The kingdom or the church?

You may have gathered from my blogs that I have a passion for the church to be engaged in mission in a local context. Recently my thoughts on this subject have been more focused through personal experience, books and conversations on the subject. I have never and will never see the church as a means to keep Christians happy until heaven but as a agent of heaven on earth. As Dave Tomlinson puts it "The mission of God was not to invent Christianity but to spread life" (Re-enchanting Christianity, Tomlinson, 2008:132). This should be at the heart of every church.

I am beginning to uncover the sticking point to this thought. I have long known and acknowledge that we should be a people of the Kingdom but never fully grasped and convinced myself about as to how and why. What is beginning to emerge for me is a picture of what the church would be like without the Kingdom as its focus. One dimensional, inward looking, a place on maintenance, safe and comfortable. The kingdom is none of these things that I have listed. The kingdom is a scarily unsafe place to live out faith, it is a place where anything is possible and anyone can be involved. It is about always being aware of your surroundings and seeing the creator in them and how God is calling us to engage with them. Often the church has taken the priority over the kingdom. Surely, God has ordained the church as a tool to represent the values and image of the Kingdom.

Our mission, if we chose to except it, is to be people of the Kingdom rather than members of churches.

Matt

Church is for girls!

From time to time I get an extract of a news paper sent to me from our regional headquarters. This week I got a copy of an article that claimed that "real men find church too girly. Here is the first paragraph.

Real men don't like going to church because they don't want to "sing love songs to a man", because the "vicar wears a dress", because they feel like "mongrels on parade at Crufts" and because they want to be waited on by women rather than queue for coffee after the service.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7004861.ece

On first reading I thought how helpful this might be as I lead worship in our church but the more I thought about it the more stupid it all sounded. Apparently men would come to church if there were less flowers and more swords, more manly words and less wishy washy words in the songs that are sung. For what ever reason, women become part of a church a lot easier than men, women find it less embarrassing singing and praying and being sensitive to God. This article would suggest that men don't come to church because it isn't cool enough or that men feel stupid about saying they go to a girly church.

On reading through this again I found it strange that the church needs to be more man friendly. I would suggest it is the examples that males see that puts them off church. As I look back over my life I can tell you that it is the example of other people that has drawn me to faith and encouraged me to be a part of a church. There are a significant number of blokes that have shown me what faith looks like and it its to those that I acknowledge as the reason I find myself as an SA officer.

I don't think men want swords, HD TV's, sports related sermons and a vicar who drives a sports car. I think men need to see christian men living out faith in a normal everyday fashion before they even contemplate being part of a church. Maybe it is men who have the issue not the church?

Matt

Falling down.

Having reached the eight mile mark in my Marathon training I am fear my long run on Friday to take me over the ten mile mark. But it has to be done if I am to achieve my goal. I can't simply turn up on the day and think I can do eight miles how hard can the rest be! I have to build my stamina, experience and understanding of how my body reacts as I get further into the race. I know it is going to be hard and it will hurt but if I am to get the medal and finish the race I must be determined in my training and stick with it.

Whilst in school this week doing a lesson I caught sight of a Japanese Proverb that said, "Fall down seven times get up eight times". Our Faith is not determined by many times we fall but whether we allow God to raise us up once more. For most of us we will fall far more than seven time but God will stick with us and keep picking us up. I have faith that God will keep me going in all situations, especially when I get to the point where there is still half the Marathon to go.

There is a song that has come to our worship groups attention in the last few weeks which has been so helpful to me in sticking in there with my faith. Its called "Give us your courage" by Tim Hughes and here are the lyrics:

I’m not backing down
I will stand my ground
Lifting high the name of Jesus
Holding out Your light
To a world in need
Living out the love of Jesus
And though the battles rage
Your blessing still will come

To the ends of the earth we will go
To the ends of the earth we will go
Fill us with power
Fill us with power
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
Give us Your courage
Give us Your courage

Be our strength and song
Till the battles won
Cause Your face to shine upon us
Stretch Your hand to save
Our God never fails
Nothing is impossible for You

Would You breathe on us
http://www.worshipcentral.org/audio/give-us-your-courage

I may fall but I pray my faith will help me up one more time.

Matt

Snow down

Don't know about you but I love the snow!!! Its great stuff. I wish we would have had more in Nottingham but know the problems it has caused across the country. However the daily reporting of the "chaos" is start to feel a bit repetitive and over the top. Why is it that people seem to think that we have a right for all the roads, schools and shops to be kept open so that we can carry on as we usually do. Why don't we just slow down a bit and take stock of what we're doing, rather than worry about what we can't do. Is it realistic to carry on as normal with the conditions the way they were/are. Why don't we make the most of the time to stay at home, be with the family and enjoying the snow. We have become a 24 hours society that feels that if we go slow we are not doing enough or being productive or stopping the wheels of industry from producing what we don't need.

Not only that, we seem to have lost are ability to "get by" in hardship and trouble. I don't want to belittle peoples troubles with the snow but as we see the situation in Haiti we see what chaos really looks like and the fine line between life and death for those people affected by that tragedy. For all are disruption, we still have our lives, lively hood and homes but for the Haitian people, like so many in our world, they have had their lives destroyed.

Please pray for the people of Haiti and for the rescue teams to get in as soon as possible.

Matt

Faith is like a football club!

I was chatting on Monday to a friend about our respective football clubs, Southampton and Notts County and sharing our love for lower league football. The premiership is so over rated! We shared storeys of administration, lack of money, having to sell players and another season stuck in the league we find ourselves in. Being a football fan is a bit like sitting on a roller coaster but not know where it goes next but we keep coming back for more and would not change teams even for all the trophies in the world.

Faith, like supporting a football team isn't straight forward, it can be up and down and we don't know where it's headed. It sometimes seems like we have no faith or that God has let us down. We can feel that just when things seem going well we then get stuck or something happens that makes us question God.

Yet, in my experience the more we feel faithless, God reveals his faithfulness to us in some new way. Having faith in God doesn't make our life's easier but it gives the struggles purpose and hope.

Faith is like a football team just not as overpaid!

Matt

Am I a nutter?

The short answer to the questions is probably "yes" I am a nutter. For one; I support Southampton, two; I love jigsaws and three; I have rediscovered the joy of Lego at the age of 30. For many in the world, this would suggest I am a nutter.

Tony Blair was asked about how his faith impacts his politics. His reply was along the lines of; if you talk about your faith in this system, people tend to think your a nutter. Recently, "The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the government of treating religious faith as an "eccentricity" practised by "oddities"."

So am I nutter or an oddity because I am someone who has faith? Of course I am! On the face of it, believing in something (God in our faith) you can't see, touch, smell or hear is strange, slightly odd. I could go into all the arguements about God being in all things because he is the creator but that still doesn't make it "normal". In the last couple of weeks I have had 3 or 4 strange faces pulled at me when I told them I am a "vicar". Aparently, I don't look like one and seem a bit to normal to be one. Having faith in God isn't rational, I don't believe faith is surposed to be rational as it wouldn't be faith. That would make it religion.

If being a Christian makes you a nutter, then why are there so many nutters in the world?

Matt

Do you know your neighbours?

The research below is very interesting and I have been greatly challenged by it in recent days.

Some 96% of the over-65s among the 2,000 people asked said they knew their neighbours' names, but the figure fell to 66% among those aged under 25.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8393872.stm

On Tuesday morning two of the Children from next door came and gave me a Christmas card with "To Lizzy, Matt and Ruby the dog" on the envelope. Sadly I can't remember their names and can't say that I have had a long enought conversation to find out what they do, what school the kids go to or what faith they are.

Memo to self: Practice what you preach.

Matt

Dirt can be good for the church?

Dirt can be good for children, say scientists:Messy play should be encouraged, according to the hygiene hypothesis Children should be allowed to get dirty, according to scientists who have found being too clean can impair the skin's ability to heal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8373690.stm

As a "soon to be parent" I noticed this and thought it was worth look. I have always been a believer that our society has become obsessed with cleanliness, over subscription of drugs and Health and Safety. But I do recognise the importance of these things in the running of a church community. Peoples safety should not be taken lightly and God demands we are good stewards of our the people we serve.

My point is more focused on how spiritually safe our churches have become and how we have sought to ensure that any mess is kept out of our churches, especially in worship. By playing it safe and keeping things tidy we are in danger of minimising opportunities of restoration and healing to take place on individuals and as a body of followers. We are fooling ourselves to think we can leave our sin at the door of our churches and worship as if we are all OK. It does a disservice to God and to our friends who we worship with. Maybe we need more sin in the church (this is not the same as being more sinful).

Dirt is good for the church because it allows God to clean us up, make us right and recreate our minds, bodies and spirits repeatedly. This does not mean we sin on purpose but bring the realities of our everyday life before God (not just on a Sunday), before our community and deal with it. Being exposed to the dirt of life will not harm us because God promises that he will protect us where ever we are. Jesus prayed for His disciples and us in John 17 that we would not be taken out of the world but be protected as we interact with it.

Then why are we scared to get our churches dirty?

Matt

Silence in church

I have been prompted by a few people in my church to think once again about the purpose of music in church, as part of our worship expression. Having grown up in the Salvation Army music has always been a part of my worship tradition/experience. Whether brass, coral singing and congregational sing of songs (all ages) it has seemed that music is central to drawing people closer to God in times of worship.

But is music that important to worship? Does the style matter? Of course it doesn't but the reality is that there is always music in the church so how we use it must be right. My experience has taught me that it is easy to be in a music groups in a church and have no understanding of worship or faith. So often the music (or the musical group) becomes more important than the focus of the worship. The style is irrelevant, although I recognise that people connect with different styles for different reasons, because it is the purpose that should drive the people taking part in the music. Playing your part with your heart and mind focused on Jesus, no matter how small, is what is required to best serve those you are leading.

My questions to anyone involved in music group(s) in church would be; If there was no music group(s) would you still be part of the church? If there was pure silence, could you still worship?

If the music becomes more important then I would rather we stay silent.

Matt

This is your life

I was leaving my coaching session of the Beacon Under 13's carrying two footballs when one of the lads asked for one of them. I said "no", and so he asked why. My reply was along the lines of: "it was dark, there were cars around and that I was about to put them in my car." He then added but "I want one." I replied once again to his question with "sometime we don't always get what we want and we have to do things we don't want to." Smart, so I thought. He then said "I only wanted the ball not your life story!"

This young lads comment has kept coming back to me in the last week because I think it has a lot to teach us about how the church relates it faith, beliefs and values to those around us. I think we have something people want even if they don't realise it. Something that is good, precious and liberating. My relationship with God is what sustains me, drives me and empowers me to be the person I am and will be. I highly recommend it!

I recognise that the church has finds itself in a difficult cultural climate, where people have become sceptical about religion, organised groups and also the church. It is not easy being a Christian but that's the point, it not supposed to be. My belief is that people want to share their life stories with others (christian or not), people want to be in community with one another but have forgotten how.

The church needs to rediscover its confidence in telling it's stories, and then get out of its buildings and share them.

Matt

It is a lot safer in here

Have been reading a book called "Breakout" recently (Thanks James and Amy) . It the story of St Andrews, Chorleywood transitioning their church into Mission Shaped Communities with a central resourcing church. It has been really helpful for me in thinking about the life of Aspley SA but also in my thinking about the Salvation Army at large. One quote caught my eye: "This (today's) culture tends to keep the army in the barracks, and of course if the army is in the barracks the enemy has got the rest of the world" (Stibbe and Williams,2008 :Page 211).

It pretty obvious what is coming but it is something that has been bugging me a lot recently. How do engage with our community outside our church buildings? How do we move from maintenance to mission? How do we do church that makes sense to different groups of people of all ages? How do we make Christians confident in their faith enough to share it in the normal everyday?

I don't have many if any answers but I do know that the "come to us" model of church is no longer effective. We can't continue to wait for people to turn up on a Sunday, Alpha or Special services. We (the church) have to make the more out into our communities, in the reality of life. The problem is we feel safe in the barracks, protected by those we know and reassured by the familiar. yet, whilst we sit in our barracks we allow those people to continue to get lost, to miss out on the joy of being in a relationship with Jesus. It doesn't matter what model we use whether its cells, MSC, Alpha or planting (to name just a few), all I know is that we need to be creative and we need for it to make sense in our local communities first and foremost.

Still thinking this through but know that God wants more from his church, lets breakout and see what happens.

Matt

Run Forest........

I have got a place in the Virgin London Marathon 2010 and last week I went for my first full session at the gym on my workout to build up my stamina. I ached a little the day after but not too badly.

I began my work out OK and the moved on to the cross trainer, which is like running with ski poles in your hands and not lifting your feet up. There are two directions: forwards and backwards. After about 7 mins I realised I had been running backwards. No wonder it was hard work and feeling a little weird. My mind was thinking forward but my body was going backwards. Once I changed directions and got into my stride It felt much better. When I went to the gym on Sunday I made sure I was going the right way.

You can probably see where this is heading. As the church we may think we are going in the right direction but it seems hard work. If that is the case then we need to stop what we are doing and refocus our methods. It is easy to plough head on for a long time with taking looking back to see where we have been, where we have gone wrong and we we need to do differently. God doesn't want his church to work hard, I believe he wants his church to work smart.

26.3 miles is a long way so I had better make sure I train and run smart.

Matt

I can't get no satisfaction!!!

Do not worry I am not going to break into song! At the East Midlands Youth gathering in Grantham (25/10/09), Andy Whitehouse challenged us about our attitude to our churches to "not to become satisfied with what we have." An interesting thought that I felt was worth a blog.

On one level I disagree with him. Dis-satisfaction can lead to discontent which could in turn lead to a destruction of hope. This may sound extreme but I have seen many Christians get dis-satisfied and move on. Also there is a danger you can drag others down with you which will be damaging for a church community.

On the other hand Andy is right, if we become satisfied with our churches we will simple seek to maintain our churches rather than see that they are places of purpose and mission. I believe that God needs a church that is willing to question itself, be willing to be honest enough to see what is going on around us and change if necessary. Being dis-satisfied as a church should bread hope and mission because we are willing to evaluate our effectiveness and purpose.

I prayer I will never be satisfied with which ever church I find myself apart of but only because I want God to have the glory not because It doesn't suit my style or needs.

Matt

Home and Away

I did something silly last week. I didn't have football for the Beacon on Saturday so looked at the Saints fixtures to see that we were playing MK Don's (which is an hour or so away). Spoke to a couple of mates about coming and phoned to book tickets. I asked for the tickets in the away end and got a strange reply; "your a Saints fan but you want to sit in the away fans end." I thought to myself "that is what happens when you see you team at an away ground." Anyway, turns out we were at St Mary's!!

Over the last couple of months I have been thinking a lot about what I believe church is or should be. I have been chatting with a number of people about how the Salvation Army seeks to relate to our world. Sometimes I feel like I am a home fan in the away end. Trying to be heard over the the noise or feeling like I am in the wrong place (not physically). Is my understanding and approach to church wrong or off the page, have I missed something along my journey? Is my passion for a certain model of church better or worse than another, is my vision for the church out of sync with God's heart?

On the other hand, I have been energised by what I see God doing in and through the life of our church in Aspley. People are responding to God, asking question and seek to deepen their faith. I have had great conversations around how we need to change and/or renew our approach so that we can be more effective in being a people who represent Jesus in our communities. I also know that God is showing me the kind of leader he has made me and what my limitations and skills are. I am even more convinced that the church in 2009 can't remain on the fringe of society and must find new and creative ways of being in communities and all levels.

God is teaching me valuable lessons that I hope I will be faithful in learning. Come and join in, it's great fun.

Matt

Back to church - Part 2

Following on from comment on facebook regarding my blog on the 30th September, I thought it only right to deepen the discussion. Thanks to David for his helpful challenge (see below).

"ok - another little thought..."Isn't it about time we went back into our local pubs, shops, barbers, sports teams, schools, library, sheltered housing, council offices and many other places and take the message of Jesus with us for all to see." (This extract comes from my Blog 30/09/09)

"isn't that what everyone goes every day??so- i suggest (for chewing over) - we don't need any more calls to go - but rather a call to be effective in our demonstration of the gospel.... the "problem" may be that we Christians too often are living dualistic lives - we can be "all evangelical" on Sunday but on Monday be affronted that we would ever think of speaking of Jesus (after all everyone is entitled to their views)." (This is David Robertson's comment on my facebook page 02/10/09)

The questions that rang to mind as I read the comments were; is Sunday the most relevant day for a gathering? Are we stuck in a rut? What is church? Have we got it wrong? How do we aid our communities to inherit the kingdom of heaven on earth on Monday morning?

I think there is only one answer; Live it. We can have the best, well intentioned programmes or projects but unless our daily lives match up with our words we are useless. My firm belief is that people need to experience the goodness of God once again. We have left him out of so much of our lives that the world can no longer see His impact. Of course I know God doesn't need us for his mission to be effective but He wants us to be involved with His mission because it brings Him glory and honour. Maybe it's just me, but I think it requires us to redefine our understand of what church is or in fact what church should be.

Matt

Well done Wenger!

Today sees Arsene Wenger 13th anniversary of being at the helm of Arsenal Football Club. I have to be honest to say that I am not always a fan of his attitude after games but there is no doubt he is a brilliant coach and his teams play the best football in the league. Not only has he nurtured teams to play football the right way he has influenced the whole of the club, and many others in this country, as to how to maintain a club for the long haul.

"Thirteen years after he was greeted with the headline "Arsene Who?," Arsene Wenger made Arsenal history on Thursday. Having arrived in English football a virtual unknown, he is now the longest serving manager of one of the world's most famous clubs.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-10-01-3633290902_x.htm

So what has this got to do with the church? Arsene, for me, has proved that time is an essential commodity in leadership. Someone once told me that the average length of stay of a C of E vicar in growing churches is 17 years. Stability is key to developing teams, leaders and ministries in local churches that can flourish and impact the community. Arsene is still not finished with Arsenal and will continue to look at ways of making it a place where good football is played and trophies can be won. A church leader needs time to survey the church and it's community, discern a vision and then develop the values with which the church will grow. Of course there are dangers with leaving leaders in the same place such as: becoming comfortable, traditions setting in, becoming leader driven rather than need driven and feeling immovable.

As a Salvation Army Officer I have no idea how long I will be in Aspley (a long time I hope) as it's leader. But I am convinced that time is need in all situations to allow leaders and the church to seek and respond to the needs around them.

Matt

Back to church?

Last Sunday morning Lizzy and I went to Southampton to lead the Children's Celebration Sunday. Whilst on the journey (which was 2 hours shorter than the journey home) down from Nottingham we listened to Aled Jones on Radio 2 Sunday breakfast show. One of the guests on there was chatting about "Back to church Sunday" with the tag line "come as you are."

This got me thinking about how this idea is the wrong way round and that we should be going into the world rather than thinking people are going to stop what they are doing and come to church. We have been trying that for a long time and I don't believe it is a sustainable solution for the church. It is about time we turned our own backs on our church buildings and set out into the community to find out what exactly is needed rather than react to what is presented before us by people.

Jesus met people in their own village or town, He got out and about and His name and works spread out across the whole of the region. He was active not passive, mobile not static and people knew what he was about. In Matthew 13 Jesus sends out his disciples to go and cast out demons and heal the sick. He sends them out into the reality of a world where people needed to be freed, healed, restored and resurrected. He commands them to "go" and they go.

Isn't it about time we went back into our local pubs, shops, barbers, sports teams, schools, library, sheltered housing, council offices and many other places and take the message of Jesus with us for all to see.

Matt

Where would Jesus Shop

We went for our 20 week scan on Tuesday (22/09/09). Whilst waiting for the scan, Lizzy found this little snippet in the Metro that was left in the waiting room.

It was in reference to the Bishop of Reading saying that the Church of England should be less like Marks and Spencer and more like Aldi. I love the idea that Jesus would stand in the queue at Aldi. An interesting sentiment which on the face of it I would agree with but I have a couple of issues.

First, I would have to say that M & S is a positive role model for reducing it's carbon emissions and ethical trading. This is something that I would encourage and support.

Secondly, and more importantly its makes some assumptions about the people who go to Asda or Aldi. Is it only the poor that shop at these places or that we should just go to Aldi because the poor are there. For me, I shop at our local co-op as much as possible and because of that have got to know a few of the staff well. I also see a number of other people who I know from football, parents and toddlers, the drop-in and general other stuff.

I don't use the co-op because of the type of person who uses it but who uses it. Local people. Maybe the issue is more about where our churches are, the focus of our mission or the places in which our congregations live.

Matt

Finding Christ..........

"It's easy to see Jesus in Jesus people but we are called to see Jesus in everyone, even our enemies or people not like us" Rob Bell

I heard this quote whilst walking the streets delivering envelops for the Salvation Army annual door to door collecting. The money raised goes towards our Social Services in the UK. For some this is fills them with dread for others (like me) they quite enjoy it. The SA is involved in some great work throughout the UK from hostels to charity shops, Addition projects to working with prostitutes.

In contrast, this week I have also come in to contact with a family of 7 (mum and 6 children) who have fled a difficult situation and been housed in a council home. They have very little, the child have not been given school places yet and they were over the moon with the 2 bags of clothes and a football that I delivered yesterday.

Immediately, the quote from Rob Bell lept into my mind. It is so easy for me to "do my Job" and not get emmotional or attached to people and their needs. It is easy for us all to hide behind the SA and the "good works" that it does. We need to go beyond that and see everyone as Christ would, we need to get out of the comfort of our church buildings, even our own homes and be prepared to love those we find.

Matt

Are the blessings ours alone?

Recently, went to see U2 live at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield. They were out of this world as they went through their latest album with many of the hits added in for good measure.

One line still rings in my head loud and clear; "Blessing are not just for the ones who kneel, luckily." It has made me think about the experience of God that non-christians can have with out asking for it. It could seem unfair for all the life long Christians who do the right things, say the right things etc and then someone who doesn't even ask or maybe want God's blessing can receive it.

However, I have been excited that God can speak to and bless anyone and everyone. So often I have reduced God, restricted Him to the churches property. I am beginning to understand what this mean (but have some way to go) and how differently it means are approach to church should be. If we keep God inside our churches, is it any wonder that the Salvation Army (as well as other churches) is in decline.

Jesus didn't bless his followers all that often, it was the poor, the sick and the oppressed to whom the whom the blessings were given!

Matt