The illusion of freedom

What troubles me most, especially in debates over human sexuality and civil partnership or marriage, is how otherwise good Christians can forget an essential truth: that from a Biblical perspective people, left by themselves and without the authority of God's Word, will always get it wrong. This morning, I read the opening verses of Hebrews 12, rehearsing the fact that God, as a truly loving Father, both disciplines and punishes us as His children? Punish!!!???  Yes, indeed. For we all sin and get it wrong, at times. And this is the response and working of the true Father, our God, as He deals with us through the prism of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A new book that came out this year, in honour of Andrew Kirk, called Mission in Context ( Ed's J Corrie and C Ross, published by Ashgate), contains an excellent chapter by David Kettle who, in rehearsing the wonderfully prophetic insights of Lesslie Newbigin, in reshaping concepts of missional thinking for Western culture, follows Newbigin in commenting (pp 195-6),

"Authentic freedom is not a natural property of the human mind; it is not - even in its conception - fully realised by us here and now, but lies with God in his sovereignty. Contrary to liberal assumptions, freedom is given in the first instance from beyond ourselves, by God - the unsurpassable freedom, fundamentally, to give ourselves as a living, loving sacrifice. Loss of freedom, or bondage, correspondingly. while it may indeed press upon us from outside - may also rise from within. We cannot assume, as is the liberal temptation, that commitment to doctrines or traditions is against freedom, or that what rises from within us is against our freedom."

Let us hold onto the authority of God's Word in Scripture, reading it in humility, submitting to it and in Christlike submission to Father's will, applying it to our lives. This is freedom in its reality. This is the mindset of those who will inherit eternity, who long for the New Heavens and the New Earth.

A fuller essay by me on this issue can be viewed on http://audiosermonupdate.blogspot.co.uk/

Fellowship around the UK

Alan, Jacqueline and I have had a very profitable and enjoyable time here in Birmingham during 24 hours of the Fellowship of Baptists in Britain and Ireland. It is exciting to see such a pioneering and responsible group of people gather as servants of the networks of Baptist churches across these islands.

Increasingly, I find that the hallmark of Baptist leadership is not what many people think. There is a huge amount of readiness to be radical and face the exciting challenges of these changing times.  Initiatives are real and genuine in progressing the matters of the kingdom of God.

The strap lines that I'll remember, in addition to many wise words spoken in this time, are:

• 'relationship is a contact sport'
• any initiative should pass the test of being either 'useful or exciting' for our people in churches

It is a genuine privilege to be part of this group and I look forward to our next meeting later in the year.

Hydrating Faith

We have to believe that the concrete realities and aspirations we long for are possible. We have to exercise vision and, therefore, our imagination; to think in terms of what is possible by God, for us and through us, for the sake of His glory. 

And all of us need to be hydrated by the Holy Spirit, poured out by Jesus. It is through hydrated faith that the truth of the Word is enabled within us, is released into dynamic reality in our life.

I am increasingly aware of the importance of these two components being present for effective Christian discipleship and growth:

Firstly, imagination exercised, in faith, to envision the material realities of the Kingdom of God. This will find legitimate expression in:

a.  A pursuit of righteousness and justice, prioritising care for the disadvantaged. Often sacrificial, always involving self-humbling and the 'mortification of the flesh'. 

b.  Health and prosperity and a belief in God’s good intent to us, leading to sincere worship and commitment to pursuing lifestyle that will promote and develop these.

c.  Appropriating a theology of Holy Space and a commitment to being intentionally relational in that space.

d.  A blending together of a belief and commitment to the 3 primary colours of integrated, missional theology: Witness, Service and Evangelism.

Secondly, there will be a seeking for the presence, purpose and power of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to do the things Jesus - the things of the Kingdom of God. Unless there is longing and expectation for the Holy Spirit to come, then there is no service of the Kingdom of God.

Imagination and infusion in Jesus’ name.

Working out the Vision

Life is full of opportunity, and this is a picture of a new cherry tree planted last autumn by Jennifer. I trust its a living symbol of what lies ahead. My first report as Mission & Ministry Advisor is viewable on http://missionandministryadvisor.blogspot.co.uk/

Getting up to date?

Arrived last night at an old friend's house in Crewe. Janice Clarke who, together with her late husband Mel, was one of the key people at Bristo in the first part of our time there. Great to see her settled here in the South and now one of the leadership team in a local Pentecostal church. 

Interestingly, we arrived during a church meeting where a retired pastor was talking on Ephesians 4.11: it was good to sit and listen. And it got me thinking.

So often, when people talk of the 'fivefold ministry' in this one verse, they assume something contemporaneous - that all should be present and active at the same chronological period or time. But it doesn't say that. What about thinking of it diachronically - manifest across the centuries and in different 'layers' of time? The Eastern Orthodox would certainly assume such a reading. For the trouble of the non- conformist traditions is that we often lose a realistic sense of history as well as tradition.  

And there's another problem. I mean - have you ever met someone you could genuinely identify as an apostle? Certainly, I've met people who think of themselves in this way, but that's quite another matter. And the term, like the others in this passage, is so notoriously difficult to define. Aren't all Christians called to see themselves as 'sent out ones', caught up in the cascading  Mission of the God of Holy Love?

I much prefer the approach shared by Paul Ede in an e-mail this morning. Using a vocabulary of 'pioneer - innovator - developer - sustainer'. We have to be cautious in using Biblical language in a way that suggests we know precisely what we are talking about when we patently do not! Let's humbly acknowledge the truths of history and see ourselves and others in an affirming yet humbler role, using language appropriate to our culture and context.

A Word by any other name

Well, this issue is just not going away. But I'm getting somewhere. I've established that:

i. mission is not a New Testament Word
ii. I haven't got a clue what people mean when they talk about 'mission'
iii. I haven't heard anyone speak on 'mission' who sounds like they know what they are talking about!

Mmmm. Thank God for the Bible. For although the New Testament leads me to conclude that both mission and ministry are essentially aspects of 'service' (diakonia), it doesn't allow me to claim a word for 'mission'. Which confirms for me if we are to speak of mission we have to put it together from other words and actions found in the Bible. So let's try another line of Biblical thought, built around Jungel's affirmation that 'God's Being is in Becoming'. I like that concept. This is a entry to 'mission' that I can grasp. Let me explain.

A key text is Mark 3.14. There, we meet with the concept of 'apostles', often understood as 'sent out ones'. This is defined by the key verb in the verse, which comes at the end, which is translated in the NIV and NKJ as ' he might send'. So that part of the verse reads, 'so he might send then to proclaim / act as heralds'. Or, to represent the Greek verb, 'so that he might apostle-ise them to act as heralds', heralds of the Kingdom of God.

You see, mission is really based on what the Bible talks of what God does in calling us to be His people. Biblically, mission is not a concept but a sending that God does to people. God's mission comes through His becomingness towards others. And we are called to participate in it.

So here's the bottom line question: 'what are you becoming'? Then you'll discover what sort of mission you are on.

Meaningful Ministry

I have been reading a terrific new book - really profound and really easy. It's Mike Breen's latest (you can get it right now through Amazon KINDLE), called 'Building a Discipling Culture'. Why have I been reading it? Because I am here in Pitlochrie, in Perthshire, at the Atholl Baptist Centre. We're doing the Next Stage in Ministry Conferrence and it's really good. What the book speaks about is the culture of what we're engaging in and inspiring one another towards.

Tom Wright has just published a new book on Kingdom, as the dominant theme.

I'm really excited at what is going on in the midst of us all. I sense a powerful movement and change arising. And it's great to be part of it.

Missional Holiness

On the back of reading and using Derek Tidball's devotional reflection on Scriptures in The Message Of Holiness, I am enthralled with P T Forsyth's work, The Holy Father. A Scottish theologian and pastor, 100 years ago Forsyth had insight to see that the Gospel cannot be presented in ways that reduce our message to sound like a commodity (getting rid of your sin so that you can reach your potential) or simply a comfort (divine dad loves you heaps so enjoy it).

I am persuaded that Forsyth's message has to be heard afresh: the message of Holy Love. Yes, you are forgiven and your sins are atoned for ..... but it is so that you can now be enabled by God's power to walk in the paths of holiness. Yes, Father God loves you with an unrivalled intensity of love, but it is Holy love that cannot nor will not embrace the stain of sin. A grasp of this holiness brings us fresh relationship to God; a seeking of the authentic presence and power of the Holy Spirit; a desire and focus upon living an alternative life and lifestyle:

"The soul of divine fatherhood is forgiveness by holiness. It is evangelical. It is a matter of grace meeting sin by sacrifice to holiness, more even than of love meeting need by service to man. To correct and revive that truth, to restore it to its place in the proportion of faith, would be to restore passion to our preaching, solemnity to our tenderness, real power to our energy, and moral virility to our piety" (The Holy Father, http://www.newcreation.org.au/books/pdf/181_GodHolyFather.pdf , p 5).

But there's something more, too. Holiness and the costliness of grace is not simply a pious insight or a personal pilgrimage. There are implications for our understanding of mission. For mission, when truly embraced in holiness, is both about a message and a means of conveying that message. Without holiness sought and working in the messenger, the message is quite likely to be corrupted. The immensity of the cost of grace and the intent of such a self-giving God will more easily be lost sight of. Unless the messenger themselves trembles at the awesome realisation of God's Holy Love outworked at the Cross, there is something lost and potency of transforming grace compromised.

Let's seek afresh the Holy God, the fullness of atoning mercy met with in the mystery revealed in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Decisionism & Thin Community

Psychological and sociological insights can be helpful in understanding the practices and convictions of Christians. It’s not just about theology. Take ‘decisionism’, for example. By ‘decisionism’ I mean the practice of taking a person’s decision to believe – regardless of any call to repent or necessary fruitfulness of faith – as sufficient grounds for accepting and believing that a person has owned Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

‘Decisionism’ is enduringly popular among so many Christians in today’s society because most of us live in such ‘thin’ community. Community that hardly exists at all. Where lives are not transparent and where social interaction is superficial and artificial. This is why so many like ‘decisionism’: it negates or at least supersedes the needful evidence of repentance of sin and fruitfulness. Decision time becomes party time for Christians.

Can’t see it in the Bible. Nor does it count for much when people look for sustainability and depth. Big time devotional writers such as Dallas Willard in the United States trace this and are calling for more depth to faith. Why? Because in the end of the day, ‘decisionism’ counts for nothing.

Part of what we stand for as Baptists is the pursuit of ‘thick community’ – community that has social and interpersonal depth to it. This is the community that fosters are develops Biblical faith. Faith that is about Christlikeness. Transformation.

Words and the longings of our hearts

I'm thinking a lot about words we use. It's interesting. The words that people use. Especially when talking about Christian things. I've just listened to a recording of Paul's Letter to the Ephesians - these books were written to be listened to, not just read. But words give hints as to how people see things.

There's huge pressure, in today's pluralistic culture, to embrace words such as 'inclusive'. Just like it's fashionable to speak of reaching out to the 'marginalised'. I'm really interested that there is not, as far as I can see, a direct Biblical equivalent to either of these word in current usage: the nearest to being 'inclusive' that I can think of is the call to 'do justice and show mercy'; and the nearest to 'marginalised' are the Biblical 'poor', who are the victims of injustice, dispossessed from the good purposes of God for their lives.

Christian mission should not begin with a focus on seeking to be 'inclusive', or reaching to the 'marginalised'. It should begin with a stress on pursuing true righteousness and justice within the household of God and allowing the Spirit's power to carry us out in acts of loving service and a sharing of the Good News of what Jesus is bringing to the whole of Creation. And the world's talk of care for the 'marginalised' should be replaced by real concern and focus in our mission to those who are victims of greed, exploitation and injustice. A missional focus in pursuing righteousness through serving and bringing good news to the poor should never be lost. We must avoid, at one extreme, a bare message of evangelistic triumphalism. We must also avoid jumping on to a bandwagon of fashionability. Words express our values. And values betray the longings of our hearts.

full spectrum

It was great to visit three different congregations yesterday. What struck me was the contrast in style. The morning was a gathering of largely mature people but with a cross section of ages and quite a traditional format. The afternoon was a huge number of families and really young children! The evening was a student gathering with some others along. Each quite different. Each complimentary of the others.

the essence of wider church has to be networking - dealing with one another in different circumstances all to the glory of God. Learning the skills that are transferable, simply admiring and rejoicing in those that are not. Jealousy is not a good thing. Praising God for what He has given us and looking for the potential in what we might be and do for the Kingdom of God - this is what matters.

The best day of your life

If your faith flows out of what your hope is focussed upon, what is it that you look to and anticipate? Sad thing if its just a matter of religious consumerism: of what you can get out of life for you and those you care about. Biblical faith is a different matter. It points us toward what God has Promised and intends to bring about. And in the light of the brilliance and beauty of God's self revealing in and through Jesus Christ, it brings us to focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And that means starting with our understanding that, where are lives are called to belong to Jesus Christ, it is to be witnesses - martyrs. Those who accept death in the present world as inevitable, as we seek to live our patterns of purposeful living for Jesus Christ. Lives reflecting His values and priorities - or at least ever seeking to realign ourselves again and again in order that we might do so.

The early Moravians in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, saw it that way. They realised that to die because they had sought to live for Christ meant passing into the physical presence of the Resurrected and Ascended Jesus. To greet Him and to be embraced by Him. Death is a terrible thing and must not be sought by us. But when it comes, we need to realise that the power of Jesus's vicarious death and resurrection is for us all. He makes the worst day into the best day of our lives.

The Kingdom in space and place

Once more, deeply impressed in listening to Mike Pears at the IBTS Community's communion service, as he expounded Luke 19 and expanded insights on how Jesus draws in those who are excluded in terms of this world's values and priorities, to be included by Him within His space and place. Where He eats and drinks with them; and how, conversely, those who we assume to have power and prestige in this world, in terms of inclusion and acceptance,  can be seen to withdraw from the vocation of Jesus Christ whilst this world's 'rejects' are welcomed and restored to the indestructible physical presence of God's Kingdom that comes through Jesus Christ..

What is seminal in Mike's emphasis is that he relates issues of inclusion, reaching to the marginalised and the expression of compassion etc. to the practicalities of the space that we occupy and the place we meet in. This is so Biblical and so baptist. No abstract values left as ideal or doctrines held as private persuasions. No place for private preoccupations with personal fancies that flee from reality. What matters in the physicality of our gathering, the way we welcome people and treat with them in the physical space we occupy and the places we pass through.

So obvious yet so refreshingly different. And how such an approach challenges us to reappropriate the reality of physical presence, and what we do where we are, as central to the essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God come among us and found among us in flesh and blood.

Prescription or Description ?

Speaking with a leader from the south eastern part of the European Baptist Federation, I realised that the assumption with most ‘1^st world’ Christian leaders is that the models or motifs that we discern to be present in what we observe are somehow patterns or paradigms that could and even should be transferable to other situations and circumstances.

It was pointed out to me that, in this person’s environment, the cultural tradition was to describe what could be observe without going on to shape it as prescriptive. Let alone transferable, to others. I was challenged by this. It strikes me that people like me (and probably you!) tend to look for patterns that will yield transferable principles or patterns to be emulated. Not so for this colleague. Their approach was more humble. It sought to describe and to understand. To respect the narrative that can be related, but not necessarily to distil. Rather, to accept and even accommodate other models and approaches that, on the face of it, may seem incongruous. But are yeilded out of engagement with the story of Christ met with in Scripture.

Lots of conflict arises from the desire to make our observations or experiences prescriptive for others. Power games. It doesn’t have to be that way. There is power in the story of Jesus and there it should stay. Just tell it as it is. Describe what you have touched and seen. And let’s see what happens when glory and grace come through.

Real Holiness @ IBTS in Prague

Gordon Snider made an important point this morning at breakfast. As a missionary teacher and a Holiness Methodist, he pointed out that he did not readily recognise the charicature of ‘Arminian’ that many self-identified 'Calvinists' so readily own. ‘A wilful transgression of a known law of God’ is Gordon’s understanding of sin. Entire sanctification is coming to know the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the choice to sin.

This is a subtle and important point. We can and do all sin, in terms of doing at times what is contrary to the will of God. But this is different from deliberately transgressing the will of God. The truth is, that if we truly seek to do the revealed will of God, then God will strengthen us in the path of holiness.

My personal, pastoral observation is that people often play at repentance. Regretting patterns of sin is not the same as repenting. Repentance is a deliberate and costly, even painful, turning away from what is contrary to the will of God. In this sense, the whole of the life of Jesus was an intentional struggle against the temptation to sin – yet a successful struggle, in that our Lord always did what was pleasing to God.

The Spirit will enable us to be holy – that is, strengthen us for the deliberate and costly choice to do what is pleasing to God. He does not coerce us, or persuade us to do what we do not want us to do. But He will strengthen us when we turn back to God in order to to walk a costly, difficult and painful path. Thank you, Gordon.

Keeping Alive

It may seem obvious to you, and if it does, please forgive me; but the reality is that being a Christian for a long time does not mean that daily devotion is easy. It is not so for me. Indeed, it is a struggle each day to find time to set aside to the Lord, especially when there is a busy agenda and many things to do.

I should add that this is not a confession of failure. Yes, I do fail at times; but I really can't afford to. Spiritual success is integral to finding progress and being effective in my life, and it's never God that lets me or you down. It's that we fail.

So how do we combat failure? Simply, we have to ensure that each day is begun and underlined in spiritual discipline, spending time reading the Bible or listening to it. And simply honouring God and giving Him the place of preeminence in our life. It's not rocket science. But it is true.

Today, I'm at a conference of Regional Ministers of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The place is Holthorpe Hall. May each of us bow to the Son that His presence should shape and form our witness this day and tomorrow too.

Natural Association

There is a natural association between being called to discipleship and being commissioned to witness. And there is a progression between the two. The call of Jesus characterises the first; the empowering of the Holy Spirit characterises the second.

And this also sets our relationship to the Holy. We are CALLED by the Holy One, CONSECRATED through His drawing us into His life and His ministry, recipients of God's promises and participating in His purposes; and we are COMMISSIONED as His witnesses, empowered and enabled to proclaim His name and to engage in acts of loving service.

This is the direction that we are to go upon; and holiness is to be the hallmark of this endeavour.

cascading

Yesterday was a valedictory service offered by Bristo, as Jennifer and I attended our last service having now moved to Glasgow. It was deeply moving to receive the love and care gifted by folks in word, embrace and token. It has been a good season at Bristo, and as we know it is God’s calling to have now moved on to a new stage of ministry, we also know that this is an exciting new stage for the congregation as the future is faced and engaged in.

In the evening, back in Glasgow we were blessed and encouraged in visiting the Pollok congregation and receiving such a warm welcome not only by the pastor but also by so many members of the congregation: I don’t know if this is typically Glaswegian, but it was wonderfully and warmly Christian.

You know, I love the church. The place where God’s glory and honour dwells. And I am looking with anticipation to see our cascading God of holy love and purposeful power burst out and flood our land afresh with envisioned and freshly enabled men and women and children who love Him in Jesus’ name. 

not quite Captain America

OK. I admit it - I have neither seen nor intend to see the film - but I like a phrase in the Baptist Times review, which comments, 'God doesn't always chooses the brightest and best'. Really helpful reminder as I start this new ministry with the Baptist Union.

And also a reminder for all of us in positions of ministry and leadership. Sometimes we think we should be the brightest and best; or even that others should think of us in this way! Wrong on both accounts. 'I'm a loser who becomes a winner when my lives in Jesus'. That's better.

Better for each of us to think of ourselves this way: as wretched sinners, incapable of doing any decent thing by ourselves, but saved by the grace of God at work in our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord. If all of us can grasp this, then we might make some progress.

Witness and disciple?

Today was my last Sunday preaching in Bristo Baptist Church. In looking at the Word of God I saw something I never noticed before. To get this, you need to know that in Greek the word for a ‘disciple’ is mathetes and that the word for a ‘witness’ is marturos.

It struck me that being a disciple is a distinct and different matter from being a witness: being a disciple comes first. Jesus called disciples at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus commissioned witnesses at the end of his ministry on earth.

But to make others disciples, we have to be witnesses. Literally, we have to be prepared to be martyrs. To be uncompromising in our allegiance to Jesus Christ.

As we enter into 2012, may God strengthen you as a disciple. But more than that, may He enable you pursue the holy and purposeful path that allows you to be a witness who will act as a beacon of life and hope for others around you.