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Back in September 2007, I blogged this piece about some of the key magazines and journals/e-zines that I subscribe to, in order to keep my pulse on emerging culture in terms of culture, art, writing, music, movies, politics, economics, science etc.
I’ve just been sent a preview copy of a new magazine that has made it straight onto this list, and I’m going to subscribe Standpoint for sure.
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I got a message on my mobile phone from Christianity agazine, saying they are going to use (in edited form), the piece I wrote on Todd Bentley.It’s certainly one of the most read pieces on my blog. Mostly coming from google search hits on the topic. I wonder what it will look like with their edits?
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Someone else I got to meet at my seminars at the RUN event last week was David Male.
David sat in on my seminar. He’s is a Tutor in Pioneer Mission Training at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, while also being Fresh Expressions Adviser for Ely Diocese.
David has a book that is about to come out in July called, ‘Church Unplugged’. It draws on his experience as a church planter, and most recently his work in training of ordinands for pioneer ministry.
You can get more info on the book here, and the blurb for it says:
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I’ve always enjoyed and benefitted from various psychometric tools and related training skills over the years.
Today we revisited the DISC test with our office and staff team, with coaching from my friend Jamie Pennington.
If you are in a christian organisation and want someone who is an expert in these tools, as well as having an understanding of Christian organisation do try Jamie. I know he coaches ordinands at Ridley for example.
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Whilst doing my seminars at the RUN conference last week, I had a coffee with Rob Hare from the Bible Society.
He showed me their online resource based around Lectio Divina, called Lyfe.
You register online for free to get access, then can download bible passages, with guidance for Lectio readings. Looks like a great resource.
Rob is also available to talk with groups and communities about using the site and forming groups around the resources.
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I just got this book by Mark Galli.
It’s short, easy to read, and the best thing on why liturgy might help Christians connect to and grow in Christian faith in our current culture.
I’ve already written about how my church community have been understanding the perverse liturgies of consumer culture, and how Christian liturgy can counter and form a different identity.
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I’m on the way back from Peterborough to London after doing my seminars at the RUN conference.Bumped into Jonny Baker, and a few other people I know, and Brian McLaren . Seems to be a well organised event, and was sold out.
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I’ll be speaking at this event in Peterborough tomorrow (tuesday), on the topic of:
Consumerism and Church
How is the emerging church responding to the issue of consumerism and how can the gospel impact a society so committed to what is in effect a new religious system?
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With the ‘credit-crunch’ in full swing, the daily media churning out predictions of inflation, recession, housing market collapse, food cost increases, oil price expectations of $250 a barrel, the consumer apocalypse seems nigh.
We’ve binged on cheap energy, and cheap credit, yet I don’t think this will be a long term collapse, more like indigestion after the 10 year bender we have been on.
So we’ll get over this, make some changes, the markets will move on to new areas, and we’ll remember this as the ‘energy/credit crises’ of 2008.
But it’s going to come back again and again. I’ve been using this time to take a long look at my connection to spending, what I think I need for a ‘good life’, and wondering how much I contribute to this round of indigestion.
The Story of Stuff, remains for me the most compelling video that raises to consciousness and understanding, why we are in this situation, and how it just can’t carry on.
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I’ve had several people in my church community and many more outside it, ask me what I make of Todd Bentley in Florida (and mixed in there is often the name John Crowder).
These questions, from good people in my church, and other friends, are enough for me to take it seriously and offer some responses.
By way of method, I’m not going to deal with them directly. I don’t want to offer an assessment or critique of Todd Bentley and/or John Crowder. Instead what I want to offer is how I plan on navigating this movement, and the next one that comes along.
Being in the association of vineyard churches for 20 years, means I have seen several movements like this come and go and many are connected to these current ones.
So what follows below is more, what I have learned from some of those experiences. They are in no particular order, just as they occur to me.
1. The Body of Christ is Broad: I can enjoy something of God in many different kinds of churches, but I wouldn’t want to make my church home there, nor do I have to.
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