New book

Looking for a good read? My new book, 'How Theology Became Nonsense', is published today on Kindle by Amazon. All you need is a Kindle, or download a free kindle reader. Ideal present for Christmas? Enjoy!

Do you prefer big or small?

Here is a great way of seeing that, whether we prefer large or small churches, there is a way of building church that works with small, basic units. Here is a great presentation I saw by Andrew Clarke at a conference a week ago.

Click on the link below. You may need to load afree, 'prezi' reader; but it's worth it. http://prezi.com/dehsvoul2tm8/what-did-the-early-church-do-and-where/?auth_key=75efeac5f576773e8e7a7a3fa494e292de6ea22b

Orkney

It's been great to spend the last two days visiting here, in Orkney. These island are north of the Scottish mainland, visited either by flight or a 6 hour ferry journey. I've been the guest of Don and Maggie Currie and church in Kirkwall. A great time.

On an island of 8,000 people, church has to be done a different way than on the mainland, where there are millions of people. Witness and mission leads to an emphasis on an integrity, depth of spirituality and a level of intentional relationality that is demanding.

All of us have to ask the question, 'what are we trying to do?' before asking the question, 'how to do it?'.

Convictional or Inspirational - or both?

There is a difference between Convictional and Inspirational gatherings or communities. Convictional Community - in its essential simplicity, if it is to be Christian, needs to be small. This does not mean that there cannot be larger gatherings. Nor does it mean there cannot be gathered groupings of smaller units. But for Christian faith to find participational development in the lives of people, creatively rooted in Christ, it requires gatherings of people that are small enough for meaningful relationships and reciprocal accountability to be expressed, developed and realised through experimental Christian living. Only then can the essential, virtue indicators of Christian community - such as love, forgiveness and compassion - be  shaped and driven by the presence of Christ in the midst; and lead to practical and developed expression through intentional, relational living. 

Inspirational gatherings are  important. They confront and challenge, calling for decision and dedication. They can refresh and even reorientate. But they are gatherings where good preaching is performance and distinguishable from real teaching that always requires tutoring and evaluative feedback. Jesus embraced the inspirational. But his relationship with disciples in shaping the DNA of church was built through developing convictional community.

There was a time when formal, church gatherings could operate as essentially inspirational gatherings, with their praise songs, prayers and preaching. These resourced the intentional relationality of local communities that really were seeking to live out their lives in a Christian way. Accountable communities, where people knew one another well.

But real life is more complex today. People live in fluid, flexible communities. It is good to have inspirational gatherings that  inspire. That challenge. Even entertain.  Yet the heart of church? The DNA needs to be worked out in accountable relationships. This is what discipleship is really about. And without such discipleship, we reduce Christian gatherings to a charade and a parody of what church is meant to be.

To be real, it must be relational.