Sorry for the gap, I was going to try and keep in order, but that means I write and do not publish, and it does not work.
I was chatting to someone about church, both of us had had recent bad experiences of church and both of us knew that this was the case with the other. We were walking into a service, discussing the fact that church had problems because it contained people with problems, people like ourselves, but we still did not understand really why churches did some of the things that they did. I said why can't churches just give people what they want, would it not be so difficult. The people walking in behind us, who I did not know, agreed loudly.
Now I know church is not about giving people what they want, in fact in a world of me culture, the church should be distinctively different. Asserting the absoluteness and immediacy of God who has a right to expect more from us than simply me, me, me. However, sometimes what we do in church puzzles me, and this is not just about the old style church, but also an issue with the most modern of churches. We throw out one set of incomprehensible songs which no one can fully understand and replace it with another set of songs, where we again ask what does that mean. Is it simply that every generation must bequeath to the next generation music and words that the next generation can "not get," so that they can replace it with another set for the generation to come to rebel against world without end?
We try to do things either because our tradition dictates it or because we want to get other people into church. Therefore we accept church which does not work for us, and really does not work for God. Do we think that He gets pleasure from watching us squirm? My view is that church that works for us, is likely to work for other people like us, and actually whether we like it or not the people outside of the church have more in common with us than we often admit.
This is not to say that we do not need to demolish a few barriers. Services should be user friendly, you should not need to be a theologian to understand the sermon, be in a band to be able to participate in the worship or be psychic to be able to work out what we are supposed to do next. If for some reason which I have never worked out why we have to stand when the offering is brought to the front, we might as well tell people that they need to stand and then sit down afterwards so they do not feel silly - and it might be worth explaining why we do it so that they understand. If we do not know why we do it, except that we always do it, then it may be time to start asking ourselves whether we should be doing it at all.
There is this idea that deep down we all just want to be loved, even psychotic murders are just asking for love in a dysfunctional way. I'm not personally entirely convinced by this approach, but we were created by love for love - and therefore we should not be surprised if this finds an echo in all of us.
Jesus summed up the law in love God and love everyone. (well more our neighbours, those around us, love is meant to be something that lives and does, rather than just a feeling). Love really matters, and yet we get so involved in so much that does not matter. So much of what we do, because simply what we do. We do it not because we love, but because we ought. Rather than discovering freedom in Christ, we discover an empty formalism. We can say all the right words, do all the right actions, and yet if are hearts are not filled with love for God and for each other, we are just a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Paul even comments about giving all I possess to the poor but if I do not have love, it is all just a waste of time. (1 Cor 13) the problem is that it is so much easier to go through the motions than it is to really be changed. It is easier to change our actions than it is to change our hearts.
I really want to emphasise here that I'm not attacking any particular way of doing Christianity or judging anyone. I have seen liturgies that leaped with life and expectation, and I have seen supposedly lively services that seemed to just go around in circles that did not go anywhere near God.
Churches would be transformed overnight if we could just learn to love, really love, but the problem is that there is no love school we can attend. "I went to Love School and suddenly all those people that I could never get on with I just wanted to love and to hug." The idea of some magic love potion that makes us love all that we look upon is just a Midsummer Night's Dream. Love is hard work. Our concept of love is blown. When we think of love we tend to think of soppy romance and a general softness, we do not think of a hard cross and hard nails hammered into raw human flesh. Perhaps that is understandable, but love is not the soft option.
It is so easy to love the masses in some vague way, but when the masses become individuals with problems and issues, that cause us problems and issues then it is not so easy. Sometimes we desire to see the lost in the Kingdom, not primarily because we want them but because we are struggling with the saved. It is so easy to love the people we do not know in the street than it is to love the different people we face in church every week. And it is so much easier to love the people we meet every week if we keep a safe and comfortable distance from them.
Yet the problem is that we were created for intimacy and if we do not discover it in God and in positive means, we will be vulnerable to the temptations of the false intimacies that are just a click away. We voluntarily deceive ourselves, but it is so much easier than trust.
The problem is we have a fickle love, we try to love people, but then we really discover what people are like and we then struggle to be able to love them. Such knowledge and rejection breeds barriers. "Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?" well the book concludes, "Because it is all I have."
Love is about taking risks, it is about dealing with issues and working through them together. It is not about keeping quiet and not making a fuss. Often church does not work because like the Emperor's New Clothes we are afraid to tell the truth. The church is not always the best at hearing criticism, and some of the criticism is not always delivered in a loving manner. However unless we speak with and listen to one another, and unless we pray and hear what God wants, then we can end up doing some very silly things.
What we really need to do is keep our eyes on Jesus, but that means that we need to keep our eyes on each other, and how we can love and serve one another, as Christ has loved and served us.
Tuesday 26 December 2006
Wednesday 13 December 2006
Variety is the spice of life
Ge 1:20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”
Ge 1:21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (NIV)
There is the saying that variety is the spice of life, but if you walk down any street, you will see that rather than variety you will have conformity. Look in clothes shops and you will find many adaptations of the same "now" style - whatever that currently is, but try and look for other things and you will struggle to find it. We may call if fashion or trends, but basically we are creatures of conformity. God though creates all sorts of wondrous creatures. God is a God of mountains and plains, all sorts of wonderful and different creatures, there is an amazing variety to creation.
There is also an amazing variety to humanity, we are all different and we work in different ways. One man's drink is another's poison, what works for one, will not necessarily work for another. God gives us a lot of freedom. There are no biblical passages specify particular worship style (though there are general principles it should be reverent and about God etc). There are no biblical passages about pews or seats or little knitted kneelers. However at various times the church has made up these rules. The service had to be in Latin, even though not even the priest can understand it. Today of course we do not do such silly things as that, we do other silly things instead.
We enforce conformity, because it gives us security. God works this way for us, and therefore it must be true for others. I have seen church leaders cause amazing problems trying to enforce what perhaps God was saying to them for them on others.
Paul wrote, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds." Rom 12v2 NIV
Meeting Jesus is about transformation, Jesus had a tendency to turn the world upside down, to embrace the leper and the unclean, to be tranformation. It is not about enforcing conformity, it is about finding freedom. A freedom to break free from conformity and discover who God created us to be, not in a selfish way or a way that damages other people, but one that can serve in the security of knowing that they are accepted, loved and precious.
God is a God of amazing variety, God's dream is of a church that can bring together different people and make them one, but still maintaining their own uniqueness and God created identity.
Ge 1:21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (NIV)
There is the saying that variety is the spice of life, but if you walk down any street, you will see that rather than variety you will have conformity. Look in clothes shops and you will find many adaptations of the same "now" style - whatever that currently is, but try and look for other things and you will struggle to find it. We may call if fashion or trends, but basically we are creatures of conformity. God though creates all sorts of wondrous creatures. God is a God of mountains and plains, all sorts of wonderful and different creatures, there is an amazing variety to creation.
There is also an amazing variety to humanity, we are all different and we work in different ways. One man's drink is another's poison, what works for one, will not necessarily work for another. God gives us a lot of freedom. There are no biblical passages specify particular worship style (though there are general principles it should be reverent and about God etc). There are no biblical passages about pews or seats or little knitted kneelers. However at various times the church has made up these rules. The service had to be in Latin, even though not even the priest can understand it. Today of course we do not do such silly things as that, we do other silly things instead.
We enforce conformity, because it gives us security. God works this way for us, and therefore it must be true for others. I have seen church leaders cause amazing problems trying to enforce what perhaps God was saying to them for them on others.
Paul wrote, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds." Rom 12v2 NIV
Meeting Jesus is about transformation, Jesus had a tendency to turn the world upside down, to embrace the leper and the unclean, to be tranformation. It is not about enforcing conformity, it is about finding freedom. A freedom to break free from conformity and discover who God created us to be, not in a selfish way or a way that damages other people, but one that can serve in the security of knowing that they are accepted, loved and precious.
God is a God of amazing variety, God's dream is of a church that can bring together different people and make them one, but still maintaining their own uniqueness and God created identity.
Tuesday 12 December 2006
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness," Gen 1v26
Before we move on something else struck me about Genesis Chapter 1. God makes man in his image, but that is plural, not God says "Let me make man in my image." but let "us make man in our image." God is not just one individual, God is a community.
Now that thought is a bit mind-blowing for us mere mortals, but God does not appear to have a problem with it. There is no multiple personality disorder in the Almighty, though at times when God the Father turns away from God the Son on the cross, the tensions are significant.
We live in a world that is fast fragmenting into its various tribes and cultural groups. The church has a tendency to do the same. We have churches full of old people and churches full of young people. We have black led churches and white churches. We are divided by worship styles and mission strategies, by biblical interpretations and traditons. Paul is emphatic,
Col 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (NIV)
God is community, that is a creative tension not a weakness. We need to be in community with people who we disagree with that we may grow. Surrounding ourselves with spiritual yes people, does us about the same amount of good that it does politicians. It may feel comfortable but we die.
We need churches that struggle together, that disagree, but still love and grow. The world needs acceptance, and if we cannot accept each other then others will not feel accepted in our midst. Acceptance is not about pretending that we agree, but about being open and honest about where we are, and loving each other all the same.
We are created in the image not of a singular diety but of a community. We need the humilty to say we disagree, but let us walk together and grow. To say if you don't like it leave, is not Christian. We are created in the image of community, and we need to seek as churches to be one, as God is one.
Now that thought is a bit mind-blowing for us mere mortals, but God does not appear to have a problem with it. There is no multiple personality disorder in the Almighty, though at times when God the Father turns away from God the Son on the cross, the tensions are significant.
We live in a world that is fast fragmenting into its various tribes and cultural groups. The church has a tendency to do the same. We have churches full of old people and churches full of young people. We have black led churches and white churches. We are divided by worship styles and mission strategies, by biblical interpretations and traditons. Paul is emphatic,
Col 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (NIV)
God is community, that is a creative tension not a weakness. We need to be in community with people who we disagree with that we may grow. Surrounding ourselves with spiritual yes people, does us about the same amount of good that it does politicians. It may feel comfortable but we die.
We need churches that struggle together, that disagree, but still love and grow. The world needs acceptance, and if we cannot accept each other then others will not feel accepted in our midst. Acceptance is not about pretending that we agree, but about being open and honest about where we are, and loving each other all the same.
We are created in the image not of a singular diety but of a community. We need the humilty to say we disagree, but let us walk together and grow. To say if you don't like it leave, is not Christian. We are created in the image of community, and we need to seek as churches to be one, as God is one.
Sunday 10 December 2006
In the beginning...
"In the beginning..." God's purposes in creation.
Rather than starting with a theological examination of what makes a church, I will start with a simple definition. People together with God equals church.
Mt 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV).
Church starts with people and God. Therefore the place to start is Genesis to see what God's orignal plan was.
We begin with nothing, an empty page, and God starts creating. Therefore what is here is here because God made it so, unless of course it has gone wrong since because of sin. However, very importantly God gives us a glimpse of the original, and it was good. God is a Deity with a purpose, He says let it be, and it is. The majestic power of God is emphasised, let there be light, and there is light. There was no light switch to flick to light the heavens, but God says let it happen and it happens.
During this people are made (male and female) in God's image, blessed and given a role to steward the earth. Humanity is given a place and a purpose under God.
God does it all in six days (ages/stages I'm not getting into that debate) and then sits down for a rest. Both work and rest are important in his character. This is no austere world, God does not create us with just the bare necessities for life, but gives far more. Food is not just some sludge but an array of plants (in Genesis 1 it is just plants). There is an extravagance, and even God sits down to enjoy it. God made the world and it was good.
God created us to enjoy good things. There is always the tension created by sin, as we will look at afterwards, but we need to keep sight of God creating us for good.
We sometimes have an idea of an austere mean God, but the most exuberant church building does not compare with the riches of God's creation. God wants people to be blessed with good things, that is the character of God, and part of the purpose of the church!
Rather than starting with a theological examination of what makes a church, I will start with a simple definition. People together with God equals church.
Mt 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV).
Church starts with people and God. Therefore the place to start is Genesis to see what God's orignal plan was.
We begin with nothing, an empty page, and God starts creating. Therefore what is here is here because God made it so, unless of course it has gone wrong since because of sin. However, very importantly God gives us a glimpse of the original, and it was good. God is a Deity with a purpose, He says let it be, and it is. The majestic power of God is emphasised, let there be light, and there is light. There was no light switch to flick to light the heavens, but God says let it happen and it happens.
During this people are made (male and female) in God's image, blessed and given a role to steward the earth. Humanity is given a place and a purpose under God.
God does it all in six days (ages/stages I'm not getting into that debate) and then sits down for a rest. Both work and rest are important in his character. This is no austere world, God does not create us with just the bare necessities for life, but gives far more. Food is not just some sludge but an array of plants (in Genesis 1 it is just plants). There is an extravagance, and even God sits down to enjoy it. God made the world and it was good.
God created us to enjoy good things. There is always the tension created by sin, as we will look at afterwards, but we need to keep sight of God creating us for good.
We sometimes have an idea of an austere mean God, but the most exuberant church building does not compare with the riches of God's creation. God wants people to be blessed with good things, that is the character of God, and part of the purpose of the church!
About this blog...
There are various reasons for wanting to start this blog. The biggest is that the subject of the church is something I have been particularly struggling and studying with for a number of years. The church today in the UK is struggling, and my conviction is that part of the problem is that we need to rediscover what God wants us to be as church.
I am a lay preacher, though I'm not preaching much at the moment, and it's time to do some serious study and thinking. Hopefully other people may find this useful, and could have some useful comments, but if all it becomes is a way of storing ideas that will be used in future sermons then that is okay.
I think this is something that God has put it on my heart to do, and the best way of testing that is to get out and do.
I am a lay preacher, though I'm not preaching much at the moment, and it's time to do some serious study and thinking. Hopefully other people may find this useful, and could have some useful comments, but if all it becomes is a way of storing ideas that will be used in future sermons then that is okay.
I think this is something that God has put it on my heart to do, and the best way of testing that is to get out and do.
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