Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence

German sociologist Hartmut Rosa has recently written The Uncontrollability of the World, in which he critiques our cultural attempt to eliminate risk, and reduce everything to a predictable set of results. While some areas of life need control, like me being in hospital(!), the ultimate attempt to control experience is, of course, impossible, and leads inevitably to a profound sense of depression and disappointment. 

Prophetic Ministry

The prophets, Haggai & Zechariah, encouraged people to rebuild the temple, after returning from exile, and faced opposition and discouragement (Ez. 5.1). In the New Covenant, such temple imagery is transferred to the body: Christ’s physical body in history (Jn. 2.19-21), and his body now in the church (1 Co. 3.16 & 2 Co. 6.16).

Of all the spiritual gifts, however, it is only prophecy which is said to “build up” (edify) the church (1 Co. 14.4-5) – although all gifts are for the “common good” (1 Co. 12.7). Prophecy gives the assurance that God is present, and is speaking (1 Co. 14.24); whether manifested in charismatic utterances or anointed preaching.

Reconsideration of "The Rood"

After I finished writing my last Blopost here, I walked downstairs to make a coffee, and immediately realised I’d missed a whole area of reflection. I’d taken a completely negative view of the contextualisation implicit in The Dream of the Rood, missing the (very obvious) positive aspect, and the necessary nuance (and risk) involved in any attempt at contextualisation.

False Contextualisation: The Dream of the Rood

 The Dream of the Rood (available here) is a classic piece of Anglo-Saxon poetry, from the 8^th or 10^th centuries. Rood is the old English word for ‘rod’ or ‘pole’, and came to be used of the Cross. The poem narrates a dream sequence, in which the author sees a tree being cut down, and eventually used in the crucifixion of Christ.

The Church in Wales

We visited a Church of Wales service while on holiday. There was an assortment of locals and tourists. No singing, because of Covid; just the liturgy. A lay-leader explained to us, that they had a tradition of supporting pilgrims, passing through, some as corpses for burial, to the holy island of Bardsey, which was known as a “thin place”, to be near the resurrection.

The Spiritual Dimension of Mission

I was challenged to think missiologically by the recent City-to-city conference, on reaching Europe, especially its cities. I was impressed, particularly, by their honesty about the difficulty of the task, faced with the indifference and even hostility towards the gospel in secular Europe. So, I written several blogs reflecting on what it might take to do mission here. One factor, which I think much western missional thought misses is the role of the Holy Spirit in mission, and especially the Pentecostal dimension: that is, signs and wonders.

Capitalism, Modernity, and the Gospel

Reflecting further on why the gospel is hard to communicate in Europe today, it is not only that Christianity is old, but that it is now identified with power, with the establishment. This is in part due to the Constantinian settlement, whereby church and state became allied in a co-dependent system of ideological legitimation, which eventually produced Christendom. 

New Beginnings for the Gospel

Building upon my last blog, how can we make the gospel fresh again, refresh our presentation? Writing about apologetics, Os Guiness comments that people are not really asking questions; they are simply not interested in what we have to say. We must, he says, find ways to intrigue them, awaken their curiosity, and provoke thought.

Failing the Gospel in Europe

I’m listening to some of the discussion in City-to-City’s Evangelism Project. Specifically, their honest inquiry into why it’s so hard to share the gospel in Europe, and if there are any lesson from the European experience? There is a perception that evangelism is difficult in Europe, both to do, and to get any results, in terms of conversions. 

Church: Physical, Virtual, Aboriginal, Spiritual – Theological Options

During the pandemic, we’ve become sued to online church. Virtual gatherings, one-to-one conversations, and pastoral care, replaced ion-person physical encounters. In some cases, these were enrichments, enabling, for example, people to attend Life-Groups, who had never been able to come physically: e.g. single parents, shift-workers. 

Why I carry on

I read some social media posts recently, about how there seems to be a lot of pastors in the US, who are leaving vocational ministry. I don’t know if the same is true for the UK; and in any case, it is largely anecdotal, there doesn’t seem to be any statistical corroboration. But it prompted me to wonder why. Certainly, in Britain too, there is disillusionment among pastors.

In commenting, I'm not setting myself up as superior. I too have suffered from discouragement, disillusion, and depression, frequently during my ministry. I think I’ve not recovered from burn-out for the last ten years. Probably, once a week, I think about leaving it all. But somehow, I’m still here: it reminds of a TV sketch by Rory Bremner in the 1990s, of PM John Major, who despite all the scandals, kept repeating “I’m still here”.

Mission By Accident?

Several decades ago, I was interrupted by a phonecall from a Christian community worker I knew. Could we accommodate twenty Kurdish refugees from Turkey? They’d just arrived at Heathrow and the government didn’t know where to put them.

Over the next six months, a hundred came and slept in our church building, as our small congregation (20-30 people) gave money, and helped practically, to look after these arrivals. Other churches joined in: from Protestant and Catholic, Evangelical and Liberal, backgrounds. 

KCBC Post-Pandemic Vision

In the sovereignty of God, the Covid-19 pandemic has delivered a shock to our whole civilisation. Even as we care for those who have fallen ill, or been bereaved, let us pray that it will direct people back to the Lord, as the only foundation for our hope. In this, we welcome the contribution of medical science, and the vaccine programme, as one part of God’s solution to the pandemic. 

Electro-Ecclesial Experiments

 

Our leaders met recently and decided to keep our church building closed for services,  until at least 15th February, in line with the government lockdown. Churches are allowed to meet, but following recommendations from the Baptist Union, it seems right to move online for two reasons: to protect our attenders & to protect society by not spreading the virus.

Many are disappointed by this. We have different opinions. So we must remain united and sensitive to each other; respecting each other’s viewpoints, attributing integrity to each other, as we each seek to be faithful to our God.

Decision and Design

 I had to make a decision, which disappointed many – cancelling physical services in our building. It was more difficult, because we are actually allowed to meet, by the government. The question is whether this is wise, in view of the rising infection rates, from the new strain of Covid. The government itself is being criticised for not taking responsibility. Naturally, noone likes to limit people’s freedoms, and shut things down. But, leaving restrictive measures until the last minute, makes it harder for people to plan. Part of leadership’s task is to make tough decisions; and, although not at PM level, this is also the Pastor’s role.

Apologetics and Action

Recently I read three Christian books responding to the Corona pandemic: John Lennox, Where is God in a Coronavirus World?; John Piper, Coronavirus and Christ; Tom Wright, God and the pandemic. Here are my thoughts.

Pioneering and Planning in the Pandemic

There is an old Jewish joke: how do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans! Certainly true of this year. How many churches in January toyed with the cliché of ’20:20 vision’? How many of those ambitions now lie in tatters? Even as believers our presumption has been exposed by circumstances. We need to submit again to God’s sovereignty (Jas. 4.13-16).

Action, Man....

Last Sunday, our youth worker, Rochelle, preached her first sermon, since re-opening our church building for worship. She noted that, afterwards, several young people approached her to talk; and she concluded that this demonstrated the importance of relationship, being seen and heard. She has actually had the most difficult job in our church, because two weeks after she began work, lockdown started – and so she had to somehow do ministry with people she had never met. She did really well. But her observation on Sunday reveals how crucial physical presence matters.   

Back to Life. Back to Virtuality.

I was woken up at 4am last night, by a party outside our house. The relaxation of lockdown is bringing people out into the streets and parks. Recently, several beaches were crowded by hordes of holidaymakers, completely ignoring social distancing. And pubs overflow their seating on our pavements. That it is mainly the young doing this reflects the state of their hormones, and their innate desire to mix and mingle. It also instantiates Mikhail Bahktin’s concept of the “carnivalesue”: that people occasionally need to let rip.

Guilt

I feel guilty. I am not organising food banks or supplies for people during the Covid crisis. Am I reverting to type – my fundamentalist conversion during the tail-end of the Jesus movement overflow in Lancashire? Other churches seem to be doing so much – large ones like KXC starting up a brand new food bank, and smaller churches like Angel Baptist, and Notting Hill Community Church, feeding over 200 people every day with hot meals.