Missional-Life

Today I finally received through the post (via Amazon) a book that I have wanted to read for months. Lesslie Newbigin’s ‘The Gospel in a Pluralist Society’ is a classic missiological/missional book. First published in 1989 it has spawned much of the current missional debate.

My desk often looks a little untidy! I’m a multiple pile type of guy. Today as I was sat doing some work I looked around at the current piles on my desk and thought that they sum up much of what I’m thinking and working on at the moment:

Pile 1

Man Overboard! (Sinclair Ferguson)

The Message of Jonah (Rosemary Nixon

Jonah (RT Kendall) personalised with a full cup of coffee by my good friend Rob T

Jonah (John Calvin)

Pile 2

Christ and Culture Revisited (Don Carson

The Reason for God (Timothy Keller)

Counterfeit Gods (Timothy Keller)

Pile 3

Gracism (David Anderson)

Letters Across the Divide (David Anderson & Brent Zuercher)

Grace for Muslims? (Steve Bell)

Pile 4

The Deliberate Church (Dever & Alexander)

Leading with questions (Marquardt)

Pile 5

Vintage Church (Mark Driscoll)

Church Planting (Timothy Keller)

The Mission of God (Christopher Wright)

Pile 6

Don’t waste you life (John Piper)

Yesterday I was reading Martin Luther King Jr. “letter from a Birmingham Jail”. The following is an extract which feels just as provocative today as when he first penned it on the 16th April 1963.

There was a time when the church was very powerful–in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.”‘ But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven,” called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent–and often even vocal–sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

I’ve spent today preparing for our forthcoming elders away day (10th April). I’m really excited about all that God is doing amongst us and I’m sure our away day will be a fruitful and significant time!

Richard Dawkins, the author of ‘The God Delusion’ is famously recorded as saying:

“Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”

Is Richard Dawkins right? Is faith just ‘the blind leading the blind’ or a ‘great leap in the dark’ or using Dawkins phrase the great human ‘cop-out’?

On Easter Sunday we will be exploring the evidences or proofs for the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please come and join us!

Time: 10:30am

Venue: Nene Family Church, Church Centre, Fletton Avenue, Peterborough.

On Sunday 9th May 2010 the leadership team at Nene Family Church want the whole church to be together for a day (10am – 3:30pm) so that we can share with in some detail the fresh and exciting vision that we believe God has given us for the church and some substantial changes that we will need to work through over the coming months. I cannot overstate the significance of this meeting! I suspect that in five or even ten years time we will be looking back on the 9th May 2010 as a truly momentous day in the life of the church. If your part of Nene Family Church or considering moving and joining us, can I encourage you to make this an absolute priority!

Children: As this is such a significant moment in the life of the church, Les and Alison Howard are going to be organising a day of fun activities for crèche, pre-school and primary aged children. Les and Alison are hoping to be supported by a team of experienced and CRB checked helpers from other local Newfrontiers churches enabling our own dedicated children’s workers to be freed up to fully participate in the vision day.

What do I need to do now?

Please can you book in ASAP by contacting Jaki Bellamy in the church office:
Phone: 01733 552227
Email: office@nenefamilychurch.org.uk

Greg Haslam in his thoroughly enjoyable book on the Prophet Elisha made the following provocative comment about the call of God.

“Neither Elijah nor Elisha initiated this–God did. The call was radical and uncompromising. Elisha felt claimed by God and there could be no bargaining or resisting. God is not looking for volunteers, he is looking for conscripts. The times are too tough for people who ‘fancy a go at that.’ We need men and women who have been chosen by God: the divine constraint must be there.” (p27-28)

Teaching 2 Samuel to the 1st year students at the HUB Bible School (Belgrade)

Milos and me marking student assignments on 1 Cor 9

Relaxing after a long day!