-
Whilst serving our children’s ministry workers Holy Communion, the children asked if they could have some bread and grape juice (we use grape juice in deference to those who have a problem with alcohol) my reply ‘of course, if you can tell me what it means?’…they smiled but couldn’t answer my question.“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself†1 Corinthians 11:27-29 NIV
Holy Communion and The Eucharist are both terms that have been seemingly abandoned in many modern churches. I wonder if in our modern church context we still understand the significance of The Eucharist and the special part it plays in our lives.
So I’d like to spend the rest of this post exploring with you what the passage in 1Corinthians may mean to us today..?
Continue reading »
-
What I’m willing to read (and what I do read) has changed a lot over the last decade. The biggest reason for the change is: I’m less afraid that what I read will adversely affect me.
I’m curious about all of you. What are you willing to read?
If you’re a Christian…
- Would you read a book about atheism?
- If so, would you rather read one by an atheist or a Christian?
- Would you read a book about Christianity by an atheist?
If you’re not a Christian…
- Would you read a book about Christianity?
- If so, would you rather read one by a Christian or someone who isn’t a Christian?
- Would you read a book about your beliefs/non-beliefs by a Christian?
-
I got this yesterday from LICC, with regards to a job opening they have. Do pass it on to anyone you think it might be relevant to.
——
Continue reading »
-
When I got my first invite to Facebook, I thought ‘great something else to fill my electronic media life with, that I don’t have time for’. But I signed up, and must admit, it has become a regular read, and has helped me reconnect with several people, and extend ways of connecting with friends and new friends, that are exciting, and helpful (including the Deep Church group).
Yet this article on the BBC web site, comparing MySpace and Facebook, that is being picked up by radio talk shows, and national newspapers today in the UK, reminded me that, no matter how useful, and amazing Facebook might be, there are some things to pause and think over (at least for me).
1. Cool: One day soon, Facebook will not be cool, and there will be something new. The measure between Facebook and MySpace seems to always include the word ‘cool’. How much does that affect the other areas of life we interact and connect with, do our fickle online social networks form practices and habits that affect how we connect to other networks?
Continue reading »
-
I got a review copy of this book, which is sooo expensive in hardback, but is coming out as paperback edition soon. You can search inside it here.
I know I read and recommend a lot of books, but this one is outstanding, at least for me. Practical theology is the focus of the book, which is usually relegated to the application we make once we have done real theology, like biblical studies, systematics, historical theology, and is often called ‘applied theology’. This book sits in the emerging stream of ‘practical theology’ that engages with concrete everyday church life, rather than something to do/apply after having done theological reflection. It’s also focused on current changes in church ecclesiology in the face of consumer culture.
Continue reading »
-
Andrew Rogers who is writing a PhD on hermaneutics in UK evangelicalism at Kings College, London, has posted an item at Deep Church. Text is below fyi, and comments are open on the original post at the Deep Church site. Andrew is also the author of one of the chapter in Remembering Our Future, and he will be replying to comments from people on the post, and questions.
———–
I’ve belonged to ten evangelical churches so far, ranging from very charismatic to not-at-all (and still belong to the tenth). I’ve been hearing ‘what the Bible says’ for a long time. Studying biblical hermeneutics in an academic context made me curious about ‘how the Bible says’ for most of its readers. Eventually this led to research in a local charismatic evangelical church (‘The Fellowship’) looking at how members of that congregation came to understand the scriptures – what I’ve called ‘ordinary hermeneutics’. The chapter in the book includes a summary of ordinary hermeneutics in the Fellowship, and then draws out points of wider relevance for deep church.
Continue reading »
-
I have been known on the very pages of this blog to say that i don’t get very much out of going to church. Well as all good heretics i’d like to recant and say that almost a year on from when i wrote my observations i’m starting to appreciate church in a whole new way…I know that church has its problems, flaws, drawbacks, limitations and general crap moments, i’ve been going to church for over 30 yrs, but rather than dwell on those i’d like to suggest some reasons why i am really appreciating it and i’d like to hear from you too about what you think is right/good/fun/engaging about the church in your own context…
-
I still consider myself a charismatic, and I need to post on that process/journey some time soon. Anyhow I have gotten to know Richard Tatum who has set up a site that provides a list of bloggers who are charismatics, and an aggregations of feeds from their sites.
PneuaBlogger is here.
-
Paul & Moira from one of our small groups in our church community organised a 24 hours of prayer for our church community, centred around issues of social justice, environment and gloablisation. I took some photos (you can view them here) of our church centre that was transformed into several areas with information, posters, activites, and things to interact with as people prayed.
It made me think again of how much prayer has changed for me, and in the life of our church community over the past 10 years. Whereas prayer was once sitting in a room with others often feeling like we were talking to the wall, there are so many other ways to explore prayer with creativity, participation and engagement. And for that I am very grateful.
-
We live in a disposable culture, where we often throw away something when we have finished with it. My parents had their first washing machine for nearly two decades; now we think we have done well if it lasts 8 years, before we discard that last one, to buy the latest version. So it is with computers, cars, MP3 players, and almost everything else we possess. So have we created God in our image? Have we made Him act in ways that we act?For long time I have always envisioned God bringing his mighty hands to bear on our earth at the end of time, to wrap it up as one does with the empty paper from Fish n’ Chips (for UK readers) or a MacDonald’s Burger (for US readers) and toss it into the bin. And then, of course, there is the hope of brand new creations, a New Earth & New Heavens: this time with no sin, death, pain or suffering.
Continue reading »
