Feeling the way – incarnation

James helpfully reminded me of the nature of the incarnation (the word became flesh) as way to feel beyond the words that probably lead us to inhabit a dualist way of being. As I have reflected on this in the past few days all sorts of connections spark off. I am reminded of seasons when I have religiously practiced spiritual disciplines, or times when I practice raising my general awareness to keen my senses to God and just simple things like ensuring I read the whole bible every few years. I have often existed between the extremes of discipline and relaxation but never really lost a sense of connection. I also don’t seem to reach the point where I feel I need to return a discipline or do a read through, it just sort of happens. This connection is not generated or sustained by the disciplines, nor does it wane over time. It is a relationship that is as much about presence as absence, as it is an experience of the swimming in the ether of the incarnation in every encounter, conversation, tree, leaf or young person.

“To indwell a story is to live so much within its framework that we are not so conscious of the story as of what the story allows us to see”

“Naming the Elephant” by James W Sir HT to Youthblog ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ????

BCYM community week

I have just got back from a few days with the students where we explored the theme “community is a natural by product of people heading in the same direction” (Rohr) we incorporated silence throughout the week and build the length of time of silence up over the few days. It was real privilege to be with the students and particularly to give out the JNC certificates to the third years. There was a real sense of a growing missional community centred on serving young people, children and families. It was simply great just to be around these people – Thanks if any of you are reading this.

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Shalom Greenbelt

Just back from the Shalom conference and Greenbelt. Two places where I hung out with like minded people and was able to wonder out loud about thoughts and ideas around mission and god without people stucking in a loud mouthful of air like a builder does when you ask how much it is going to cost?

Didn’t really hear that much new at GB but through chatting with friend got some good conversations going that began to stretch the old gray cells. In particular how many of the arguments made are based on the same old dualist assumptions and around reconciling this rather than starting from a more unified worldview and the impact this has on who and how we are.

Missional communities

I have been reading Richard Rohr on Simplicity

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and he discusses how community happens as people head in the same direction.
The concept of community has always been important to me since reading the early days of David Watson, Keith Green and many others where community living often seemed to be connected to significant moves of God. In my work I have often been at fault of trying to encourage community and in the process stifle it (something Rohr discusses). As I look back at times when I have moving in the same direction with others there has been a real sense of community but without the communal living sense. Still now even years later I know there still people dotted around the world (an extended community) who although I may not have seen in years I would be confident of seeking out if I needed help, I would have no qualms about turning up on their dorstep at 2am. This includes some of the young people who maybe would be seen as the receipents of mission, but were in effect co-creators of community. FYT has always been another part of this extended missional community as we follow the missio dei.

The direction we were heading together was always missional, and this sense of community extends to people who even though I was not working directly alongside were heading in a simular missional direction working on the other side of the country but who I would still count on. Before I was employed by FYt this was how they fitted, but in reality the relationship sense of community has not changed, I just see them more often.

For most of the times whilst I was in these extended missional communities I was in a church, but there isnt anyone from those friends I would be so confident of dropping in on drunk or in need. As I reflect I wonder if this because the churches never had a real missional DNA, (they had other priorities and diversity of directions to travel in) and was my community the by product of following the missio dei (heading in the same direction). Perhaps our extended missional community was church as it was intended to be?

Even now I have people around me who are following the missio dei and all the time new people are added into this extended missional community my hope is that they too may feel confident to drop in me unexpectedly or to ask for help in needed.

still here

Life has been difficult over the past few months with personal issues (three weeks in Spain with my sister Angie who was ill and passed away last week) and work issues (with the challeneges of the recession hitting charitable giving) but I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.She Hate Me buy

Shrove Tuesday

In the madness that was yesterday I ended up with missing two meals, which actually served me well as I often fail to prepare as approach Lent. It reminded me of the approaching time and the need for discipline in fasting, appropriatly and purposefully. So this is my gentle reminder to myself as i approach the season to SORT IT OUT!!

credit crunch, the resurection and change

One observation I have on the current situation with the banking system and governments propping up of credit etc, is how anti the ethos of the market economy it is. For years after the fall of the Berlin wall and demise of eastern european communism the free market was heralded as the way ahead. The collapse of one overarching system was trumpeted as the vindication for the market economy. People started to look to the free market, free trade as the way ahead for social ills, and the way out for global poverty and oppression. Introducing competive trade would help the world move on.

Now we see the collapse of this meta narrative. Those who extolled the market dont really practice what they preach. In the real market economy/free economy they would just let the banks that couldn’t survive go to the wall. Sure this would affect millions of individuals but why not aline your actions and follow your beliefs.

Maybe they never really belived in the market system, but it was just a convient excuse for making money and keeping the poor, poor, the rich, rich and the powerful, powerful! Maybe propping up the system has nothing to do with the millions of individuals but simply heads off the real change that comes though dying so something new and different can grow. It certainly seems the current process will keep the rich, rich, the powerful powerful and just make the poor poorer.

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New Year

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Been wanting to post something for a few days but unsure of myself and what I was up to, where I was and how I was. I had a great break over Christmas, and it was good to see the new year in with friends at our roadsign party. Today we went down to the beach for a short walk. On the journey down we were chatting about the letting go and letting God kind of thing, balloon metaphors ect. It struck me that often we are to let go of stuff for a time and not for ever, maybe like a message in a bottle to God who will take it out on the tide but bring it back at the right time.

May the Lord of the tides, who has navigated the seas of human emotions,
Help us know your time and your way.
Hold us afloat, in our inner being and walk with us on the path of life.

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