perception of those members with regard to their Vicar falls neatly into three distinct camps:

!. The Vicar does nothing

2. The Vicar does it all, and (the good Anglican option)

3. I couldn't possibly say!

Now the first category is usually taken up by those who have a host of good ideas on how the church could be built and they take pleasure (and great pains) to tell me how, "If only the Vicar would do something," the church could grow and the ministry flourish.When this happens I ask them what they have seen that isn't being done and how they have started doing it so that it is being done. I have to say that to date I haven't had a single person who has identified all the Vicar isn't doing and decided that they would make it happen instead. Well I guess it is the Vicar's job isn't it?

The second category will tell me how much is going on (and stand happily in the team photograph and take the shared applause) but will tell me that the Vicar is doing it all and that they can't get a look in. When I ask them what it's like being in the team that works in one, any or all of the areas that have been given as the province of the 'Vicar doing everything'! The usual response is that they aren't in the team (if there is one and oddly there usually is) and as we talk further it seems that the real complaint is that they aren't in charge themselves.

The last group are the strangest because first and foremost they aren't complaining (and that is indeed very strange!). They are also the people who generally ask nothing from church other than it continuing as a place where they can come, sit in their same seat and enjoy the same service and then, ritual / habit /whatever complete, swan of home. Sadly they are also generally the people who bring nothing to church either (other than the pound coin they've always given as their admission fee!).

Whilst we know where the first two voices are to be found the last voice is actually a silence that condemns the church (and the Church) to something that is terminal and it is these very same people who, once caught alight, can set fire to the whole people of God.

Now as I understand it we cannot do Church without being collaborative and the whole message of the body being in need of the many organs that comprise it and being connected to them as a whole is one of the big hints as to how Church functions (or at least should function).

The problem is that some look at the poor of dogcollar [DC] (perhaps that should be dogsbody?) and expect them to do whatever task they are pointed to whilst the pointee stands back to admire the fulfilment of the work through the actions of others.

The problem is that some want to work in an area but the DC is doing that and won't let anyone else have the job. The reality as I see it is that there are few in ministry who would not relish giving over an area of work to someone else, even if it means having to train them to do the role. This is true for me and for the majority of those who want to do - so if you're one of the who wants to be a do'er - go tell the person leading your church now and make their day. Of course when you do you shouldn't expect to just be handed it and left to your own devices as this is wrong on so many levels and where I've seen it happen has been the formula for disaster! But when you ask, there should be a discussion and a plan set in motion to transition the area away such that the DC can go plough other fields (wow, sounds a lot like diakonos doesn't it?).

The other problem is that some just want to be in control but don't actually ever get into the area of doing. This is rarely (in my limited wit and experience) due to lack of opportunity but is due to some other factor - The 'I cannot come to the banquet with you right now' syndrome. I have seen many (can I say too many without offence? Too late - just did!) who live in this and bemoan the lack of opportunity and fail to mention their lack of getting off their behindsides and just getting on with it. They point publicly and in their own comfortable places sing their 'I cannot come' song!

Time is coming that our churches are going to have to live in the reality that we exist to praise God, bring help to the helpless, love to the unloveable and discomfort to the comfortable.

How's it looking from your end of the wire?

HS2 - NIMBYism or Political Suicide?

A while back I tried to organise a public meeting in the area in which I live so that we might get the churches involved in the 'No to HS2' campaign. Now although many around me will be affected, but will not benefit, from this new high speed route I wanted us to discuss the issue and hear the views and facts from all sides of the debate so that we might be engaged with the needs of those around us and have a balanced view.

My first problem came when I eventually managed to get someone from the 'No to HS2' group to talk to me about the issue, something that came about because they were dropping off petition forms not because of the five unanswered electronically generated message or two emails sent to one of the organisers or the two answerphone messages I left! I told them what I wanted to do, and why, and was basically told that they didn't need that, they were doing their own meetings! Hey ho - so now if your read my other HS2 post you will know why the meeting never happened.!

Better still, this concerned citizen basically put forward the views that it wouldn't have been so bad if the route had gone through Tamworth as it wouldn't make any difference to them but her pretty little place of residence would be subject to discomfort and five years of traffic and works!

Wow! Let's forget the financial benefits, the impact of the project on the natural, agricultural or community life in general, this was all about her and her pretty little cottage and the (rather well-heeled it seemed) community and, it appeared, that all would be well if it was placed nearer 'those people'!

So sadly the meeting never took place and I felt sad that regardless of how it might be masked, my only contact with the opposition had been some BMW driving, 'Let them eat cake' bimbag! (Thanks to Julie who many years ago told me that she and the other's in her group came in Bimbette, Bimbo and Bimbag - something that every time I think of it makes me smile :) ).

Better still, today all I have heard is many Conservative supporters burbling on about how they have withheld party funds, will not vote for Conservatives next time and many other mutterings and threats that make me think that come the next election (will the other brother be leading them by then having have the less adequate one keep the seat warm for him during the coalition days) Labour could win because of the 'make the Conservatives pay'brigade.

Seems that London will benefit from HS2 and that joining the North and the South might be a reality for the privileged few, but the rest will merely watch as a blur carrying the privileged passes them by - seems this is the reality for many and will never change (unless we start doing Gospel stuff of course for there is a spiritual side to this too).

Politics and the self-righteous, the self-serving and the plebs. Interesting stuff or what?

So the question, "HS2 - NIMBYism or Political Suicide?" I think it might just be both (now what of the price our natural world will pay?

Pax