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!

what's new??

Silence has descended here on funky doo for a wee while because - well, I haven't felt too funky!!

2 weeks ago tomorrow, I managed to injure my back and have been struggling with mobility, pain and general frustration ever since. Without going into all the horrendous details, the main trigger was just pure and simple parenting...putting M into her buggy at the park, twisting and bending at the same time to sling her shoes into the basket at the bottom and.....owwww!

I laid out for a couple of days, had the doctor over when it wouldn't go away, got some Valium (which was nice and soothing!) and thought it would all go away in a couple of days....ha ha ha ha!

I just got back driving today, 13 days later. I have had to cancel a lot of work commitments because I couldn't get there or even if I could, I wouldn't have been able to set up/speak/present/stand to do what I had to do...I never cancel, well not for something like this where I am perfectly well apart from being unable to get up or sit down!

In my time at home, I have been trying to do useful things, which aren't the usual every day things like hoovering and dishwasher-undoing!! That was impossible...but I have been making a claim for my stolen bag a few weeks ago now, getting ahead on some Falcon Camp preparation, lots of admin although haven't tackled the filing tray as that would involve bending! I did get to the Bradwell Pilgrimage on Saturday (Independence Day!) which I was pleased about as I have spent the last year on the planning committee, doing the website and publicity and was coordinating the Youth Zone on the day. In the end, it was more low key than I had imagined but that was probably good for me and everyone else, as it pretty much ran itself and I could observe and heckle from the sidelines!! I was so grateful for Stuart from Bar n Bus Trust and Jamie from Legacy Rayleigh who brought along their equipment and to the brilliant youth workers and volunteers who served that day in the blazing heat!! Phil, Dave, Lucy, Donna, Megan, Shaun, Lewis, Lee and John...thanks a million!!

This week has been slightly better as I have improved each day. Tuesday was a bit of a '2 steps forward, 1 step back' as I woke up in a lot more pain having overdone it on Monday. Tuesday I had to cancel everything in my diary and felt very yucky, upping the painkillers again and feeling generally 'hemmed in' from lack of interaction and activity outside the house. Yesterday, Wednesday, I went out to Suffolk (with AP as my chauffeur!) to the Eastern Region of Diocesan Youth Officer's meeting and lunch, which was very nice. I didn't feel too uncomfortable sitting in the car or at the table so that was an achievement and it was good to catch up with everyone and ease myself back in a little. A wide ranging conversation at Elveden Estate (yummy Chicken Ceaser Salad!) included issues around participation, the new Youth and Children's National Strategy, the Church of England Youth Council and a round up of what is going on in each Diocese and a chance to pray for one another.

So today, I finally feel almost pain free, just needing a couple of Nurofen at lunch time. I feel blessed in many ways to have been forced to slow down. God has his ways of making us hear him when all we seem to be doing is just 'getting on with it'. (Those Kairos moments - LifeShapes Circle! I'm learning!) I hadn't really stopped since half term and looking back at my diary, I had only had 1 weekend off since February, apart from the weekends we were travelling to our holiday. I was initially so frustrated that a weekend off had turned into a weekend of pain and being stuck in bed, but once I accepted it, I have enjoyed some solitude and silence, time on my own which I am not always good at, a chance to read and particularly to continue my reflections on my time in Sheffield, on the LifeShapes and The Order of Mission (TOM). I have been writing some posts on all this and keep thinking they are about ready to publish, but they are not quite!! Watch this space.

Other highlights of the last few weeks have been Andy's cooking of which there has been a lot more (lovely fresh stir fry's and flavoursome marinated meats!!), speaking to lovely Emily King on the phone in Tennessee (who also directed me to this website). We miss them both heaps and hope to see them again in 2011 sometime...that's the plan! Also a very funny night with our Giraffe group on Sunday involving cometitive Jenga competitions and a domino rally too!

As well as that, Hubby and I have had more time to talk, we haven't had to schedule 'money evenings' or date nights as normal because I've been here more and that has been really nice. We will be making sure that when we're at Soul Survivor B in a few weeks time that we are disciplined about having our mornings together when M is at her kids group...praying, talking, chatting over a cuppa and going to teaching. We have a lot to process at the mo - not just the TOM stuff but also planning ahead for youth in the autumn term and dreaming and scheming!

So, I'll sign off for now and go and get my daughter from her childminder - a small thing, but I haven't done that for nearly 3 weeks and it's such a precious thing...seeing her excitement at telling me what she has done at Kiko's and talking and singing on the way home.

Have a great evening! xx

ho ho hootenanny!

hi! it's been a while but Christmas is my excuse!! I am sitting here, at home, alone while Andy is out and aboutwith Matilda at the sales and doing a few other jobs. I am peopled out! This season seems to have gone on for a long while - beginning with Matilda's 2nd birthday back in the wilds of December and continuing with visits to Surrey, flights to Newcastle, then Durham, Washington and back home again. We then had people for dinner every night between Sunday and last night(Friday)...phew! We did manage to get rid of most of the 'bad' food yesterday at our OPen House which makes today a start the diet day...

Enough of that! The new year of work now beckons and it's starting to loom large. I have plans, big plans, to change lots of things, do things better and differently and be more efficient. I could share them with you here...but I haven't quite formulated it all yet...I have cleared my white board tho, so that's a start!

I was instant chatting on Facebook with my friend Phil, a student pastor out in the States and he has just started a new blog www.youthworktalk.com. He's keen to hear feedback and to interact with readers, so do take a look and join the conversation!

That's all for now - I am going to make the most of my alone time and do something different that computering...so Happy New Year and talk soon!

Starbucks Church

Todd Bentley, Florida revival?

I've been tuning in on and off recently to God TV and watching the meetings led by Todd Bentley...in the surface, some amazing healings, words of knowledge and incredible sense of outpouring of the Holy Spirit. People have been boarding planes and heading out there, similar to scenes during the Toronto Revival in the 90's.

I've felt the Spirit of God undoubtedly through watching these meetings at a distance, particularly as you hear people's testimony and see them healed...questions about medical authentication are rising up in different places but it's a little early to dismiss everything Todd is doing on account of that.

Have a look at what other people are saying about these meetings...

Connexion

Mark Byron

The thing that particularly strikes me about what I'm seeing is that God appears to be moving in a practical and demonstrative way and changing people circumstances in front of our eyes. With Toronto, the focus seemed to be on refreshing and being soaked in the presence of God, and I know people who got addicted to that experience but it didn't seem to have any marked difference on their lives as time went on. With the current focus on Hope '08, servant evangelism, social action and community impact, we need to embrace aspects of such a move of God which empowers people to do His will more effectively in their worlds - and if they are healed and better able to do that, surely it is something we should rejoice about?

My wise pastor SUsie spoke at our church about it today and I believe her main concern is that we know about this outpouring, that we pray to God for Him to show us more and we believe that God will change and move us on when He reveals himself more fully to us...God wants us to know Him more...

It's been exciting to watch Todd Bentley coupled with today's live broadcasting of Global Day of Prayer, worldwide coverage all day on God TV again...really amazing to join with millions of other Christians to pray for our nations. As I was sitting in my lounge with a poorly Matilda and feeling a bit hot and bothered with the heat wave (!) I sensed again a move of the Spirit in my own self, a tingling, an awareness and sense of God being 'just there'. Particularly when Wendy Alec was praying for our nation, little, tiny Britain who sent missionaries across the world and had amazing revevalists like the Wesley's and Smith Wigglesworth and others...now we need missionaries to come to us.

Restore, O Lord, the honour of your name in our land.

birthday thanks

Make a Smilebox free ecard

spring clean and new stuff

Have had a bit of a redesign today - new colours, columns and layout, just to ring the changes. Not procrastinating at all!!

Also updated my list of blogs I like - have been reading some new blogs recently and now I feel I've got the measure of them, I can add them to the list which means you can see what you think too...

Thinking too a little more about what I wrote yesterday with regard to my new reading in Mormonism and theology - wondering whether to book for the Reachout Conference this November...and continuing to explore some online writing around contemporary Mormon culture and thinking, particularly amongst young people and ex Mormons. 

So, overall, a day for tying up some loose ends and getting ready for our trip to Yorkshire tomorrow...will be back Friday and will post then (promise!)

a life of privilege

Directed to this exercise by Paul Trathen, my colleague on the Area team.
From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Indiana State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

(text below copied from Step into Social Class 2.0: A Social Class Awareness Experience. Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka, Indiana State University, © 2008)

Bold the true statements.

1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college.
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is or was an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school.
17. Went to summer camp.
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

I have 11 out of 34 from that list…. I realise what a life of privilege I have had - even though I 'scored' less than both Paul and his original link Dennis. Dennis' comment is very true, that even answering any 'yes' indicates the obligation we have to do something with the benefits and privileges we have had.

He continues. "It is a reminder that we should be working to break down some of the barriers to other's success rather than bemoaning the fact that so many people don't get up and make something of their life. Perhaps they need a few early breaks, too, like so many of us were lucky enough to receive."

This is particularly true within work with young people - being at meetings today with a church considering a full time volunteer shows how much 'time' is needed to invest in young lives which sadly the congregation and clergy are not able to give - not through fault of their own but because of the pressures placed on them by the 'church' and their 'status'. Their privilege of being able to study & get a job, has also led to a seperation from the real world to some extent - that goes for all of us. We live in a little bubble, think we're hard done by and think that is an excuse to keep things as they are.

My thoughts are somewhat invaded by my daughter who is teething and crying almost constantly tonight, so I hope you don't mind me signing off to see to her. Blessings all...

4+1

There's been an interesting series of 'interviews' done by Finker on his blog (see him under 'blogs I like') which are formed of a series of 4 questions,(to blog or not to blog?, yes Jesus or no Jesus?, future or present?, maldives or metropolis?) with a follow up 5th question unique to the individual and reflecting on their answers so far. Maggi Dawn, who is also on 'blogs I like' is the latest catch and she has some amazingly pertinent things to say. Read it here
I'll just copy in a bit of what she wrote because it gave me tingles...just summing up so much of my and many other's thoughts as to who Jesus is...confusion, love, adoration, frustration...
2. yes Jesus or no Jesus?
Well, mostly yes. There are times when I've wondered whether there is no God, but it's pretty hard to dispute that Jesus was real, historically speaking, and that he had a profound impact on those around him. I think there are plenty of arguments you can have around the edge, and there are times when you feel like saying "no I won't" or "no I can't" to the demands Jesus made. But if he was here, right now, I think he'd be the kind of individual I'd find it very hard to say "no" to. A man of total integrity and passionate commitment to his cause, he showed deep love to his friends, loved life, smelt the flowers, spent plenty of time by the sea shore and walking up mountains, dined out a lot and hung out with all sorts of people - rich, poor, posh, clever, ill, faithful, hard working, dreamy, practical, imaginative...