Reflections from the "Fresh Expressions" Conference

National Minister’s conference, including the concept of “Fresh Expressions”  here are a few comments that I made about it. 


 We have previously commented at DUCA SA meeting just how diaconal so much of the emergent church stuff is. The appeal of diaconal ministry for me has always been about offering the gospel to the church.   Or as author Ann Morrisy puts it, “Enabling people to embrace the possibility of God”.

As someone who made that transition from unchurched to churched I have often said that christology was easy, understanding church culture is the hard thing.  It is so complex and multilayered and in a slightly different form wherever you go.  People understand if you query a point of theology but get the church culture stuff wrong and sometimes the church folk can be down right unchristian.

So it is good to hear that Fresh Expressions etc is very much about letting people develop their understandings of a faith community that is relevant to them.  Let us hope that the "inherited church" is interested and has enought time and energy to let the emergent church continue to move.

Actually, there is a sense where it doesn't matter, we are to follow God's call and do what we can and from then on the emergent church is very much the work of the Holy Spirit, which is what I hope, believe pray that it is.  

All kinds of Buttons

My mum had an old biscuit tin, it had been quite pretty once,  then it went to live in her sewing cabinet to be the button tin.  When I was a kid and she was sewing, she would give me her button tin to play with.   I would trawl through the treasures there and pull out my favourite ones that were like old friends.   I knew that I wasn't allowed to tip them out, as that would make too much mess and perhaps lose something that might be really useful later.

There were the big brown plastic coat buttons that were bigger than the old copper pennies.  Buttons made curiously of leather knotted and carved bone.  Other buttons that clung together on a piece of battered yellow card, with their friends, as though huddled together in anxiety.  The buttons in thin plastic tubes however, waited in line politely to go off on a new adventure.  The elegant and fancy buttons with patterns and interesting shapes -  beautiful enough to be a piece of jewelry. There were old badges there, too, like my grandfather's tramway workers union badges and after  the Vietnam War, my brother's Army badges.   A treasure trove of times, people, places and ideas past.  Often, as I was sorting I would have to pull threads and bits of fabric, debris of a busy sewing corner that had gotten in.

Sometimes, my heart is like that tin, full of all sorts of things including the debris of a busy life and I need time to sit and sort, reflect on what is important in my life and what needs to be let go into the dust or into the light and truth.  And like sorting my mother's button tin, I always feel that it is an important task that is worth time as I can things more clearly.
Blessings Cogs

Eating Elephants.

Eating Elephants.

African saying– “How do you eat an elephant standing in the middle of your road?  Bite by bite” 

 Wandering around saying hello to people at Community Program, I notice the coming together of intricate quilts, mosaics pictures or scrapbook pictures forming piece by careful piece, or pieces of embroidery, knitting, and other crafts coming together stitch by stitch.  And the thought occurred to me that people who do craft work are good at “eating elephants- bit by bite”

I thought that was a useful skill in our fast food – fast everything age; the ability to do things one step at a time.   To think, plan, anticipate and get in touch with your soul about what you really want to do.  And then make that happen and to deal with inevitable unforeseen mistakes and creative opportunities to do something a bit different to what is planned.  Even learn strategies for dealing with the “UFO’s” , those unfinished things at the back of the cupboard?  Yet, there is more to craft than pretty things, these are quite a few of the skills that are needed for a life well lived.  No wonder craft is so life giving!

All Blessings to you, Cogs.

Christmas Stories - Folk or Faith?

Something for a newsletter later in the year.

Christmas Stories - Folk or Faith?

Little Miss 4 year old was excited.  She was going to be in the School Christmas Play.  She was excited that there was going to be elves at the stables, and she was going to be one.  I think she met angels!  It is hardly surprising, in the movie “Love Actually” they were using lobsters at the school Christmas story.  Understandably she was getting what I call “Christmas Folk Traditions” and “Christian Faith Traditions” mixed up. 

So what is the difference?  In short, Folk traditions are anything involving Santa, reindeers and elves, etc.  And, Faith traditions are the Christian stories of birth of Jesus Christ.  They are two different sets of stories, despite the overlap.

Whoever we are, Christmas is often a time when we think about the relationships that we have with family & friends.  (If only to wonder what to give them this year - or not.)  It is a time when we think of things like love, hope, peace and joy.  We may even reflect on the mystery of and wonders of life and how good it can be.  These stories may even feed and nurture that reflection. 

So as we approach Christmas, I invite you to pause and explore what you believe is important for you about Christmas, about life.  For all of us, there is often more light, truth, sometimes even real wisdom ready to break into our lives.

May you have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  And see you next year! Cogs

Books

I have always loved books, they open new worlds to me.  And when I was a kid I dreamed of being a world famous author. (  Maybe, that is why I like the TV show "Castle"? ) I am not feeling like I will ever get around to writing that book or that novel so I thought this might be a way to go.  Let us see what unfolds and who knows maybe it will inspire me.  Stranger things have happened!