Is there anyone out there?

I forget sometimes that people do stumble across my blog accidentally or occasionally even deliberately. I must remember that it's not just personal ramblings (thanks Roy for reminding me that I've got to be careful what I say). Now all of my colleagues know that I secretly enjoy the 8am Communion service and copies of my last post have been plastered over my office door and various walls!

Kevin Rains who introduced me to the previously unknown blog world, warned me that it was addictive, and while I find writing my own blog non addictive and light weight, I do enjoy (sometimes) the discussions and debates that abound. The "emerging church" seems to be as broad in it's membership as the Anglican church which I'm also part of. Some days I read things and think, I wish I could've written that myself; other days I read stuff and think I'm never coming near the blog world again 'cos it's full of pseudo intellectualism, pseudo theology and pseudo spirituality.

The reason I'm sitting in quite a cold church office in North London, avoiding preparing some teaching stuff and several phone calls, is because at Easter in 1987 I fell in love with Jesus. He radically transformed my life and gave me hope, purpose and a sense of destiny which I'd never had before. I couldn't believe that the church had hidden Him so well from me for 19 years and I desparately wanted to share with other people and particularly young people (cos I was young at the time) my discovery.

In all of the discussions about the emerging church I increasingly realise that I want it to be more about Jesus. I know that's incredibly simplistic and the Sunday school answer - but humour me. Less about consturction and deconstruction and more about my Lord who changed my life. The problem is there is so much that gets in the way.

What do I want? I want to rediscover daily Jesus, I want my life to look more like His, I want to talk about Him more and church less. I want people to ask me the reason for the hope that I have.

When was the last time someone asked you the 1 Peter 3v15 question? What's going to cause them to ask that question? When you've worked that out will you let me know?

The Kingdom is coming...

Today is the celebration of Christ the King, if you're an Anglican and attend a church who follow the lectionary the readings will probably have been Colossians 1v11-20 and Luke 23v33-43. We're about to head into the Kingdom season otherwise known as advent, prearing for the coming of the King.

How do I know all of this, well this morning was my turn to do the 8am communion. Please don't let my colleagues know this but I actually enjoy the 8am communion (don't get me wrong getting up for it on a Sunday after a good party on a Saturday night is always a struggle - a few hours earlier I was singing Karaoke (after much duress)), but once I'm there knowing that there are people all over the world sharing in the same service is quite encouraging. It's a great way to start a sunday, it keeps me in touch with the historic seasons of the church, and this morning it allowed me to reflect on Christ my king. On his majesty in creation, in life and in death.

This week I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about how we point people to Christ the King in 21st century North London, and specifically the "church plant". Things are beginning to gather pace. We've got a small group of people who want to build a community with us, we're starting to look at an area of North London that we think God might be calling us to, and now comes the "what will it look like questions". In some ways I've no idea and don't want to have an idea, 'cos I want it to form out of relationships and the mission of God in the community He calls us to. However to get the support of the Bishop and possibly some money, it's going to need some explanation and some structures. Hence thinking through Network Church and the Mission-Shaped Church report. (This apparently is being described as Church House Publishing's equivalent of Harry Potter).

It's great to know there are others who are looking to build the body of Christ and not throw out all of the riches of tradition. (As someone once said "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living"). I love the people who are looking to build something rather than tell everyone what's wrong with what they're doing. I've enjoyed reading Matt's manifesto for corporate worship, and last weekend spent some time with a group looking at issues of practical discipleship and holiness today.

I'm excited because Christ the King is alive and active in His world and I'm looking forward to enjoying the Kingdom season...

A great firework display in Bridport was one of the highlights of an amazing weekend in Dorset.  

Fireworks, Table Skittles, Hobgoblins, Fossils & Beaches

Last week I spent 24 hours in Reading with Rich, Matt, Annie, Chris, Steve, Adam, Esther a.k.a the New Wine Em Church "A" team (Chris filled the Murdoch role so well) trying to put the world to rights (or our little bit of it anyway).

The time in Reading left me feeling quite wiped out, not because of the team who are just great to hang out with, but rather the content of the discussions. The upshot is watch this space, as the A team may be taking on a new mission in a different location.

After the meeting the family headed down to Dorset to Minnie's Cottage which is going to be a great bolt hole from London. We had an amazing weekend of beach walks, fossil hunts, firework parties and Hobgoblin ale.

I came back feeling refreshed and grateful, although still working through some of the issues that we'd been discussing before I went away.

Impotent Leadership

Thanks for the comment Rich it's good to know that someone's paying attention to my rambles. I liked the "I think the answer is to not lead. Then it's someone else's problem and I'll just consume from a back row" comment. I know that your tongue was firmly in your cheek at that point, however one of my fears is that that is what could happen. I think any leaders who are taking seriously the challenges of postmodernism and incarnational leadership can be left feeling nervous and indeed impotent when it comes to leading. Perhaps leadership has become too wedded with a "one man model"; autocratic and theocratic (where the leader is usually theo) styles have dominated. Often leadership has been understood as power, and we all know the dangers of power corrupting. One of the results now is that we don't have mentors in the alien (to quote Richard Sudsworth) way of leading.

I believe leadership is more often caught than taught, so we need a new breed of leaders who share their lives, their dreams, their hurts, their successes and their failures with others who really can share the good and bad times and build the kingdom of God (rather than the leaders' empire) together.

I think leadership is as important as it's ever been, so lead on...