Author Archives: frewen

“…as if I were a Christian!”

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One of my student said the other day while we were eating lunch. “I’m so tired to live as if I were a christian – and not as a christian!” The phrase struck me. It was really good. We were talking about all the strategies, methods and stuff we are facing. (I’m lecturer at a theological school – www.salt-sv.se) Sometimes these strategies and stuff is hindering us from living as Christians. The focus in all the strategies is how to evangelize or do mission. But seldom what the content of the mission should be. But the truth is that the strategies are a theology! There are no value free strategies. The question is – are they true to Christ or not? Growth has most often become the most important thing. But our task is not to sell coke as coca cola co. should sell coke – we have to incarnate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe is efficiency not a value taken from the gospel but from another story…

The christian life is sometimes getting so technical – we should do the right things to become successful instead of being a good person (understood in a christian way of course). The thing is that I think that the content and the strategies should be the same thing – DO-BE-DO – we should do what we are. And then reflect if we did what we should be… As an example – Jesus set demonized people free as an concrete example of the freedom of the Kingdom. He had done that, I’m sure, even if had not been successful because it was the content of the kingdom. He did reflect who he was.

I think we have to think through if all the methods, strategies, Mega Church techniques are a faithful way of living the Gospel in our specific context.

To lose someone close

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Sorry, but it was a while since i posted.

The summer has been quite turbulent for me. My father died in the middle of June. First I reacted very strongly – but then it has been quite okey. But now the last couple of weeks the lost of my father has come over me again – in another way. I really miss our conversations and his presence.
My father was just 61 years old – its not that old I think. He had a lot of friends and I come to realize that he was appreciated of many in the town were he lived. One of the question after the funeral was – who gonna be standing at my grave and say that my life meant something for them – will it just be the same kind of people as I am or will it be – as in my fathers case – people who he gave dignity because of the way he treated them. My father always took the poor and disadvantage side.

I often understand my life through the texts of U2 so also in this case. In the lyrics of “You can’t always make it on your own” (a text which doesn’t explain the our relationship very well in every aspect) there is a passage which is something like – “can you here me when I sing – cause your the reason that I sing.” I came to understand due to these lyrics that I will miss that my father was proud of what I did. My be it sounds ridiculous – but it is the way it is. I am an academic, he wasn’t but he was proud over what I accomplished and tried to understand the paper I wrote. His life was more down to earth – and I hope I will learn from that.

Peace – “the swede”!

I’m sick of all strategies!

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Now I’m really sick of strategies we are offered in different ways in church. I just want to live a life faithful to Christ.
I hope that Emergent thinking not goes in that direction. But I understand we need to think somethings through and get some organisation but I just want to live together with people who wanna explore the depths of life. And from my point of view I’m convinced we get it from Jesus Christ. Of course have other peoples experience something to teach us.
Emergent as I see it is not a new strategy but a new way of being, living and understand church. It is not a strategy which will guarantee success (another word which make me sick) – but a way to be true to Christ. One of my favorite theologians didn’t understood the thing with “saving souls” – for him the most important thing was to invite people to discipleship – which of course includes social justice, setting people free, witness, proclamation in order to get human beings in relationship with the lord.
That’s were I am right now!!!
So thank you Richard for charing your thoughts – I appreciate them.

Small is beautiful!

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I think that smallness of the church community is a necissity for quality in training of disciples of Jesus Christ. For a couple of days ago I spoked with an old friend of mine. He was brought up in one of the biggest freechurches in Sweden. He and his closest friends was really into the church – arranging things and were really in the centre. But now 15 years after that time – most of this bunch of friends is not part of any church. The church of their teenage years hadn´t train them for a dicsipleship that lasts the entire life. Sometimes I think that small is more excellent in managing to form young people spiritualy. But that is not because of its smallness but in what ways it use it smallness. Being small is certainly not a guarantee for “success”. But I think it is a better chance to form teenagers when smallness and quality in the pracitces of the church is partners. Please look into a church which is quit fascinating in this area – Solomon Porch – Peace!

Church as middle class!

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I did some really hurting experience the other day. It was a day of celebration since the spring is emerging in sweden – it is called “Valborgsmässoafton”. Almost everbody is out celebrating. We had a gathering in our church (with an extremely good band www.loneydear.com Train Master movies ) and I started to talk we a guy. He was about 40 years old. I asked him where he was working. He replied that i he was cleaning (you know putting everything at the right place…) at the university of Lund. There our conversation ended. I hade no more questions (he was a really quiet man – but anyway…) – my university education became a block between us. If he had been a engineer, socilogist or that kind – but he wasn´t. We really have a need for a church that is for cleaners. A church which like music that is not high-cultural. (1 Cor. 9:19ff)
Fredrik Wenell

What about the truth?!?!

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Recently I met an old friend of mine. I had not seen him for a long time. We were never on the same side in discussions. He had been over in the States for a couple of years and had been studying the philosophy of religion. (He is really a modernist with all that follows…) He has started a new project back in Sweden. It was about abortion (he probably met some from the moral majority) and he thought that the church was ready to give up about it – maybe thats true, so he felt he should go public with picture of children which had been aborted. First I thoought he was ironic but soon I realised he wasn´t. I think the question of abortion is too tough an issue to use that method of informing people. I think the problem is not that people do not know that stuff but that they think about it in other ways – in a theological language: They do not think like a “christian”. (of course you could reply what is thinking like a christian…let´s discuss!) The problem is not that people are stupid or dumb but that they have other criteria for judging what is true. They judge regarding to their worldview and what they think is true. I think that the truth is in Christ but I have to be humble when I meet other people and their “truths”. And you are certainly not humble if you use that method. First of all we have to live the faith and in this case to show another ways of dealing with our sexuality and taking care of our children in the christian community. The truth is a way of life not a statement or a picture! And people around us have different ways of life and I think we have to give people “the freedom of unbelief”.

Ps. For you englishmen – soon the World Championship in Icehockey starts! Enjoy! Ds.

Apathetic immigrant children and church unity

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Hi, you never forget your first time… Something from the Swedish front. It´s really interesting to recogise the unity of the church in Sweden at the moment. Almost every church from the official Swedish Lutheran church to the Pentecostal are participating in a huge “Easter Appeal” regarding immigrant children. The thing is that we have lots of children of immigrants who have become apathetic due to the time it takes to receive the permission to stay (or not to stay)in the country. This is not good for a country which regards itself as a human country… Churches of Sweden have reacted in relation to this together – maybe it will be several thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) who sign will this appeal. I really like this because when we have this real question – we see some kind of unity between the churches for the sake of humans!!! It gives me hope!