Jason Clark

Trying to make safe spaces for diverse and healthy conversations about church, culture, mission, theology and motorbikes

What do you like to do on holiday/vacation?

I love learning, and action, and the worst thing for me to do on holiday is an extended time of 'nothing'.  It doesn't work for me, and it isn't about me being unable to disconnect, it's just not how I'm wired.

I love to get up early, go for a run, read a book, learn something new that I wouldn't normally have time for at home.

I've just discovered 'Great Courses', which are in DVD, CD and audio formats (UK site, US Site).  So I'm loaded up and ray to listen to a course on how sentences within good writing work and an overview of great idea in philosophy. 

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10 tips for navigating pastoral ministry and church leadership

Just found this 10 part blog series thanks to a tweet from Joshua Rhone.

1. Prepare to struggle.
2. It's a calling, not a career.
3. Big dreams are a tricky thing.
4. Make sure you are preaching the right gospel.
5. Woo your city.
6. Decide whom you will offend before offending them.
7. Get serious about a hobby.
8. Influence.
9. Be part of your own church.
10. Don't let people need you too much.

Those are the post series titled, check them out at the site.

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Reclaiming the female half of God's image

I was reading earlier today the aims of this writing project:

Wikiklesia: Volume Two will re-examine and re-imagine the roles of women of faith. The purpose of "Taking Flight" is four fold:

* To inspire and challenge. Many in religious circles may agree with the idea of equality in theory and in theology, but often bias and discriminatory practice persists. Even in the most progressive religious circles, women’s leadership is not encouraged nor are women’s contributions acknowledged equally. Volume two, with integrity and grace, poses new perspectives for Christian leaders.
*  To inspire women to take flight using contemporary and historical examples. Women of faith represent a latent army of world changers and advocates, that if inspired could affect the world in dramatic ways. An unprecedented, historic window of opportunity is opening at this time.
*  To inspire balanced gender participation and representation within Christian community. Faith communities are undergoing change. People are slowly migrating toward a more experiential and participatory settings which de emphasizes hierarchically dominant structures. The opportunity to pursue and implement decentralized structures will not be fully realized without fully integrating women’s perspectives.
*  To offer a renewed apologetic to those outside the faith. It is abundantly obvious from “secular” practice that women are equally gifted for service and world leadership. The church must broaden and renegotiate its theological anthropology to recognize the radical nature of Jesus valuation of women and thus take its right place in the world.

Looks like some wonderful writing and work here, and you can read the detailed abstract here, and order the book from via here.

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Faster than a speeding bullet?

So the other day I raced a sports bike around Silver-stone.  Some photos of me in action came in the post today.

Not sure if I look like I know what I'm doing, or not? ;-)

         
Click here to download:
Faster_than_a_speeding_bullet_.zip (1189 KB)

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Where are you investing your life?

Jason Coker, has asked me to take part in a series on his blog, under the following premise:

 
The Premise

You've just met a young American (or British, for you folks on the other side of the pond) adult who is utterly irreligious. Having been raised by agnostic parents, their family never attended any kind of religious gathering, and - although they understand what "religion" is and have been exposed to different religious practitioners - they don't really know anything about Jesus Christ or Christianity. But they're curious, so - knowing you have something to do with Christianity - they ask you three simple questions:


Who is Jesus Christ?

What has he done?

Why does it matter?


My response

Jason asked for 300 words or less and for us to answer how we want to.  Here's my first run at this challenge, and it's more than 300 words (oops)...


We all try to make sense life, what the meaning of life is, asking what is my purpose here, what is a good life, at least for myself?  And we all seem to get one shot at this life, one chance to take all that we are and invest it into our best answers to those questions.  At this time in history, and even when I was younger (I know it was some time ago), life seems about competition, survival of the fittest, and doing to others before others do it to you. Or as my gentle white haired grandma used to say, 'take care of yourself grandson, because in this life I've learned no-one else will'.


It's not that we don't want life to be about more than this, it's just that in our fast paced consumer world, being successful, getting ahead, looking out for yourself, is what our friends and family and so often we default to.  And even if you wanted to, you can't jam the system, there is no way to opt out of the juggernaut for getting ahead in life. It's the way things are, so either drop out, or get stuck in. 


And the effort and investment to get ahead, is kept alive and made worth while by the prize of what we think life is about, maybe a great career, great family, holidays, living somewhere cool, and retiring early.  Where we live, what job we do and what relationships we have reveal the answers to what we really think the meaning and purpose of life is about, they are the real investments we are making, daily with all we are.  It's our life, we are kings of our kingdom with our decision and choices, as we decide who and what we are, and what we bring into our lives, as we make a life.


Jesus was someone who understood what life was about, and decided to invest his life very differently. Instead of getting ahead, he said he had come to serve others, that his investment was into a different reality and economy, which he called 'The Kingdom of God'. That life, this life was about investing all we have, time, energy and money, our heart, soul, body and mind in a different reality. He said that jobs, where we live and relationships are very important, we've got that part right, but how we invest ourselves for those aspects of life is very different.


He even told us not to worry about all these things, that the reason we worry is because we fear losing things we shouldn't be putting our heart and soul into in the first place.  And he did more than talk about this new reality, he lived it.  Every day, every breath, every step, he invested his life in helping others see that life was about knowing God, and entering into the plans God has for us. Using our gifts, and skills, passions and interest to invest in God's economy.  And he said that if we do that, God will give the best life we could ever have.  And he said that if we practice this life investment, our lives will continue, after death into eternity.  Jesus brought a warning too, reminding us to take care.  That where we invest our lives determines who we become now and forever, so choose wisely.


Jesus invitation seems so impossible, it was as impossible 2,000 years ago as much as it is now.  In fact people intent on investing in a way of life much like ours today, eventually put him on a cross and killed him. And as they looked at him dying with no friends, no job, no career, no success, and no status they asked him, 'where is your God and this way of life now'?


But he didn't stay dead, you see the new economy and way of life Jesus had invested in, was real, and who he was and who he had become, carried on just like he said.  The investment in God's kingdom saw Jesus rise from the dead.  He then told and showed others how his investment had paid off.  And we can choose where to invest, when those pressures of life seem insurmountable, that's when we get to do what Jessus did and invest in him.  Jesus said we'd need to pick up our cross, to practice life like he did, for others.  We invest our life in this new economy, by investing it in him with others.  Every day as we look at where we invest ourselves for work, where we live and who we have relationship with, is a chance to pick up our cross and invest in the same life Jesus did.


I was 17 the first time someone explained to me who Jesu was and is, and why it mattered, and maybe if I tell you what that friend told me, it will sum up what I'm trying to say here?  My friend said that, investing my life in Jesus, taking all that I am and giving it to Him, might not make my life easier, in fact in lots of ways it would be much harder.  But he promised me that, I would have something to live for and something to die for, that there wouldn't be a day when I wouldn't know meaning, adventure and purpose.


I chose to make that investment, and 24 years later, I have experienced the most amazing life, with all of that and more.  The depth and richness of discovering who I am, the most amazing experience of life with others, as I daily try to invest all I have in Him, has been stunning.  I'd love to tell you more about that sometime. Choosing Jesus was the best investment I ever made with my life.  Where are you investing yours?

 

And something from the Bible, from people who first learned about this investment and started to experience it with Jesus. Romans 12, '1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.'



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The Big Society: How should Christians engage in partnerships with government?

So David Cameron launched the new government initiative of The Big Society.  Where I live has been chosen to pilot applications by local communities for government money for their projects.  In the hope to devolve power to local communities, and to give them resources to do what Government cannot do, and in the current climate can't afford to do.

The Evangelical Alliance UK, have contacted UK churches encouraging them to make the most of this possible initiative.  I've just asked to meet my local MP to explore what this might mean for our church and its community projects.

How do churches navigate this initiative and think through some of the issues of what working in partnership with local government entails? Churches are the largest national group of volunteers in the UK, able to bring to every community, the most important important resources for community...people.

But how do churches avoid naively being swallowed up and hijacked by the dominant UK secular anti christian political agenda, and at the same time not miss out on what could be the most amazing time and space for engagement with community?

A great place to start is with the book by Luke Bretherton, 'Christianity and Contemporary Politics'.  I wish this book have been around when our church plant started it's community projects and partnerships.  But I think this work is almost prophetic for helping churches navigate this new possibility.

Churches need to do the hard work of reflecting carefully how they understand their role and place in society as they approach this project.  Luke maps out how churches are usually 1) Co-opted:  one self interest group in civic society, working with others 2) Competitive:  Using the language of 'rights' and 'freedoms' to express themselves publicly and 3) Commodified:  a private lifestyle choice, in the market place of clubs and societies.

Of course Luke argues that all these are unhelpful and that there is better way to understand church in relationship with society.  Luke shows how if Churches don't think through this role and relationship that when they get involved in local politics and government partnerships, several problems ensue.

1)  Co-ercive:  Churches are forced to stop religious practices and identity to enter into partnerships, losing their focus on people as whole and spiritual being, and losing integrity in the process
2) Mimetic:  Becoming like the state and other professional bodies, seeking to be 'effective'
3) Normative:  The people in churches who take the lead in these partnership become professionalised, and distant from the church communities that enable their partnership in the first place (this was the most painful example with a project in our own church, that broke away from the church once established)

In summary partnerships by the state with churches can cause social conflict rather than achieve a common good, with the aims and values of churches being undermined by them.

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scared witless and smile a mile wide

I just got back from a motorbike race training day, with an old friend, at the Ron Haslem Race Track School at Silverstone.
 
My goal was to have fun, and not come off the bike.  Going down the back straight at 130-140 miles per hour was exhilarating.  But taking corners are 100 miles per hour was more so. Mission accomplished.
 
Aside from the fun, I went on the day to learn high speed cornering.  A police motorbike instructor suggested to me that learning to take corners safely and speed on a race track was one of the best ways to minimise the risk of an accident on public roads.
 
My instructor on my certificate and feedback commented that I was 'a typical road rider, no style...' :-)  He did then go onto give me some encouraging feedback ;-)
 
(photo: video is Ron Haslem doing the course, but with less style than me :-))

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Is de-converion the new conversion?

I was re-reading an article by a friend Phil Harold, 'De-converion in the emerging church' (sorry it's behind a paywall, and I can't give out free copies) and I wondered if de-conversion is the new conversion?

Phil's article surveys a broad range of bloggers and writers in the Emerging Church, and highlights the stories of loss of faith, and belief.  Phil then makes one suggestion of how the work of John D. Barbour on de-conversion, might help us to understand what is happening within this.

There are four elements from Barbour that Phil correlates with his survey: 1) Doubt: the struggle for belief in a post-modern world 2) Moral critique: how Christians are tired with seeing Christians more concerned with the consumer dream than the Kingdom of God 3) New metaphors: the search for new ways of expressing 1 & 2 that don't use the mappings of previous ways of understanding faith 4) Self examination away from others in isolation.  There's so much to Barbour and Harold's use of him.  It's one way to see what is happening and how it's a healthy and simultaneously unhealthy, like all movements.

In my Doctor of Ministry thesis I used the work of James Fowler, to suggest that the loss of faith is a normal and necessary part of faith development.  I'm not unique in suggesting that, and I drew heavily on the work of Alan Jamieson for that.

But I also wonder if something else is happening, as I'm sure many things are happening.  Having just surveyed the history of evangelicalism, it's beliefs and practices, one thing stands out. The process of initiation into the christian faith through an intense emotional experience, of personal faith and assurance.

A large rump of the E/C are from middle of the road evangelicals who were brought up on certainties of faith and the telling of stories of conversion and finding faith in the evangelical tradition.  I remember hearing Nicky Cruz speak, and saw how evangelism was often about gathering people to hear dramatic conversion stories.

So all these christians brought up on this narrative and 'normative' experience, who did not have this experience having been raised in churches, have to come to terms with not having had dramatic conversion experiences, and the loss of certainties in a post-modern world.

Perhaps de-conversion, the telling of intense emotional stories about the realisation of not believing, of loss of faith, are functioning as the 'new conversion'.  We now confess our lack of faith and assurance, and the uncertainty that captivates our imaginations and actions.

I find myself in the middle of this somehow.  Not having been brought up in church, but having had an intense conversion experience, what was not around formulas and programs. I'n not sure if that's helpful or a hinderance in church life and mission.

In any event, the loss of faith, and de-conversion, as well as the certainties of the past, seem to offer little hope for seeing others 'find faith' and live out that faith with others.  What does a new 'new conversion' look like?

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Social Media Training events this Autumn in London

 

So this autumn there are some great social media training events that compliment each other greatly, all in London:
 
4th September – Social Media Boot Camp at LICC, that I have organised in partnership with EA UK, LICC and LST.  A days training from top coaches involved in social media.  A 'how to' for individual and organisations, to get up to speed with using social media and understanding it's possibilities for individuals and organisations.
 
16th October – Theological Refraction on the Internet – set up by CODEC as part of Premier Media’s Christian New Media Conference but aimed to bring together theologians and media theorists.  Other parts of the CNM Conference will speak to Christian Leaders and Tecchies.  This event is the reflective, 'what goes on within social media interns of identity and formation, and its relationship to theology.
 
30th November – The next Digi-Mission event by EA UK Slipstream.  I'm involved in the planning for this and will be taking part.  The theme is Social Media and Social Change.  How can churches engage in social media for change in their local communities.  Early days for info on this yet, but it will be at All Souls, Langham Place, London.

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Viral Hope: book project I wrote a piece for...

ViralHope available at Amazon and the Ecclesia Press.

Aaron Nee of the Brothers NEE made this related video. 

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