40 Acts - Share, Pray, Like

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 (NLT)

I am a Social Media Scroll.

Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t say troll, the type who takes to twitter to harass and abuse (nor the small pink-haired plastic toy). An SMS is someone who spends time scrolling through timelines with no purpose, eyes glazed over, with about as much interest as a vegan at McDonald’s. Facebook is merely an extended photo album and Twitter an opportunity to catch the latest headlines and top hashtags. I only read the first few lines of a blog post and even 140 characters often pushes my reading limit (don’t even get me started on the ‘continue reading’ button).

To be honest, most of the time I simply haven’t got anything witty, intelligent or groundbreaking to say. And, when the world seems to be heading to hell in a hashtag, I don’t even know how to respond. However, I often forget that I have a much greater weapon than any tweet or blog post. I have the most powerful weapon in any arsenal, the weapon of prayer.

Which leads me to today’s challenge, to pray for your news feed.

Here’s the idea: as you scroll, don’t simply like, favourite, moan or troll. Stop and engage with the situation in a powerful way; pray.

There have been many debates as to whether engagement on social media makes any difference, whether endless memes and charity hashtags actually change the world. But one thing we know for certain; prayer works. And this isn’t just voicing stuff for our own benefit, a therapeutic announcement to get stuff of our chest. Jesus tells us that when we pray, God answers (Matthew 7:7); Paul says that Jesus himself sits on the right hand of the Father, nudging him on our behalf (Romans 8:34).

So why not give it a go? Pray as news breaks, as people moan; pray for the lovers and pray for the haters, the scrollers and the trollers; pray for your friends and pray for your enemies; pray when stuff makes you happy, sad, grumpy and mad. Don’t tweet without thinking, but (in the words of the prayerful apostle) pray without ceasing.

Sam Gibb

To see today's web page - Click HERE

Maintenance of true religion

Many years back, in a lecture on what it was to be 'Church', those of us who were assembled were told how we were training to, "Become a modern day shaman for those in the community in which we were to serve."

The lecturer told us how we were to discharge our duties by baptising all, and any, babies brought to us, bury their dead, marriage their love struck and be, "Guardians of the faith of the community."

What we weren't told was that it was also, by our believing, we would ensure that others could comfortably disbelieve. It is an 'odd but true' situation that when the pastor/priest/leader comes to a place of disbelief or uncertainty the whole structure and stability of the community becomes oddly unstable. It is as if by introducing an element of disbelief that the disbelief felt by others is made less real - and that's a real odd un, innit?

That we might suspect something does not exist or function as we thought is something that we all, at times, have in our own realities. But tell us that we might be right and rather than celebrate and engage in this unbelief the result is rather a confusion with parallels in the unresolved grief such as we saw with Princess Diana. It's great for us to have doubts but when those who are supposed to not have doubts on our behalf do so, then we don't have the wherewithal to withstand it! Worse still, we have to believe what is being unbelieved to compensate for the unbelief of the professional believer.

To compound the situation the belief of others brings the freedom to disbelieve or doubt and as long at they (the priest/pastor/leader) keep up the role then we are free to harbour disbelief. When meaningless is delivered to our door we have to 'man up' and make sense of the emptiness that is a reality for some who profess a Christian faith.

This poses a real challenge for us in ministry because merely 'doing our job' and faithfully believing in a community means that we are there for the delivery and maintenance of folk religion - baptise my baby so it will be lucky (a real quote) - and by maintaining a place of faith endorse a people of no faith! This means, if we are to make faith real, that we must be taking the faith out and be engaging with the people around us.

I engage with many people who speak fondly of the central church building in our town, referring to it as 'their church' and recalling weddings and other occasional offices that confirm this as a reality. If we were to say it was going to close there would be uproar and yet try to get the people to come in to a service and you'd think they'd been asked to run naked through the town. Oddly, some would be more keen to do that than attend a service! All of which means that we need people to be educated as to what Church is all about.

We need to meet with and engage with people to help them see the difference, and the similarity, found in people when they take upon themselves the label 'Christian'.

We need to have a church populated by people who understand their faith and have the ability to share it - which means sound teaching and intelligent leadership - inside the building, outside in the parish and when (and wherever) they are asked to give an answer for the hope that they have in Jesus.

We need those in leadership to be continually engaged in developing their own faith and to dialogue and grow in it so that their personal Christian walk is vibrant and lively; the steadfast and engaged faith, coupled with a desire (and ability) to share is the key to growth and a mature (and lively) congregation.

Or we can remain faithful and within our own walls waiting for 'them to come in' and maintain the folk religion of the masses around us.

Confirmation: Beginning not end!

A very old Church joke goes like this:

An archdeacon is called to a church to examine a serious problem with the building. When they arrive they find that the bell tower is full of bats which (because of protection laws) cannot be removed from the space. Not missing a pace the Archdeacon says the solution is readily at hand, all that is needed is for them to get the bishop over.

'What on earth can the bishop do to get rid of the bats?' asks the Vicar.

'He'll come over and confirm them and once that's done, you'll never see most of them again!'

Now, as funny as it is, the reality behind this clerical humour has been seen and felt by many clergy over the years; the reason being that we don't understand what confirmation is about and this misunderstanding is costing the Church dearly+!

Controversial words I know, but this is what I honestly feel and here's why:

I recently encountered some congregations, each with few children, each with very different attitudes. In all of them there were children who had expressed a desire to take communion and the differences in attitude of the church (here 'church' means the people in charge and these were not necessarily the clergy or wardens) resulted in:

i. 'You're only 'n' - come back when you're 'n+x'
  (let's make n=10 and x=4; arbitrary values randomly chosen for the purpose of this exercise)

There were three distinct thoughts behind this (and I know because I asked).

The first was that confirmation is a rite of passage - marking the transition from child to adult (like bar/bat mitzvah in the Jewish faith).

The second was that confirmation made the recipient of that rite a 'member' and 'n', 'Was just too young, for at that age they are tomorrow's church!'

The final bit of thinking was that confirmation is akin to a graduation ceremony and marks something very special because it's about having reached the end of a journey.

ii. 'Let's get together and talk about it'

So they met with the child and discussed what they knew and understood about God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), The cross, resurrection, new life in Jesus, Pentecost, Church, church and being a disciple (without any of the technical words). What they were doing was exactly what the good old catechism classes of days gone by never did (well mine didn't - it was a bored cleric reading a dogeared SPCK Catechism booklet to a bunch of equally bored and disinterested fifteen years old)! The child was engaged with and a dialogue, and an understanding of their position and thinking gained, and the imparting of great understanding made.

iii. 'Of course, let's do it!'

Now this was a risky approach because the 'Yes' had been issued before a full understanding of the place the child was in was made theirs. The thinking behind this was that the child was known and the view of the family (active and engaged church members) was sought before the encounter where they were properly asked (simple really - the desire was voiced and the response was, 'Great, let's talk later/after the service/sometime soon*' (and the parent were then asked their views before returning to them).

My response to the above scenarios is this:

The first is, in my view (and it might be wrong) pure and unadulterated folly on many levels!
If a child of 'n' comes and is told to come back and 'n+x' then my experience is that by the time 'x' has passed you have lost them and even if they come for confirmation the danger is that it's become a rite of passage and what could have been the beginning of a journey is actually the 'sending off party' for someone who is effectively leaving!

The reality is that confirmation is the beginning of the faith journey, the taking upon ourselves the backpack of faith and the roadmap that leads us to the cross. I would rather see a child of 'n' confirmed and taken forward than put off and put off! This is a dicey path because it requires commitment, energy, engagement and some real conflict with some in the church who will trot out their 'tomorrow's Church' mantra and in so doing destroy today's Church!

This story ends with the child deciding that they didn't want to come back later and the reality is that their attendance is looking less likely as the parents have been told they don't enjoy coming with the result that, because they don't want to force them to come, probably means that the Sunday football or rugby team are likely to have a new member shortly!

The second is about engagement and taking the child seriously. This payed dividends in that the child answered some stuff well and was corrected, guided and after some few sessions together was confirmed. Youth Alpha and Emmaus courses were of use here and what has been seen is a young person on the lower slopes of discipleship fast approaching the steeper section and passing some of the older pew-warmers (which will be interesting to watch)!

The third engagement was quite exquisite in that it didn't put the child off but made space to canvass the parent so that they could respond in a positive and informed way in partnership with the parents. The child was engaged with in a way that involved the parents from the beginning and not only sought their views and permission but brought them into a place where their own faith might be challenged and enhanced bringing a real win-win-win result. The child was confirmed and the ongoing, shared, discipleship is being made real in this family because of it.

Confirmation is not an ending but the beginning of a discipleship journey (which is why we call upon the empowering of God's Holy Spirit as succour for the journey - Spiritual Kendal Mint Cake)

Confirmation is about us acknowledging membership of the Church and taking responsibility for the person being confirmed

Confirmation is not about becoming a member (we don't have members, we have parishioners and communicants)

Communion does not make us an adult - goodness me, have you seen how childish and inane many of those who have been confirmed are?

Confirmation is not about knowledge or age or anything but the desire to go forward and be fully part of the Church - it is Church and communicant taking mutual responsibility for the journey to the cross and is about accountability on the part of Church and believer. How can we expect the baptised to fulfil their baptismal calling if those of us who are called to be their pastors do not take our role seriously?

'Suffer the little children to come to me,' says the Boss.

Are we listening ?

+ And this is the whole Church because many of those who find themselves in other denominations and groupings beging life as Anglicans and is we don't give birth to them the others won't be winning them later ;-)

* delete as applicable

Let’s get Missional!

Many words are found in church language yet not all of us fully understand them. Realising this, I thought I’d have a quick go at making sense of them here – so here goes:

Missional
An extremely popular word these days. For me, it was George Carey, as Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) who made me aware of the word  but Priest and theologian, Leslie Newbiggin, who made it real.

Newbiggin used the word to describe the life, ministry and mission of the Church thus:

‘The Church is sent into the world to continue that which he (Jesus) came to do, in the power of the same Spirit, reconciling people to God.’

It is in the reconciling  (mending relationships) between God and the people in it that Church finds its most important role, for we are not (as someone said recently) ‘do gooders’. We are in the world to point to – and look like Jesus!


Missional Church seeks to build bridges and make Jesus, the Christ, known in the world. It looks at ways of being effective and influential and in being involved with, and in, everything around us.

Missional Church is a church with open doors, hands and hearts – welcoming and embracing all who come into contact with it as family and friends.

Fresh Expressions (FE)
I was recently invited to an ‘FE’ evening and the person next to me assumed it meant Further Education (which was a fair guess) - never good when we fail to define the terms, abbreviations and acronyms we use, is it?

A good definition of an FE is:

‘A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church.’

In a nutshell – if people who are not part of church would come if there was a Wednesday, 5pm service, then that service would be a Fresh Expression.


One such service is ‘Messy Church’ which seeks to build a church for those with children.
Note – it is a church in its own right, not merely something to bring people into the other Sunday services. This would make it messy outreach!

Fresh Expressions have four marks in that they are:

·     missional – serving people outside church;
·     contextual – listening to people and entering their culture;
·     educational – making discipleship a priority;
·     ecclesial – forming church.

A healthy, effective and flourishing Church consists of the traditional church buildings and services and alongside these we have Messy Church and other services, some in the same building and others in cafés, clubs, pubs, homes and wherever the need is found to be.

These many expressions of church (traditional and fresh) work together for the Kingdom of God and do so across denominations and any other boundaries that might exist. This is exciting Church as it creates new relationships with people and churches around us too.

Hopefully this short piece has given you a feel for what missional church and the opportunities and excitement that is to be found by be part of it?

To find out more take a look at the 'Mission Shaped Ministry' site

and have a look at

Fresh Expressions   too!

Aren't you Vicars supposed to just do religion?

That was yesterday's challenging question!

As we discussed the issue of Syria and the options open to this government as part of a proper response this little gem appeared. Dialogue continued and another question appeared, this one asking, 'Why we had to do anything at all?' And that question, for me at least, answered the first question rather nicely.

You see the reality is that we are not supposed to just 'do' religion but are called to live out our faith and turn it into something that not only changes us but those around us and beyond. In my big black book I find many passages that inform and enable; many bits that challenge me to change who or what I am and to get down and not only make a difference but 'be' the difference!

In chapter two of the book of James (vv.14-17) we find this:
'What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save them?
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'

The idea that we Vicars are just 'supposed to do religion' is as ludicrous as having the view that a chef's calling is 'just cooking' or an artist's role is 'daubing'! There's no point creating culinary delights if no one eats them, and in the eating engages with others and builds relationships and is changed. Art done and locked away is dead art - for it is in the seeing and being touched by it, the being moved and changed by it, that the real value of the art is made real.

Religion is a sterile, limited and dreadful thing: It serves only to condemn sinners for breaking regulations, rules and restrictions that no one could keep on their own, or in their own strength. It puts on services and nods at God but goes no further. It offers much as a philosophy or set of beliefs but like culinary delights uneaten or or art unseen, the potential only becomes realised when it is taken into ourselves and allowed to change us.

My role is to open the eyes and hearts of others to the possibilities that God makes available and to help those who can see it make that real. This is part of what we are seeing in fine detail at the moment with Syria but it was there in the needs of the mentally ill, the long-term sick, the jobless, the homeless, the (far too many) NEETs*, the addicted and many other categories of concern that exist in our communities and outside our own doors.

The needs are great and yet in a society which sets the standards that enable the police to police by consent we have the opportunity to define and maintain what is to be considered 'right'. In a society that was once the envy of the world with its National Health Service, welfare system and Legal Aid, we have to realise that we get what we permit the governments (National, County and local) to give us.

But where there are needs, religion that is faith acts to meet them.

Where there are wrongs, religion that is faith seeks to right them.

 Where there is sorrow, pain and death, religion seeks to bring love, comfort and healing.

Just do religion? How very dare they suggest that - I deal in change not decay (what about you?)


*Not in Education, Employment or Training - the 16-18 year olds who are merely 'lost'!

Church of Wonga

Now as much as I don't agree with payday loans, they are of course better than the alternative, which is two large geezers knocking on your door to 'enquire' why Mr X hasn't had his money yet!

Just as payday loans were applauded for removing some of the the poor from the vagaries of the 'loan shark' (and we still have them and people 'helping' those around us get further into debt) the reality is that Justin is on the right track with his championing of Credit Unions and low-rate payday loans, helping to replace white goods without increasing the burden of debt and more.

One of those I spoke to on Friday said that 'the Church' ought to stick to i's own business and keep out of the financial world - after all, they said, 'You don't see banks opening churches now, do you?'

What a thought - perhaps Errol Damelin, Founder of Wonga, ought to draw up battle lines and open the Church of Wonga - Motto: 'Why not count on tomorrow to pay for today?'

I have to say that I think he looks the part - so why not? After all, money is the focus of many of those I meet and so a church that looked towards the accruing, spending and general worship of the stuff would be popular - and you could always take out a loan for the repayments (errr, I mean, offering!)

The reality is that Damelin and his organisation are meeting an obvious need - that's what business does.

What Justin is doing is trying to meet that same need, but in a better way, and this has to be good for everyone - well everyone except those who make money out of lending it that is) - and this has to be applauded and acted upon (Church is often poor at the former and invisible in the second of these).

For my money (and prayers), Justin has chosen his battlefield well - he just needs the CofE to be more circumspect in its investments now. Still, he looks good in the shirt!

He, and the CofE, will look even better when he's taken it off ;-)

Hope - Pray - Read - Do

Challenged myself with the image above.

Been thinking about those who sit in church and 'hope' things will happen;

And about those who 'pray' things will happen;

Or sit and 'read' about what happened in the Bible;

And those who 'make' things happen.

and wonder which combination of these made up my character.

And then prayed that it would be 'all' of them.

How do you do with it?

So many ideas - So few to take them up

Last night past conversations crowded in. One upon another they crashed together causing sparks and yet, despite the highly flammable material of life, there was not even a hint of smouldering!

I woke with a start as the memories of so many opportunities for engagement were identified, acknowledged and . . . Passed by!

People issued the cry, 'Why doesn't someone do something about [insert any need you might have identified]?' That done, they look at me to provide an endorsement of their perspicacity and well-honed Christian missional skills and agree that, 'There must be someone!' And of course there is. But who?

So far this year I've worked with people in various settings and circumstances and, between us, we have tried:

+ sign up' sheets - but no one signed them!

+ vision meetings - but myopia appeared to rule!

+ training courses - but Downturn Abbey provided a greater attraction!

Many years ago I read a book by Richard Bach (illusions) which contained the words, 'Argue for your limitations and, surely, they are yours!'

I have found this year to contain more people who have told me why they can't do anything (it wasn't even 'more'); more people who have bemoaned the lack of engagement from 'the church' and complained about those who, 'Need to do more!'

I have engaged with people who are full of promise and ability who have promised much and delivered so much less than nothing as their inactivity (always accompanied by a reason and often an accusation) also debilitated others and rendered them, and us, impotent and defeated too!

There are eight months left to us in this current year:

+ eight months to make the case for all-member engagement (collaborative church)

+ eight months to motivate and mobilise members (courses, sermons, vision meetings) with no quarter given

+ eight months to get the message across that being Christian is not a hobby

Those who come to church, those on PCC or DCC, Volunteers, Pew Warmers, Lay Ministers, Clergy (for no one is exempt) - the gauntlet has to be laid down (and taken up).

It's so hard to smile and nod when people tell you that they can see the needs but don't care (they don't use those words, they merely absent themselves or tell you about their hobby, family, whatever; that takes them away to other things).

It's galling when people tell you that they've been challenged by something they heard so went somewhere else to avoid the feeling again!

So here is a plea to all who read this:

Get involved, get praying, get engaging or get the estate agent in and get ready to close our doors. We can no longer exist as museums showing where 'God used to live'; architecturally magnificent holy shrines to a former age; holy huddles who exist to meet for themselves, not their communities and certainly not God.

So here’s another line drawn - another challenge issued.

Please hear it, pass it on and respond to the call.


Pax

Tamworth - An offer you can't refuse

For a few years now I have wondered how best we can serve the people of our town and one exceptionally valuable (and effective) way we can do this appears to be by getting out on the ground and getting involved with those who come into our town to enjoy a social life in the evenings.

And before anyone gets on their soap box - It's not one of those 'Christians Only' (or even just a 'certain type of Christian') things - there are no monopolies and there's nothing about the ghetto here for all are welcome to help in what will be a collaborative effort between volunteers and other agencies (including the police and other statutory bodies).

So - if you are an adult (18 or over) living in, or around, Tamworth and would like to help listen, support and provide care for those coming into the town to enjoy its great social life then now's your opportunity. Training is given and all we will be asking is that you commit to a minimum of one night a month, usually from 10pm to around 2am.

The role is varied and a typical evening might see you handing out water (or chocolate), talking to angry, confused or disorientated people; perhaps you'll be arranging a taxi (or a lift from someone at home), taking shopping trolleys back to somewhere safe so they don't end up going through a window or used as a weapon when tempers flare (and they do from time to time). Sometimes it's giving out space blankets or tea, coffee or another hot drink and other times it's something you've never thought of before.

Whatever the problem, we're on the streets to make the evening run smoothly and to keep the incidents and incidence of hurting people to a minimum.

And if you don't live in Tamworth?

Why not take a look at:

And find out what there is going on in your community (and if there's nothing - start something)

All Member Ministry - Part the first

Following on from the 'Father knows best' model we are now residing in a period of glasnost whereby we enjoy the privilege and benefits of 'All Member Ministry' (AMM). This is the means by which the members of a fellowship, congregation or church are equipped, enabled and released to do the work of the Church.

Well, that's the theory anyway, but as is often the case, the reality is not always the same as what it says on the packet! Recently I have come across a few variations on the theme and thought I'd ponder them in this safe (ie. away from public gaze) place:

The Stage Manager

This appears to be the most common performance model in that the dog-collar has an idea about something that 'the church' could be engaged in and having investigated the needs, found a way to meet them and established a time and place to do the meeting of the needs takes it to the church council.

The church council, applaud loudly and approve the idea as sound and it is taken to the church with a communal sense of 'here we are, send them!'- a quote from Isaiah 6:8, Not Committed Version (NCV).

The church listens, rapt with concern and inspired to respond, as the needs of 'the lost' are paraded before them. They gasp with amazement at the ways the newly exposed needs might be met and praise God that the church will be making a difference where they are. Oddly, though, few come forward to volunteer their time and energies and those who do turn out to be the same people who are doing everything else. Still, the task is passed over to those who have volunteered and a few people are 'invited' to join in (this is a special dog-collar trick whereby people are given the job but the victim somehow feels they've invited!).

A first meeting is held and ideas (usually from the dog-collar or one of the over-committed) are batted around for a bit and the project is underway. A second meeting is held and ideas are batted around, people apologise for not having done the preparatory work, others apologise for the fact that they will be visiting family on the date set for the first iteration of the project and they agree to meet again. At a third meeting the dog-collar suggests a few things and tells the gathered group that the venue is set, the programme is set and all is in place for the first attempt at meeting whatever the need was when they first started planning.

On the day, the dog-collar and a few of the over-committed turn up and the first event takes place. It is a success (in the same way that there is no such thing as a bad parish weekend away) and the following Sunday the dog-collar parades 'the leader' (or even the team) and the assembled gathering applaud at what 'All Member Ministry' has achieved.

Content that the members now believe they have discovered, planned and executed a wonderful piece of work, the dog-collar applauds with the congregation, content that yet another piece of stage management has proved successful.

Those who get the applaud feel pleased and yet slightly confused that they are being recognised.

Those who were already over-committed realise that the applause signals even less time for themselves or their family (is it any wonder some kids rebel against the very same church that committed their parents energies away from them as kids?).

Those who are applauding really think that the church is 'active' and that the members are running the show.

Only the dog-collar, the gardener and the little house know the truth*

Pax

* If this sentence confuses you, it's a reference to Bill and Ben (the flowerpot Men!)

Church of Dreams - If you build it, they will . . .

Watch!

Just had an interesting conversation with someone regarding Church growth and building church. They started developing areas of ministry which brought together both church and community assuming that as they did people would get excited about the engagement and come rushing in to be part. In fact what happened was people stood on the sidelines and applauded loudly while pointing out further areas with potential for engagement.

Leaning heavily upon 'Field of Dreams' (neatly summed up on the Japanese DVD cover as 'man builds baseball field and meets dead father') this person assumed that if they built the ministry areas then people would indeed come, just like the film. Of course they forgot that the people did indeed come, but they came as spectators, not players - the players were the dead guys!

So, perhaps a good piece of advice from a missioner perspective here - perhaps the key is to get them to build it?

This is an area I will have to go away and think about a bit = but thought I'd let you share the experience with me.

Perhaps we need to change it to, "If you build it, they will come . . . and watch!"

Pax