worship, discipleship and summer camps

Posted on August 21, 2013 by 1urcher

My son had a brilliant time at the Scripture Union Camp he attended last week. I think he had a fabulous week at New Wine in Newark the week before when we camped together. Both events had teams of committed and amazing Christians giving their time to nurture and disciple young Christians through activities, games, bible study and worship. Many evangelical and catholic Christian festivals do amazing children’s and youth work, and their volunteers and staff should be saluted for it. I have noticed that each year we have returned from New Wine, his faith has been honed a little bit more, and I am so thankful for that.

Weeks away do enable children and adults to grow. I reckon that the growth occurs usually because work is done in the home and the church all year around. Families are the basic unit for Christian discipleship. Therefore each year, I attend New Wine, I am reminded afresh of my duty to introduce my son to my faith, to so demonstrate it that he will be attracted through my life to the one alone holds the keys to the universe, Jesus the Christ.

Thank you Scripture Union

Thank you New Wine

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Sabbatical Musings 9: Stories that shape us

Posted on August 20, 2013 by 1urcher

In the past couple of days, I have watched two films. A Song for Marion and Grow Your Own. They were both moving. I think they were well acted. One is about coming to terms with loss, and the other might be about identity and discovering who you are. I am not a film critic, so you will inevitably have different views of what you like and do not like.

I was recommended both films after conversations concerning the socio-economic period that the UK currently finds itself in. I made the comment that the recession of the late 1970s/1980s, there was satire and comedy that provided a light along the way. Spitting Image was a particular favourite of mine. The Thatcher Cabinet were turned into boggarts (h/t the Harry Potter series) by the programme and made to look ridiculous. An example can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jINZBOxdja8. To Spitting Image, there was Auf Wiedersehn, Pet; Boys from the Black Stuff and later films like The Full Monty and Brassed Off. Cathy, Come Home and Kes were earlier examples of films that made social comment. Where I wondered (in the conversations) were films that spoke about today’s austerity. There are some; and indeed Radio is sometimes likely to make social comment more immediately than other media. The Radio 4 6:30pm slot is a good example, from Rory Bremner to The Now Show. I suppose social network sites like Twitter have also a part to play.

Into all this, comes my own particular ‘hobby horse’ at present; how do we tell afresh the stories of the Bible. The Bible is used in churches and faith communities in many and various ways.

In a number of conversations; I have been asked; why do I want people to read the Bible? This is a legitimate question.

First, it contains the story for Christians. It is a chronicle of the beginnings of our faith. I would admit it is not the whole story, but perhaps the most pertinent parts.

Second, if, as Christians, we want to tell our story to the world around us, we need to engage with our text. This is why I am keen on developing our connections with the drama of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and to see ourselves as part of the story.

Third, for me the story of the Bible has been tremendously liberative. Study of the scriptures without doubt changed my life. This is in part because theology was my chosen route into Higher Education. I would have to say – and this is a political comment – I would not have gone had participation in university led to personal debt. Education for me is a basic human right. In part though, study of the scriptures has been life-changing because it makes sense of the world in which we live.

Fourth – and finally – it is the life affirming and meaning making narrative against which all lives can blossom.

Introducing Scripture is therefore an evangelistic imperative: for no one can truly read the texts withough having to answer a number of questions, the chief of which is: how do I follow Jesus as Lord today.

Having said that I leave myself open to the charge of a bible within a bible: the Jesus story being the most important. It is a golden thread, but it is only so because it fits within the wider story of God working within his world.

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Sabbatical Musings 8: Chaos in the midst of sanitised order

Posted on August 17, 2013 by 1urcher

I have always had a thing about chaos. I am not a good person to be with if you want life compartmentalised or indeed if you need things tidy. I do not necessarily think that this is a problem. Some people are ordered; and others are not. I happen to fall into the category of those who are not. I well remember going into an OT professor’s study, and seeing him just above a pile of books. The professor knew where everything was, and people just left him to it. Sadly, I am not as prolific an author as him: one day, perhaps…

In July, I spoke at two conferences; one of them at the Urban Theology Unit was gloriously chaotic: speakers shifted around (I was one of the speakers whose session was moved), venue not quite ready. The other was the British and Irish Association of Practical Theologians, which was superbly organised. For no apparent reason, I found the UTU slightly chaotic conference more helpful. For me, fluidity can help wondering to happen.

This is because for me: the slightly chaotic allows creativity to thrive. I hasten to add that this is true for me, and others blossom with order. I will always have several books on the go; which all end up read – eventually. I have picture of what my allotment will look like – and it is getting there.

Theologically, order has more going for it, I suppose. The opening chapter of Genesis seems to be about the creator imposing order on chaos. In the Gospels, Jesus’ miracles are often seen as a triumph of order over chaos. I think this can be evidenced in the nature miracles (walking on the water, stilling the storm et al).

As always that is one side of the story: inherent in the Christian tradition is a God who is playful and creative. I do think play and creativity can be ordered and boundaried; however it is not always the case. Just as my lurchers run for sheer pleasure, God is creative because he delights to be. God does not need to play, just chooses to be so.

This is not really a justification for disorganisation, but is a pointer to allowing disorder at times. I have some chinese vegetables growing in my allotment. They have been surrounded by weeds and other plants for the last couple of months. They vegetables are not almost ready to eat. Sometimes chaos creates the right environment, just as much, perhaps, as order. Be creative and chaoatic. It is not going to hurt, for once 🙂

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Sabbatical Musings 7: Orienteering around the Bible

Posted on August 17, 2013 by 1urcher

I referred recently to the fact that the Bible should not be seen as some sort of divine satnav, but rather as a means of orientating one’s life. This is a big claim for a multitude of reasons.

Many Christians do use the Bible as some sort of satnav. The problem is that the Bible, like many older satnavs, is not designed to respond to some of the specific choices we have to make as Christians living in the 21st Century. Let me explain. My slightly older satnav was helping me navigate from Newark to Nottingham. It wanted me to turn right off the main road. Unfortunately for me and it, the right hand turn had been taken away during upgrading to the main road. As a result, the satnav encouraged me to go round and round in circles until I uttered some unvicarly words, and turned it off. I actually got there in the end by using an old-fashioned map.

Maps do not work on the same principle as satnavs. It is true that when I use my old map on Exmoor in October, there have been certain additions, but the contours, the overall shape will not changed and I am still able to follow the map with relative ease. It helps that I have learnt to read maps and can now with little effor find where I am on the map from the terrain in front of me. However, I know from experience that margins for error are quite small.

You can for example be a degree out when using a compass at the beginning of the journey, and walk within visible distance of your intended journey at the outset, but within, say, 5 miles, you will be at a completely different point.

Similarly, with the scriptures, we do need to know them in order to orientate our life from them. If we do not have sufficient knowledge, we will, I think, have to use them like a satnav or as some sort of divine slotmachine. The problem when we do that is that the scriptures can become unsatisfactory. They do not appear to answer the questions posed and its supposed dictates rankle against modern life.

You see the Bible is not meant to be used in isolation, but in and out of a relationship with a loving God. It is that relationship that helps orientate us to understand what is revealed of the divine-self in our holy texts.

This is indeed a subject to which I will return.

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allotment days

Posted on August 17, 2013 by 1urcher

I am about to go to the allotment.

I know this is not earth shattering news. It is damp in Brum, and there are no doubts that I will interrupt a slug fest

There is little doubt that food tastes better when you have grown it yourself. At least, I believe that to be true. Others might beg to differ. It is interesting the variety of shapes that vegetables come in. They are not always as neat as presented in supermarkets. Allotment people do not reject misshapen carrots or spuds. There could be a lesson for life there.

On an allotment people muck in together. We borrow and lend. We share. We learn how to work with nature rather than against it.

In my 18 months as an allotment plotholder, I have learnt that nature can change the rules. It does so because it can. Nature makes the rules, and no amount of bellyaching from me can change that.

Allotment days for me are happy days.

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Sabbatical Musings 6: Where do we find beauty?

Posted on August 14, 2013 by 1urcher

I am an urbanite. I have lived in the following places: Sheffield, London (Bermondsey, then Earlsfield), Newcastle, Gateshead, Manchester, London (North Kensington, Pinner, Shepherd’s Bush), Cheltenham, Birmingham, Gloucester, Maryport and Birmingham. Apart from Maryport, which was still urban, all have been urban spralls; and usually estates.

I have been walking with Samwise today through the Malverns. It was stunningly beautiful. During this just over a month of sabbatical I have learnt to appreciate beauty much more. This is partly because I have taken time to stop.

I have appreciated the stunning sunsets over Bartley Green, especially over the allotment. I have taken it the beauty of the Solway and the North Devon Coastal Path; even the beauty of the camp fire smells at New Wine.

I need to work harder at seeing beauty in the urban. Perhaps we have a propensity to see beauty when we are on holiday, or living life at a slower pace.

I need to commit myself to photographing urban beauty or beauty in the urban. When I have done so, I will blog some more.

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Sabbatical Musings: Sanitising God

Posted on August 14, 2013 by 1urcher

It has been a privilege to listen to Radio 4 this week after The World at One (1:45pm), where for 15 minutes there has been an examination of one of the prophets. Monday was Jonah, Tuesday Isaiah and today (Wednesday 14 August) Elijah. Tomorrow is devoted to Miriam the Prophet, which will be interesting, and lastly (Friday) Samuel, who was both confidante and critic of those in government. If you have not listened then perhaps you might like to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0383kxs/episodes/player. The episodes are supposedly available to listen to for a calendar year.

One of the comments from today concerning Elijah struck a chord as I drove through the Malverns. The person being interviewed (a Rabbi from Israel) said that Elijah was given a make-over within the Jewish tradition: softened a little. It is he who is now left a chair with a glass of something to drink at the Passover, and the invited guest for celebrations. The wild man of 1 Kings has been through a Jewish equivalent of ‘colour me beautiful’. The rabbi amused me by saying that he had become ‘santa claus’.

It is easy to see why a makeover was necessary. Elijah did, after all, kill the false prophets of ba’al after challenging them to show down.

The question that I found myself asking as Worcester appeared on the horizon and on the M5 was ‘do we sanitise God’, ‘make God more palatable’? I think sometimes the church does do so. It perhaps easy to understand why. God is after all quite demanding.

A scholar interviewed during the programme, however, offered the following caveat. Elijah had to be direct. Israel was following other gods and needed to be rebuked.

I wonder whether we need to rediscover the God who demands everything of us. Perhaps only a God who can speak so directly to us is worth following at the end of the day.

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sabbatical musings 5: purpose of the bible

Posted on August 14, 2013 by 1urcher

David Cameron has hit the headlines once more: the Bible, he says, is a pretty useful ‘handbook for life’. This has caused some consternation to commentators, whether they have a faith or not. Such a reaction is probably heightened in the UK because in the main, politicians are not supposed to do ‘God’.

The Prime Minister falls into a trap common of many believers: assuming that the Bible is a some sort of manual for living. However, just because it is a common understanding does not make it true. The Christian scriptures are not to be taken, I would suggest, as some sort of holy satnav giving directions for 21st Century living; rather the books of the Bible collectively offer an orientation that can create a different way of looking at the world. There might not seem to be too much difference between a manual and orientation, except the Bible, as the inspired word of God, opens up the possibility of a different way of life and of living. This is something I will post more about over the coming weekend. Such a possibility is not set in stone (smile); but one that offers contours for life’s journey. It is only by engaging with these texts that we will know how to discern what God is saying to us as different points in our journey unfold.

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sabbatical musings: the holy art of listening

Posted on August 13, 2013 by 1urcher

Sabbaticals are a courageous act of generosity on the part of the giver, in my case the Diocese of Birmingham, and my bishop.

Sabbaticals for the recipient are therefore gracious space to meet with God, others, and to be rediscover oneself.

I have discovered (rediscovered) that being listened to is sacred space. Listening makes the hearer and the person being listened to more fully embrace their humanity.

Perhaps that was why God became human (at least partially) to give us the keys of becoming human again.

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sabbatical musings 4: Bible Conversation 1

Posted on August 10, 2013 by 1urcher

I made it one of my goals during my sabbatical to spend some time looking at how the Bible is (or could be) used in our urban communities: sites.google.com/site/stmichaelbartleygreen/calendar/what-s-on/revddrkevinellissabbatical

I thought it might be good to reflect on what I have learnt so far. First, I have met some fantastic people from directors of ministry, bishops, academics and ordinary clergy who are in reality quite brilliant.

In the course of the sabbatical, I want to float some of what I find. The first area revolves around the fact that we live in a time when the Bible is accessible and unread. It is accessible. There are a wide-variety of translations (both print and media). For those who do not read, there are audio-tapes available from a number of sources, including the Bible Society’s You’ve Got The Time, which deserves a hat-tip for helping to re-introduce the Bible to those who might be expected to use it: www.biblesociety.org.uk/about-bible-society/our-work/youve-got-the-time/.

The Bible is also unread. We know from national surveys that Christians in general do not read the bible habitually as a matter of routine. We also know that Christians find the Bible difficult and hard to relate to everyday life. This would seem to suggest that licensed preachers struggle to connect the Bible with 21st Century living. There are initiatives that seek to address this in urban contexts. Groups like Unlock (formerly the Evangelical Urban Training Project www.unlock-urban.org.uk) and the Urban Theology Unit (www.utusheffield.org.uk) have been pivotal in trying to relate text to context; each organisation in different ways building on contextual or liberation theology. I will in a later blog suggest that such approaches struggle today because people no longer know the stories of the bible which are the basic ingrediants of the liberational task. I am aware of other groups like Urban Expression and Eden also engaging with the scriptures.

I wonder though whether a more pertinant reason for lack of engagement with the scriptures is not a paucity of time or a fear of irrelevance, but that the such wrestling presupposes discipleship; and in general terms, discipleship is not a fashionable word. One of the major works on practical theology of late contained the following remark, which I paraphrase. We used to talk about sitting under the authority of scripture, but such thoughts often led to abuse because of particular interpretations of the text. This is of course a statement that carries truth. It is also true, I think, that sitting under the scriptures leaves us open to be challenged about how we live, and as a society, and church, we have grown accustomed to having our own way.

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