funky doo

De-Christian doctrines

Some of the blogs I read with most fascination ( Phil Ritchie, Peter Kirk, Sam Norton) have recently had this meme - I haven't been directly tagged but the theme has set me thinking...so here's my thoughts for your perusal and comment. Not sure that they are particularly 'doctrines', maybe more observations but nonetheless areas of concern and with potential for devaluing the true Christian doctrines that we should be focused on.

5 Deeply De-Christian doctrines:

1. The belief that the person stood at the front is better/knows more/is more holy or in touch with God than everyone else sitting down.

2. The belief that a certain type of music is better or more worshipfull or gets us into the presence of God more effectively that other types of music - this applies across the board. My preference is more modern, contemporary worship songs...but that doesn't mean that worship cannot be done with organ. choir and music from the 15th century...obvious I know, but a permeating belief. Linked with this is the assumption of course that 'worship' is when we all sing together...

3. The belief that the 'church' will survive just so long as we don't compromise on our traditions and that everyone conforms to the way 'we' do things...wake up and smell the coffee.

4. The belief that there are some sins, particularly sexual sins which are worse than other sins and which take more work or repentance or time to be 'recovered' from. Perhaps if we truly treated sins such as lying, gossiping, jealousy and unfriendliness in the way they should be rather then making them culturally acceptable in our Christian communities we would have more of an impact on those living around us and watching our every move.

5. The belief that 'becoming a Christian' is the pinnacle of our human experience. We have lost the skill of discipleship in our Christian communities and we think that an Alpha/Emmaus 10 week course will get everyone sorted and 'believing'...we've gotta understand the long haul that is the journey ahead of us with hard people as well as those we love.

There you go - I tag paul trathen, jonny baker, mark berry, phil greig - everyone else I woulda tag already has been!

Letter from God

A Great clip and a great track - so many possibilities for discussion starters or to play during a service...there are some interesting theological debates to be had too, if you're brave!! popout

thoughts on Question Time

It's been interesting to read the responses to the Question Time controversy over the last week. I didn't watch it live as I was delivering Child Protection training in Havering Deanery on Thursday night. However, on the drive home there was some live commentary on 5Live particularly picking up on the issue of Mr Griffin's Holocaust denial. 

Some of the most helpful reviews and commentaries on the show itself have been for me:

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2009/10/bbc-commissions-nick-griffin-show.html

http://benedson.blogs.com/benedson/2009/10/nick-griffin---texts-of-terror---immigration.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/23/nick-griffin-question-time-audience

http://maggidawn.typepad.com/maggidawn/2009/10/nick-griffin-bnp-and-question-time.html (this post is particularly good for the comments discussion that follows)

My brother in law also summarised the feelings of many I know in his facebook status - asking how it is that Nick Griffin can call himself a Christian? Obviously many heinous crimes have been committed in the name of religion over the decades and centuries and continue to happen. However, for a man who states that Britain should only be for the indigenous British, it seems rather incongrous that he should say he religiously follows a dark skinned, apolitical, Jewish Arab criminal, whose followers, from non-white backgrounds brought the Christian faith to these shores.

Ultimately tho, it is not the usual audience of Question Time, nor the enhanced audience of Thursday night who are Mr Griffin and his cronies 'targets'. My guess - most of those who subscribe to the policies of BNP were not watching Question Time on Thursday, don't care what he said or did. Hopefully, if nothing else it will have shown Mr Griffin for the spineless and inconsistent bully and bigot that he is.

Education and Employment Champion - Job Opportunity

Langley House Trust

    Breaking the chain of re-offending

Education and Employment Champion

£27,877

Location: reporting to Maldon, Essex.

Langley House Trust is a national Christian charity specialising in providing at-risk marginalised groups, including those leaving prison, with accommodation, support and rehabilitation in a supportive Christian environment.

Do you have experience of developing partnerships with education, training and voluntary work providers? Could you interpret our mission in today’s society? Then this role offers challenge, variety and boundless job satisfaction.

Reporting to the Head of Housing Management at our Maldon, Essex offices, you’ll play a key role in helping our residents and other users realize their full potential by coordinating and developing a Trust-wide programme of training, education and voluntary work placements. You will coordinate and provide resources to allow our support workers to deliver initially the City & Guilds 3071 but in the future an extensive portfolio of other externally accredited training programmes. You will also act as our Internal Verifier, monitoring quality and effectiveness. Your other tasks will range from supporting Job Clubs and preparation for employment activities, building links with providers and creating a network of social opportunities for our users to providing colleges with the information they need. At all times you’ll be expected to promote continual improvement and develop a Christ-centred culture.

We are looking for a highly organised person who has excellent administrative skills but is able and willing to travel regularly to cover all our Trust sites. You will also be someone who can motivate and lead others.

You will be capable of developing a portfolio of opportunities that all our service users can access.  These will include a range of externally accredited qualifications, voluntary work placements and employment preparation courses. You will be able to develop appropriate resources that support staff can use to assist in the local delivery of programmes such as the City and Guilds 3071. Your appointment will be subject to a satisfactory CRB check.  This job could change your life. It will certainly change others for the better.

This is a key role which fully integrates the Christian values of the organisation by ensuring the spiritual ethos of the Trust is upheld and promoted in all our business.  The post holder will be a committed and practicing Christian with a passion for working to change the lives of those who have previously offended or who are at risk of offending.

If you wish to find out more or obtain an application pack please visit our website www.langleyhousetrust.org or call on 01993 705999 quoting reference CD/587. Closing date 28^th October 2009

ReSource course

The Resource course, looking at church planting, mission, leadership and much else besides starts in a couple of weeks. Some people from our Diocese received grant money to go on the course a couple of years ago and got a lot from it.

As it's a low budget course in terms of advertising and marketing, I post this link here to spread the word.

http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2009/10/resource-weekends-time-to-sign-up.html

Rob Bell - arch heretic? or reforming the face of evangelicalism?

Love him or hate him, Rob Bell certainly generates a reaction:

check out this link http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/10/performance-artist.html and read the link referenced in it to get the full context.

I was struck by something in the comments which mentioned some students who were given unnamed written teaching from a number of sources, Bell included and asked to critique it from a theological and Biblical standpoint...I wonder how often I (we) are guilty of accepting teaching based on who teaches it rather that looking at it carefully and critically against our own non-negotiables and interpretations...? Or is it the celebrity status of the book - or the easy read? - which wins us over?

Your thoughts?

small missional communities

This is where it's at...

http://inthebellyofthebigfish.blogspot.com/ 

Check out the series of blog posts on here around small missional communities...good stuff and helping us think right now...

eee, shut that door!

A few doors have been firmly closed today - not just closed but locked really!

At the risk of continuing to be a bit cryptic, I'm staying where I am and am pleased about it. Relieved too, as I know others are!

As for the nominations to the episcopate, there may be a Smith going in that direction (one step at a time, you understand!) but it ain't me!! Thanks for the encouragement though - I'll start stashing fairy liquid bottles for the white plastic supply. I hear priests are skint so cost saving methods are a sensible pattern to adopt!??

Andy has returned from his 100 mile cycle around Brighton and Eastbourne for Cherish Uganda and he and his team have almost raised their target £1000. If you fancy helping them inch a little closer click here. Me and M had a lovely day at Barleylands with fantastic sunshine and lots to do.

Just finishing off our Harvest Family service outline for tomorrow - using a whole heap of different things including Nooma (Rich), Desert Island Discs and Advent Conspiracy...should be good!!

unwittingly compared...

I follow a large number of blogs...on Google Reader, usually from those based across the pond or outside Essex, apart from a few (Paul, Sam, Elwin). Recently looked into some more local stuff to keep track of some interesting church politics and what is happening in the search for the new Bishop of Chelmsford.

So, this morning, on a bit of a whim, I made a comment on the Ugley Vicar blog which was asking for suggestions of names for possible candidates.

My comment:

my understanding, in the role I have, is that there are so many vacancies currently in Dioceses around the country that there will have to be new Bishops consecrated to fill all the gaps...so anyone is possible. I don't however think Chelmsford will get a 'new' Bishop as we are the second biggest Diocese in the country, but there might be some interesting shifting around of the current Bishops and Archdeacons...

And the response...

Richard Brown said...

Alice Smith for Bishop, now there's a thought. Well-known in the diocese (at least in my part of it), full of life and with lots of good ideas - a veritable John Sentamu! (I have heard it said that all dioceses in need of a Bishop want another John Sentamu).

Blimey - slightly hilarious on many fronts, I'm sure you'll agree!!....and requiring a large glass of wine this evening to calm myself down! However, nice to be part of the discussion and to have some response from someone who I have obviously met and who thinks I made some sense. Thank you Richard Brown, whoever you are!! Do let me know if you ever read this and I'll buy you a drink!

Back to the Merlot - BTW, I vote Tim Jones for Bishop, anywhere...one of my favourite people, an amazing leader, fantastically uniting, humbling, challenging, understanding of the spectrum of church tradition and not afraid to stand up for justice - see this example.

Evening Services at All Saints Maldon

Our friend Alex from Falcon Camp has been piloting a new format monthly evening service last term at All Saints in Maldon, which is continuing this term. My hubby was involved in helping with the sound etc and preached on one occasion.

The publicity and such info appear below - so please do spread the word, give it a go and let us have some feedback on here as Alex is a regular reader...!