iGod

The need of another 'Jesus Movement'

An interesting post today from Charismatica. It refers to an article in Charisma by J. Lee Grady who talks about the power of the Jesus Movement of the 70s. For those not in the know, this was a movement that broke out in Southern California and affected 100s of thousands of teenagers. For us in the Vineyard movement and other movements like Calvary Chapel it is a significant part of our cultural history. Here is an extract:

"The Jesus movement was primarily focused on—surprise!—Jesus. Theology was not complicated, pastors weren’t trying to be hip or sophisticated or tech-savvy; and we hadn’t yet created a Christian subculture with its own celebrities and political power bases.… In my travels this past year I’ve been horrified to learn that many Spirit-filled believers have given up the discipline of reading their Bibles even semi-regularly.

They prefer a steady diet of culturally relevant, fast-paced, techno-theology that is a poor substitute for discipleship.Many charismatics have developed the attitude that a simple focus on Christ isn’t enough.

We’d rather go to a “prophetic encounter” to hear what Obama’s chances are in 2012, or experience some exotic spiritual manifestation (gold dust, gems falling out of the ceiling), or ask Rev. Flash-in-the-Pan to pray for us for the sixteenth time so we can receive yet another “special anointing” that we will probably never use.

In the midst of all this charismatic gobbledygook, where is Jesus? Am I the only one out there who is weary of this distraction?"

I do wonder with the plethora of pop theology books currently out whether he has a point.

If some authors and specialists are to taken at their word, it almost seems degrees in sociology and pyschology are required before a degree in theology.

This week in HOME group we sang the Matt Redman song, The Heart of Worship, which that has those lines: "I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you, all about you, Jesus."

He goes on to write: "I'm sorry for thing I have made it, when it's all about you, all about you Jesus."

His words are simple. The sentiment is simple. But I find there is often, at least with me, also a need to repent of what I have made worship, ministry and theology sometimes. For my money, I think Matt has got it absolutely right.

I have a close friend who says essentially there are two types of people: engineers and mathematicians.  Engineers, he says, like complexity, while mathematicians like simplicty.

The engineer will get frustrated with a simple spirtuality of theology of others, while the mathematician will complain that some things are unnecessarily complicated and a distraction to ministry and living a full life in Christ.

Yet in the the Kingdom, I believe we need to hold those two in tension. At one level the gospel is easy to understand, while on the other hand there is no doubt that some doctrine is tricky to get our heads around. Now that is not denying the role of the Holy Spirit to bring revelation, but we have to be honest with ourselves here.

I know some people would happily go back to those heady of the continued renewal services, while others are happy to push on and do more culturally focussed ministry. I wonder if we can't learn to live with the desire for both. Much food for thought, indeed!

ASD

 

The language of the Church

I have been around the block a bit and discovered that we love coming up with new ways to say old things. Carl Medearis in his excellent blog talks about the good and bad connotations of words such as Christian and Church.

As someone who has spent a good part of my other life at looking at companies' brand I am always having to ask people 'what does your name stand for?' What do you think is people's perception of you?'

A little while back I had the privilege of working with a youth movement called Crusaders who brought me in to look at their brand. When Crusaders started life through the missionary Albert Kestin back in 1900 it's name was not seen as contentious, but UK society has changed and nearly 1 in 5 of us are now immigrants. That includes many from Middle Eastern backgrounds. So the Crusaders naturally drums up all sorts of unhelpful strange images of a Christan youth movement. Not good, so today they are called Urban Saints.

The trouble with words is that are not just descriptors, they can have many meanings. Carl is right when he says for some "Christian" can mean "I’m a right-wing fundamentalist who doesn’t like Gays and am anti-choice and anti-women and anti-progress, because I’m stuck living in my own private reality of 1950’s...”

So It is helpful to find ways to say what we are and what we aren't to remove some of the obstacles of finding faith in God.

To be called a "follower of Jesus" is not a bad place to start. To borrow from the marketing school of Ronseal, it does exactly was it says on the tin.

ASD

'Mixed Economy' in the Church

A couple of things I have always admired about the Church of England.

Firstly, its sheer ability to survive, considering the amount of controversies and challenges it has faced over the centuries.

Secondly, the broad beast that it is, allows for new initiatives such as Fresh Expressions to be pioneered alongside traditional churchmanships. It is now joined by the Methodists, URC and Sally Army amongst others. This is something that the Archbishop of Canterbury has called a 'mixed economy'.

To that end, there is a great article in The Times illustrating some of this 'fresh thinking'.

Bishop Graham Cray writes:

“It is clear that something very substantial has happened...Episcopal leadership is saying ‘Go for it, it’s a good thing’. The old churchwardens’ mantra, whenever a vicar suggested something new, of ‘the bishop won’t allow it’ has gone. Now the bishop would be very disappointed if you didn’t try it.”

Good stuff, Graham. Thanks for inspiring us with the stories.

ASD

Emerging Churches

I had a terrible revelation last week.  I was walking pass one of our bookcases in the living room at home when a book called Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger caught my eye.

The truth is I couldn’t remember if I had bought or been given it.  And if I had been given it, when?  I found this quite disturbing. All this is indicative of being too busy doing other stuff and neglecting my theological reading. I feel shame.

Needless to say, I have since plucked this book from the shelf and started reading it and I have to say it ain’t half bad.

You may or may not have come across the term ‘emerging churches’.  In short, these are churches that are responding to a postmodern culture with new expressions of what is to be ‘Church’. The Anglican Church has its own version in its “Fresh Expression” churches, inspired and encouraged after a report entitled Mission-Shaped Churches was pulled together by postmodern thinker, Bishop Graham Cray.

As you might expect from someone who has spent a large part of his life exploring church growth dynamics, Gibbs and his co-author have put together an interesting set of live material, which includes case studies from across the pond.

From the UK perspective, churches like Grace in Ealing, West London are referenced, as you might expect, along with the Late, Late Service in Glasgow led by the amiable Andy Thornton.

Whether you concur with all that is said in the current ‘postmodern vs church debate’ it is an important book to read nevertheless, as it present nine practices of what it is to be an emerging church and looks at their specific theological emphases.

For us who are in the Vineyard movement there is also much to challenge us.

We describe ourselves as conservative Evangelicals with a Pentecostal experience (cf. Rich Nathan, Empowered Evangelicals), which has arisen out of modernity and the baby boom culture.  But it is perceived by many emerging church thinkers that this time is coming to an end. (Hm! Still need fully convincing.)

However, I do agree that the place of visual metaphor is something we need to rediscover in talking to a Reality TV generation. There is a great line by President Bartlet in West Wing when he banters with his aide: “Do you want to know what Modern history is? It’s television”.

But I need to know how the church truly dialogues without defaulting to the monologue of modernity. Taken to its natural conclusion the traditional Sunday Service looks as dead as a Dodo!

I’ll give the last - startling - word to one Emerging church leader from the lovely city of Seattle:

“We have come to see that it is all about Jesus and not just a methodology.  It is not about mission. It is not about church, but it is about Jesus and his glory, his life. To know Jesus is not an event, a ritual, a creed, or a religion. It is a journey of trust and adventure.  We don’t believe in any religion anymore – including Christianity – but we do believe in following Jesus. We no longer need religion and its special buildings, dogmas, programmes and clergy or any other human inventions that displace genuine spirituality. Why do we need a name and address to be church?  We have just come out of religion and back to God” Jonathan Campbell (Seattle)

Emerging Church is available to buy in my TO READ section.

By the way, I now remember when and where I got my book.  It was a Birthday present.  Thanks, Fiona!

ASD