Merry Christmas

Hi Everyone,
Not been posting for a while. Otherwise occupied with the planning stages for a new and thrilling Church plant. More on that another time.

For now. I want to send out sincere wishes for a very Blessed Christmas to one, and all.

Bye the bye, did you know that "holidays" is short for "holy-days"; so even the P.C. types don't know what they are saying when they advocate, the colourless and un-imaginative, "Happy Holidays".

It reminds me of another reason I love God, He gets in everywhere, and never gives up on us.

In closing, a little Churchy humour:

From the Do Not Take Yourself Too Seriously Department

December 20th, 2005 at 12:52 pm

A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards. She says to the clerk, “May I have 50 Christmas stamps?” The clerk says, “What denomination?” The woman says, “God help us. Has it come to this? Give me 6 Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran and 22 Baptists.

Taken from: Classical Anglican

Jesus comes to us all in so many ways - welcome Him.

Merry Christmas.

The Loins of Luther

I was just chatting with a good friend who had just taken part in an online pastors chat forum. Someone had asked whether there is a need to draw near to God since we are joined to Him spiritually, 2 Pet 1:4; and if we can and should do this (which I think is very important, not to mention the array of scriptures about prayer), then, how is this possible? Of course, the depths and the mind of God are such that we shall spend eternity exploring Him, and this has begun for those in Christ! Notwithstanding, the poor images of heaven that we seem to have been given. (John Eldridge does a great job of describing heaven in his books).

One thing underlying this question, provided you accept the interpretation of that passage from Peter, is that there is a famine of historical perspective in so many areas of Protestantism and Evangelicalism. This sorry state of affairs is another part of the ignorance of our common Christian heritage, and not just a few misconceptions that are left behind as vestiges of a wider collective memory. Compounding the situation is a smoldering anti-Catholicism, which some don’t even realize is present. Yet there is a massive corpus of writing on Christian Spirituality, which can be tapped. It is as though the Church (the "True Church", not the Roman one, or rather, the 26,000 that are part of this True Church!) had sprung from the loins of Martin Luther. Please don’t think that I am underestimating his importance, or the need for reform, then as now.

Protestants lack of historical perspective is a great handicap when it comes to dealing with all sorts of questions. We can overlook this tremendous wealth of spirituality and theology all too easily. In fact, we, or they, may be guilty of trying to re-invent the wheel, when in reality, life and ministry are not coming out of a vacuum - with the very text of the bible in hand, with us as its best interpreters! Certainly, we have to be cautious in taking on-board any opinions from the past, as well as the present, but there is at least a need to acknowledge, and even more so, to draw from, what is actually available to us (2000 years worth, not merely 500), which will certainly help to anchor and inform our questioning.

There is no such thing as a new heresy; the same old ones crop up again and again, and the Councils and the Church Universal have provided ample evidence and correctives to help us avoid such a great source of cruelty. Only today, my wife was telling me about a small local Church that is mired in the most awful legalism and resulting bondage, and family carnage to its adherents. Lies always tie us up and leave is for dead, under a cloud of demonic shame and confusion. It is so sad that so many little groups spring up, declaring loudly their purity and commitment to the Gospel, when in actual fact, they have gone off half-cocked, with little or no practical accountability, and profound ignorance with respect to the wisdom of the ages that might have forestalled such mayhem. Certainly, Western individualism and hubris does not help much either!

Some of us, with no sense of superiority, have started to search out our ecclesiastical birth parents, so to speak, as so many real adoptees feel compelled to do. We have a great legacy of Doctors of the Church, Mystics, and other Godly people with which to discourse. We might come to some differing opinions on things, but surely there are choice pearls of wisdom to be had – as Luther might also encourage us to do himself.

See, he writes, though not without criticism later on:

“I will not presume to criticize too closely the writings of the Fathers, seeing they are received at the church, and have great applause, for then I should be held an apostate;”

and again he writes,

“We must read the Fathers cautiously, and lay them in the gold balance,”

The Table Talk of Martin Luther,
http://www.reformed.org/documents/Table_talk/table_talk_4.html#Heading24

May we take advantage of just such a Gold Balance. As Jesus said, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."” Matt 13:52; NKJV

More resources here: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html

God in New Orleans.

"When Abba Anthony thought about the depth of the judgments of God,
he asked, 'Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others
drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those
who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in need?'
He heard a voice answering him, 'Anthony, keep your attention on
yourself. These things are according to the judgment of God, and it is
not to your advantage to know anything about them.'"

From the Apophthegmata Patrum -- the Sayings of the Desert Fathers.
This version was translated by Sr. Benedicta Ward.

I am tired of the finger pointing. The facts will come out in time, and the agenda’s of certain people. It does appear that the local authorities made some bad choices and dithered too much. Let’s all do what we can to alleviate the situation.

I believe this disaster is both a sign of judgment and an opportunity for blessing. Such is often the case.

I’m so glad to hear of the amazing responses on the ground of many American’s helping out others, and of thousands of families being housed by Churches all over the country.

One wonderful example comes from some friends of mine at a “biker” Church – I created and manage their website. Follow the next link to read how they helped one family in a big way. God Bless these folks!

http://www.godsrollingthunder.com/katrina.html

Christianity Today has a page of helps and articles at:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ctmag/special/katrina.html


To give online try:

http://www.operationblessing.com/

http://www.worldvision.org/

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Here is a prayer too:

"O blessed Lord; you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who have been displaced and sent into exile by this tragic natural disaster. Enable them to know your presence, the warmth of your embrace and the fullness of your love. Restore to them assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears, anxiety and loneliness that beset them; strengthen them in spirit, hope and faith; and to those who care and provide for them,
give patience, compassion, strength, care and love. Amen."
[adapted from The Book of Common Prayer]

What is the Church for?

A recent post on a blog that I read, Monday Morning Insight (for pastors), just asked this question: "What is the Church to be?"

Monday Morning Insight

Quite simply, it is the place where we meet with God, together with others. I don't mean meeting God, as in, hanging out with your buddy; although God is the best friend of all, but in the sense that we are able to lose ourselves in worshipping Him, and can approach the mystery of who He is to some degree.

Some will say that the Church is really a school, a hospital, an army, or even a place of entertainment and empowerment (though the words used in these cases are probably more acceptable), but all of these things are benefits or aspects of the one true goal - of exploring and growing in our relationship with God. Meeting with our Creator so as to taint our clothes with the smoke of the eternal fire of His presence, thus empowering and healing us in many ways, and ultimately, becoming better disciples in the process. Certainly, we have a mission, as some might protest - after all, the Church is the sacrament of Christ Himself. However, we must not highjack the ultimate purpose of God as we set about our various missions and ministries.

I love what Robert Webber writes in his books regarding "Blended Worship", and "Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail" - highlighting the need and necessity for people to meet with and worship God. Many of us Christians in the Evangelical and Charismatic streams are beginning to search for deeper worship that we have known - more than mental, emotional and functional “services”, and are becoming increasingly disillusioned with utilitarian and modernist reductions of the faith. We are hungry to worship God as the Early Church worshipped Him and prospered as a result. To encounter His majesty and mystery in the midst of our hardscrabble, daily grind, and overfed, Western World. To be nourished by His very presence - and paradoxically, His presence in His absence. Not mere knowledge and facts, (though, the mind is His gift too) but life and love - deeply grounded in an authentic encounter with the living God. Hearing from God and sensing His person, rather than just hearing about Him. We do not want to find ourselves in the quandary of trying to present the Gospel to others, yet to be found proffering a Gospel about a God whom we don't really know.

Evangelists, teachers Pastors, and others, will all have preferences or differences in emphasis in their opinions and objectives for this important question, regarding the purpose of the Church, but I submit, that we will greatly impoverish ourselves and others if we do not clearly understand, not just with the mind, but also feel deeply, that the Church is an organism that exists primarily to foster relationship with God; which will then spill into every other area of life. To do otherwise, is to go down a road that we don't want to end up on. Filthy rags of self-righteousness can also comprise filthy rags of, heap upon heap of dead works and dry information. He is the Truth. He is the Life as well. Just think of Job, left gabbling and stammering after his confrontation with the reality of God Himself.

I'm talking about passion for God; the true God who transcends our various concerns and yet, deigns to fellowship with us through the gentle unfurling of the wings of His Holy Spirit, manifested to us in ways that we cannot conjure up, or perhaps, even withstand.

We are to be Christ's followers and worshippers, not just his workers, or He, our boss. No! He is our almighty Lord, and we bow before Him. He is great, ineffable, and worthy of all praise. Now, that is something to be for.

Cheers!

A Little Bit of Contemplation

We have just returned from a very nice, quiet week away by a lake in North Georgia - with grateful thanks to friends who let us use their holiday home. My wife and I read about five books each; one of these was, “Is Paris Burning”? An account of the Allied liberation of Paris, and the preceding French uprising there. Riveting stuff, actually.

As you do on these kinds of holidays, we took a few trips, but not enough to spoil the resting!

As a Georgia Tech fan, we ventured into enemy territory, on a visit to Athens, and the University of Georgia “Bulldogs” campus. A nice little town surrounds the college grounds, with a fairly decent Indian restaurant, where we ate our lunch.

We also took a scamper around old Gainesville on another day, which is really a small square dotted with teashops and little bistro’s. Amidst these, we found a “British” shop, filled with goodies from home, and lots of bits and bobs, and run by a very nice man called Sonny – though he’s not English. Dinner that night was a grilled batch of real bangers (sausages) with English Heinz baked beans, and toast- quite delicious! Yum!!

One book that I finished was the excellent, “A Call to Intimacy”, by Tony Horsfall, now published in the USA as “Rhythms of Grace”. A real gem of a book – introducing the contemplative and classic Spiritual Disciplines to Evangelicals and Charismatics. Very well done, practical, and very much needed.

I hope you find a good place to rest body and soul before the summer is concluded and the nights start to draw in again. I believe Daylight Savings Time is going to be extended in a few years time. How I wish we could have this done for holidays, so that they lasted longer!

Cheers!

PG sounds

These are a few things I have been listening too:

1. She - by Round2
2. Bustin' out for Rosie - Tommy Bolin
3. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine - The Killers
4. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
5. Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers
6. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
7. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers
8. Andy, You're A Star - The Killers
9. On Top - The Killers
10. Change Your Mind - The Killers
11. Believe Me Natalie - The Killers
12. Midnight Show - The Killers
13. Everything Will Be Alright - The Killers
14. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
15. In Your Honor - Foo Fighters
16. No Way Back - Foo Fighters
17. Best Of You - Foo Fighters
18. DOA - Foo Fighters
19. Hell - Foo Fighters
20. The Last Song - Foo Fighters
21. Free Me - Foo Fighters
22. Resolve - Foo Fighters
23. The Deepest Blues Are Black - Foo Fighters
24. End Over End - Foo Fighters
25. Still - Foo Fighters
26. What If I Do? - Foo Fighters
27. Miracle - Foo Fighters
28. Another Round - Foo Fighters
29. Friend Of A Friend - Foo Fighters
30. Over And Out - Foo Fighters
31. On The Mend - Foo Fighters
32. Virginia Moon - Foo Fighters
33. Cold Day In The Sun - Foo Fighters
34. Razor - Foo Fighters

Another Gospel, or No Gospel at All?

The increasing crisis in the Anglican Church and EC-USA is a sad situation, and it is not going to get better. It is further lunging Anglicanism headlong into schism. The ordination of women bishops is (going to be) another unwise step that puts the final nail in the coffin of the Anglican Communion as a united body, which has been a tenuous situation in the past few decades anyway.

More here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/12/ncofe12.xml

The timing of this new proposal about women Bishops is a further underlining of the mess that certain, fuzzyheaded Bishops have descended into, and another sign that they have lost the plot entirely. I am not even sure that I am against women Bishops per se, but it is the path they have taken that has brought them to pursue this course, and other more tendentious steps, that really should trouble any right-minded believer. There is a theological flabbiness gathering steam underneath these issues, a corrosive 'leaven that leavens the whole lump" and leads to a deadly weakening of the Church, and more than a hint of heresy and apostasy is still simmering on the stove.

A quote will suffice for you to see what kind of leaven is already baking in the ovens:

"The persistent claim of these movements [women's liberation and gay rights] is that a greater fulfillment can be achieved when one is freed from the mundane concerns of ordinary family life. The Playboy mentality, which sees females as bunnies, playmates or sensual toys, is joined by feminists and gays offering an alternative to family life. And it is not only that alternative lifestyles to marriage and family should be acceptable [among Protestant clergy], but more often than not, there is a desire to embrace the alternative lifestyles as positively superior because they do not lock the human spirit into humdrum sex, unrewarding labor, and the unexciting relationships that characterize family life."

Excerpted from Against the Protestant Gnostics (OUP) by Philip J. Lee:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/

One of the most telling indicators of false teachers and false prophets is that they will inevitably give themselves away by two things: 1. Immorality, (e.g., bishop Robinson living in sin with another man); and, 2. They will speak in contradiction to the revealed will (Word) of God, (i.e., the new revelation on homosexuality that Liberals espouse as being inspired by the same Spirit, who has clearly condemned the sin, but not the sinner). Take note that the first departure, usually flows from the second error, therefore, doing violence to Scripture - which always leads to darkness and bondage.

The most scurrilous behaviour of recent note must be the actions of the ultra-liberal Bishop of Connecticut, Andrew Smith, who broke into St. John’s parish without permission, and then proceeded to lock out the rector of this growing, and well-run parish in Smith’s Diocese, against the will of the congregation. While undertaking this disgraceful, “fascistic” work, the Bishop is reported to have broken into the Church computer, containing confidential files about members of the Church, and which is quite illegal. Tolerant, inclusive and loving? I think not! This terrible abuse of power is merely indicative of the depths to which these kinds of heretics (what other word can one use?) have sunken. As Bishop Allison noted so well, heresy always leads to cruelty.

More info here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2768

What we are seeing is, in reality, a conflict between those who have departed from the Faith for a perversion of Christianity, and which cannot now, in any meaningful sense, be called a Christian Gospel, and those who remain true. Those who continue faithful in the Gospel (and are accountable to it), and will brook no compromise with the Faith as supported by the Bible itself, and which is supposedly repugnant to the world, must make a stand for the truth for the sake of the world, even in spite of rejection. I would maintain that, so called, Conservative believers are not a breed of cave-dwelling, bible thugs, (notwithstanding the "bible-olatry" of some insecure souls, who pale before any intelligent questioning), but they are mainly orthodox Christians who recognize both the Gospel, and the need to present it a way that is intelligible; not altering it into something else. Take heed when men say all kinds of goods things about you and praise you! Lk 6:26; - You are becoming more like them (rather than Christ) than you realize!

What I am NOT talking about is: hating homosexuals, or unmarried people who engage in sex; this is about Christians who have shipwrecked their faith and are in the process of bankrupting the faith of others. A good question for the remainder of us always is; how do we reach out and share the love of Christ to all kinds of sinners, without falling prey to the above deviations from the Gospel? But that will have to be another post!

The so called, Liberals, are not proposing a (new, better, enlightened) version of Christianity, but a replacement of it. A wholesale accommodation to Western culture and mores - it is not the Gospel of the Son of God, who lived, died and was buried, and was raised to glory in a literal and historical sense. What they espousing is a saviourless humanism of peace and harmony, without scruples over what sin and truth are, in favour of some touchy-feely, wooly intellectualism, with just a few trappings of tradition; enough to keep them in purple and presbytery - for the moment. It is a hermeneutic of accommodation, not a proclamation of salvation in Christ alone. They are the blind leading the blind. It is no wonder their Churches are being deserted in droves.

What these Liberals affirm in man is not goodness; what the bible actually calls sin is being overlooked, without really offering people any real hope, freedom, and a new life in the power of the Spirit. They welcome people in sexually immoral lifestyles (which they condone), re-naming the behaviour as “loving”, while castigating the closed-mindedness of the Apostles, Fathers and Saints of the Church, and give such departures from morality a benediction from the corpus of Eastern philosophy and humanist ruminations, tinged with existentialism, while trying to atone for the guilt for the sins of the West, real or imagined. The only sin they recognize is intolerance; and the Gospel is its first target – tolerance? I think not. To borrow a phrase from Mark Driscoll: "Liberal Christians run the risk of loving their neighbors and their brothers at the expense of loving their Lord." http://www.christiancounterculture.com/articles/reachingout.html

However, Jesus is not a way, as they would suggest, but "the Way" - they have it backwards, and even, upside down. Their Jesus is not The Son of God, but a guru among the gods of the East, sanctified by psychology (which has its uses, otherwise) and as promulgated by Oprah (who probably does more good than many of their dodgy Bishops). They are scared to call sin, "sin"; they are loath to denounce false religion, terrorists, and display a silver-tongued eloquence in a spin of lies. Nevertheless, the articulate exposition of a fallacy does not make it the truth! One only has to compare Scripture with the tenets of this Christ-less faith. They say that they love Him, (Christ Jesus) and follow His example, but where are the standards of holiness; the denunciation and overt rejection of sin, the hatred for hypocrisy and stand for truth, and His warnings about hell? They do not believe these things; they are in opposition to the Word and message of Christ, for they have superceded it with another message. (They might as well work for the United Nations instead of misrepresenting Christ, His Gospel, and His Church). An imaginary saviour can only bring an imaginary salvation, so it is with the watered down Christ of the liberal mind. It is not a new Gospel; it is no Gospel at all.

Let's just review what the Apostles have to say about the enemies and false preachers of the Gospel (including the Gnostics, ancient and new!):

• Seeking to be wise them become fools, and substituted the Truth of God for a lie. Rom 1:22;

• “Another Gospel” is preached, but without Christ and His work at the core, our only hope for salvation and life. Gal 1:7; 1 Cor 15:1-6; 12-19;

• Seeking after knowledge, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim 3:7;

• Having the form of Godliness, but denying its power. 2 Tim 3:5;

• They would consort with other faiths, playing the harlot with other philosophies, pretending to be Apostles of Christ. They would preach themselves, take advantage of others, and line their own pockets, rolling about in sentiment and fornication in the name of "love" and tolerance. Sounds very familiar. Mat 7:15; 24:11; 1 Cor 5:9; 2 Cor 11:13; Phil 3:17-19; 2 Tim 3:6; 2 Pet 2:1; 2 Jn 1:7;

• Jesus came, full of grace and truth. Jn 1:14,17; Both are needed, and ever should it remain the case.

For more details on the tide of heresy in ECUSA, you may read here:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2559

Converging Streams

Whether you are aware of it or not, there is a swelling movement of people seeking out a deeper quality to their faith that is often NOT found in (their) Evangelical and Charismatic Churches. Others, such a Richard Foster and Renovaré, have been ahead of the game all along. This is probably not the only thing going on, and I will not attempt to classify the causes. I just want to get down a few of my thoughts.

What we are seeing is a renaissance of the classical spiritual disciplines, formal spiritual direction, and a return to the liturgical and sacramental traditions of the Church. "Post-moderns" seem particularly open to the ancient ways of doing things because of their longing for mystery, and one suspects, a yen for solid ground under their feet, in such a wobbly cultural scene as we enter the 21st Century more properly.

This movement has been given the term "convergence". This means a coming together of the Evangelical, Charismatic and Liturgical rivers in the Church. Indeed, Renovaré is dedicated to the promotion of several of the streams in its work, including the things which I have mentioned, but adding, social justice, contemplative spirituality, etc., Sometimes we are put off by the language used, but many times, the terms are really familiar to us under other names. For example, spirituality means not too much to the average Evangelical, but they know something of "quiet times", and "discipleship", at least purportedly! Surely, every parish, congregation or community and house-group has some sort of "liturgy", and might even be plagued by deadness to some degree, as the liturgy is often accused of being!

These various streams might seem like strange bedfellows to some, and are probably most alarming to certain Protestants. However, it is not a cause for worry, as far as I can see, but a cause for joy. What we are witnessing is a movement of the Christian Evangelical and Charismatic mainstream of the often, fragmented, and slightly (ok, very) amnesic Church in the West, harkening back to it's roots, yet without jettisoning the very valuable developments that most of us have come to take for granted (to the exclusion of other things just as valuable). It is also not about becoming Roman Catholic, but there are things we can learn from them too. We will leave aside the atrocious departure from both tradition and scripture by certain of the mainline denominations, who hold to some form of liturgy in the more formal sense (to no avail!). I assume most people understand the term liturgy. It means literally, "the work of the people", and is a combination of the words, rituals and order of worship in the Church meeting or service, when Christians gather to worship the Lord, minister to one-another, and to hear His word.

You might say that there is a danger of going overboard and cherry picking that which we prefer, and I agree in part, but I am inclined to believe that God is really behind all of this. He is in the business of uniting us in Christ, and there is a great horde of things that we have in common, rather than things that separate us. Now, some pastors and teachers may have a problem with what I am describing, especially if they are lacking in their appreciation for Church History and are blinded by some denominational or party spirit. It is terribly unfortunate the lengths (and depths of animosity) that some people will go to in order to protect their doctrinal "milk", all to the impoverishment of their communities of faith, who in actuality, take their lead from these very leaders, and who may really want more solid food, if only they knew where to look for it.

I have always thought it was wise to take a long view of things, both practically and personally. In matters such as we are discussing today, I think it is also wise to take the proverb to heart, which says, "chew the meat and spit out the bones," or to borrow from Luke in the Acts, to be "wise like the Bereans", and to check things out for ourselves by searching the scriptures!

Now again, some might have issues with the above convergence because it seems to be a fundamental shift away from scripture, but in fact, what we are recognizing is a return to the apostolic days, when the Apostles hands were still guiding the Church before even the canon was closed. A little research will show you that such is the case. I point you to the writing of the Early Church Fathers, such as, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, The Epistles of Clement of Rome, the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, The Didache and the Sacramentary of Serapion.
Most can be found at: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ These are some names to juggle!

Even without giving sway to everything we find in the fathers, for instance, some wacky methods of exegesis, we can and should, happily embrace a return to Scripture, Liturgy and Openness to the Spirit, without doing harm to the current form of the Church in terms of it's vitality, but on the contrary, we may immeasurably, be adding to its profundity of meaning, it's stability, and a superabundance of life. Amen to that!

God save the Queen

We remember them..

and we shall not yield to terror.

God bless Britain and the USA.

Triumph and Disaster

Some of the papers are calling the dastardly attack on London, so soon after the Olympic jubilation, "the day of triumph and the day of disaster", and announcing, "terror comes to London", and yet, we British are "Bloody but unbowed". I emailed back and forth with a friend yesterday who missed the Kings Cross bombing by minutes. He eventually got to work on a river taxi. Others were not so lucky, I'm sad to say.

It reminds me that the devil, who is the real author of evil, does not have a forked tail, a red jump-suit and little horns; he wears a nice suit and carries a briefcase, filled with semtex. These are fingerprints that will not be picked up by forensics, but which show all of the hallmarks of the enemy of souls. We also need to remember that things that happen in the natural world can indicate what is going on in the unseen one.

Some people are saying they cannot understand why people could do such a thing. I also struggle to understand on an emotional level how murder can be justified in such a case (or any), but from a theological point of view, the matter is much clearer. We do live in a fallen world; a world that the West has forgotten is in the grip of evil powers behind the scenes. This is not some medieval vision, but a true picture of the world that has a powerful, but not omnipotent enemy. Christians call this a spiritual war, but not against people as some crusaders terribly misjudged. It is a fight for good and right, and truth, in the pure light of God.

I am banking on the fact that God will turn this around. The enemy always seems to overplay his hand, and we shall see great victory come out of this monstrous act. My thoughts and prayers, and those of millions of other Christians are with the victims and their families. This little discussion will not assuage their pain in the least. Though I am sure that we all need to be reminded of how to frame such dreadful things.

The same Gospel that people deny is true, often rationalize their position with the old argument of disbelief; how could God allow such terrible things as the London bombing yesterday. It's the issue of theodicy and the problem of evil again. (The word, which supposedly was coined by the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716), is derived from two Greek words (theos, God, and dike, justice), and has to do with the justification of the goodness and righteousness of God in the face of the evil in the world. http://www.leaderu.com/theology/theodicy.html)

I don't know why God let is happen, but I do know that this, under-estimated Gospel, tells us that there is genuine evil, and that God comes into the darkness and is able to bring light and hope. Some people even try to deny that evil exists, but this is no defense against the enemies of the good. They are laughing all the way down below, to a very dark place and well-deserved punishment, filled with delusions of frightful things that will not do anyone any good, especially they themselves.

Paul writes to the Romans that we should "expect the God of peace to soon crush satan under our feet." Rom 16:20; May it be so in this case in a big way. I would not want to be in the shoes of OBL and his cronies.

My Brief History of History

I love church history, and history in general, not always popular areas for many people. One recalls dull, chalk-smelling classrooms, and monotone teachers, droning on about dates and Dukes.

So, you may be thinking, why do I like history? Because there is a lot to be learned, but more than this, investigating it can give you some sense of understanding for your self, regarding things you may know little about, but may still have a few remembered fragments tucked into a crevice of your brain, previously, that were rather fuzzy and largely, very boring tales. However, there is a feeling of excitement that one experiences as you come to comprehend a smidgen of the triumphs and trials of those who have gone before. Gradually, light begins to dawn, the drawbridge opens, so to speak, the imagination gets to work, and things start to come to life (again).

I find it exciting to turn over a few rocks of the latter days, and to see what is there: finding out who really did what, how they coped with their problems, and all of the weird and interesting things that happened or were said. Not that we can truly know with perfect knowledge - there is no time machine to really know for certain. But there are good books to read, books that are better for finding out than some others. And some documentaries are much better than others, measured in dates, and from direct sources, not merely in upper Fahrenheit’s of ideology. Ahem!

There are many cases in which historical records were tweaked to over blow the successes of the powerful and the moneyed, but an army of sterilized, politically correct practictioners is now replacing this with a new kind of bias. I think we should be especially careful to use kid gloves when we read their impressions of what people believed, particularly Christians of the past (and present), who seem to be getting a very raw deal, as we are so frequently portrayed as the (new) source of the problems in this world. One only has to pick up a book or article about the faith, to see how far they really are from understanding what and who we Christians really are. Unless you are actually a Christian, you are just comparing one group with another, and being guided by some theory from psychology or sociology, often imbued unconsciously at many higher learning centers with every whiff of oxygen.

It is very discouraging to hear, oh, so often, “well, we know that he or she never really said/did/visited this place” or some such thing. Therefore, it can be very rewarding to go back in time and find out the facts as best you can. In fact, serendipity is a frequent companion on this kind of quest, bringing wondrous gems to the surface, and gleanings of shocking and surprising events.

I love the fact that the Gospels, and the whole bible for that matter, displays the faults and failing of so many whom we would call hero’s of the faith. For instance, we see the quivering, traitorous, and cowardly desertion of Christ by his closest disciples. How much would be tempted to clean things up if we were penning the reports!? Yet, afterwards, we see the absolute revolution in their lives, charged and changed by the Holy Spirit, and epitomized most markedly by Saul, who later become Paul. I pray for more “off horse knocking” even today! We need a few more G. K. Chestertons’ and C. S. Lewis’ for our own day as well.

One thing I discovered about Anselm of Canterbury, a great 12th Century theologian, that is a wonderful tid-bit. His credo was: “credo ut intelligam“ - “I believe that I might understand”, yet, unlikely and unexpected as it might be, most of his philosophical musings about the existence of God were actually written as prayers to God. I find it very refreshing to find this kind of devotion, with which many ancients set about their work, and especially, in contrast to the cold, steely-eyed, skepticism and detachment that bids more recent scholars, bow before the empirical throne. We are probably wise to be skeptical of their skepticism.

A few quotes from actual history exams answers:

“Queen Victoria was the longest queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years. She was a moral woman who practiced virtue. Her death was the final event which ended her reign.”

“Louis Pasteur discovered a cure for rabbis.”

“Gravity was invented by Issac Walton. It is chiefly noticeable in the autumn when the apples are falling off the trees.”

“In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java.”
“Eventually, the Romans conquered the Greeks. History calls people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long.”
“Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door.”

“World War II began turning around when the Allies landed near Italy's toe and gradually advanced up her leg.”

“Hitler shot himself in the bonker.”

“History is nothing more than the behind of the present.”

More some hysterically funny, and slightly disturbing, answers to history tests from some of the finest college can be found at the following link – historians and parents might want to get a box of tissues at hand to stem their weeping!

http://www.dribbleglass.com/Jokes/history.htm

Cheers!

Peter

Do you ever get tired of hearing about another denominational commitee or pastor denouncing some speck of their own communion, who nevertheless, fully believe in the fundamentals of the faith? I do.

You know the scenario well. The issue at stake is not the hyperstatic union (two natures of Christ) or the Bodily Resurrection, it is just that the offending person or persons do not believe like they do, i.e., denominational HQ. It's not so much what you do or don't believe, but that you do not believe how they do. It really has nothing to do with the authority of the bible or belief in heaven, for example; it's just that you dare to have an original thought. So many times the fight is over culture, rather than upholding Christ.

When I hear this sort of thing it makes me feel both sad and angry. These denunciations are the political acts of insecure and graceless people. They use a 100-pound mallet to squash a tiny ant. Not that the ant was doing anything other than looking for a dry spot to call home.

We do not have time for this if we are serious about sharing the Kingdom of God, and in emulating the most basic tenets of the faith, such as we find in the Sermon on the Mount. I do not mean some wishy-washy, "love will conqueror all", "let's just get along" way; I mean, taking the call of Christ so seriously that we are more likely to, daily, bow our heads in shame at our own faults and pettiness, rather than looking for someone to call a heretic. Of course, those heretics can be a good diversion from this sort of discipleship, and those pesky sins we have to deal with on a personal level.

There are heretics now, and there will always be heretics. But what is a heretic? It is a baptized Christian who willfully goes against the basic dogmas or creeds of the faith, such as I have mentioned above. It is not a small diversion in understanding or preference in something like ministry style, worship music, or some misapprehension of core doctrines. I venture to say that the great streams of Christianity, apart from some really un-orthodox liberal wastrels, all hold to a core of doctrine that none would disagree with. Every good protestant should have no problem with the creeds, such as the Nicene or Apostles Creeds; which Catholics, Episcopalians, and others recite every week.

I ask you: which of us has a full understanding of even one of the great mysteries of the faith? We must certainly believe them, but we have to admit that our puny minds cannot fully comprehend them. Were you there, sitting on the Rock with the Angel, when Christ blasted out of the tomb?

For instance, I doubt whether the Apostles knew much about the Trinity even after being with Jesus every day for almost three years, or much afterwards. Or do we even know how much faith and knowledge is required for salvation? Did the woman at the well know what Jesus was saying about following Him, even though He simply spoke about having a drink of water that would not dry up? Did Nicodemus know anything about the ascension of Christ or "assurance" of salvation when Jesus told him he needed to be born again? He did not even spell that out for him, a term we hear bandied about like a brand of cereal. If a few things are needed, then a lot of things are not needed!

At the moment of salvation, all that we know is enough for us to come to believe, but it is not enough to gain a degree in theology. Rom 10:9-10; So, after how many years of being a Christian, how well do you understand that God is three and yet He is one? You are a heretic in your ignorance, but probably a worthy saint in your heart. We need to give more grace to one another.

We are really heretics when we fail to love and serve. We are heretics when we judge one another needlessly over matters that do not make any difference, or do not add any benefit to the witness of the Church (thus, damaging that witness).

I have often wondered who appointed the modern day heresy-hunters; who are so quick to damn and yet so slow to encourage. Beware of the "leaven of the Pharisees". Matt 16:6; Lk 12:1;

As the Apostle Paul writes, "I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to build you up, not to tear you down." 2 Cor 13:10; And to the Church in Rome he warns, "because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you." Rom 12:3;

How are you doing in this building up, and in not being so proud of yourself? A good question for all of us, including me.

Trust in Christ, not in People

G. K. Chesterton once wrote:

“I believe in Liberalism. But there was a rosy time of innocence when I believed in Liberals.” - “Orthodoxy”, p. 46.

One of the consequences of having a life not surrendered to Christ, which must include all of our lives at some level, is the inevitability of letting one another down. We will hurt each other and have conflict from time to time. This is a fact of our faith and life, which is not always appreciated. We either look too fondly on others, and not upon Christ as the paramount certainty, or we look too poorly on others and expect nothing much from them, which is a way of boxing them in, and somehow, limiting what Christ might be able to do in them (eventually!).

Often, I hear young Christians in the process of planting a new Church, for instance, speaking passionately about having “real” community. Surely this is a laudable goal. However, I am not sure that what they are really talking about is altogether too idealistic or is a real conception of community.

Community can exist at several levels, not always deep ones, and yet be truly meaningful to people at an unexpected (and overlooked) variety of levels. There is a limited amount of depth than one can experience in all relationships, and very few are particularly intimate, though all can be enriching (sometimes not!). Which makes me wonder whether, particularly in such a fragmented society, that there is really something else going on with this desire for authentic community.

I would not be surprised if the root of this hunger for community might not be found in the fact that people may be yearning to make up the deficit that they have from their own broken families. We then project this longing onto the Church, and pretty soon, we become rather enmeshing in relationships in a way that may actually work against our goal in the first place. After all, which of us really knows what a real community is from actual experience? We are wise to protect, affirm and contribute to the sense and form of community that surrounds us - it being a major source of life and grounding for our lives that scripture mentions in many places. Furthermore, this worthy desire for true community is something that cults take advantage of. They commonly try to ape and ensnare their victims with some kind of surrogate family. I like the notion that God builds with bananas – with people like us – even with our bruises, bends, and bad habits!

Too often we measure the love we have for others by the depth of feeling we have or something, which is notoriously difficult to categorize, and such an attempt can spoil the beauty of this connections with others. We need a realistic notion of community to aim for that is nevertheless, not just wishful thinking, but able to weather the storms together; and to keep respect for differences and levels of commitment which cannot be forced or coerced. We have to maintain a real regard for the fact that we are broken people, and will all be in process (on the way to maturity) for a while. I also think we need to define what we do not mean when use the word community.

Jesus has no illusions about what we are like, and yet, was able to accomplish His mission in a marvelous way, rubbing shoulders with, and serving all kinds of people. John 2:25; “(Jesus) Knew what was in man”. Yet, even He faced great disappointment in those He trusted the most. This is a salutary lesson for all of us. It should not cause us to shrink back with fear, but remind us to keep a level head, and put our hope in Christ above all other things and people, without ignoring or skulking about without truly engaging with people either – this is a particular challenge after having been bitten a few times!

We are told that our relationships are a sign of love to the world (Jn 13:35;), that love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22;), and the test of our faith (1 Jn 3:17;). However, I do think we can go overboard in our ideas of community. We need to be both, available to others and God, and yet, able to separate ourselves from being too close to others (e.g., sometimes emotions can get in the way), that is always congruent with our faith. Nevertheless, we will be deeply hurt at times, as I know from some painful experiences, if we trust too much of ourselves to others, other than to love and be loved (in deed and attitude, as appropriate) – which is the business of a lifetime in the faith.

This posture of availability, and yet, measured reserve can be hard to define, but ultimately, God will be the judge. We might call it balance or having boundaries; but whatever terms we use, it is important to aim for a healthy combination of these things in our lives. I think disciplines such as solitude, journaling, and reflection, combined with the counsel of a wise shepherd will help us to attain or approach this much better.

Jesus said a very challenging thing – “that we are to love our enemies”. We do not even have to be friends with people to love and serve them. I sometimes have a hard time loving the people I am close too! Let’s not chase some communal paradise that can never appear on this earth, but let’s aim to build up one-another; giving space and mercy to each another. “He that believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Rom 9:33. If you believe in man, you will not be so fortunate.

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

Almost everywhere I go, it seems that Christians are lacking in the basic knowledge of their standing in Christ by Grace, their identity in Him, and the significance of the New Covenant which has given us a new heart as promised by the great Old Testament prophets. Ezk 11:19; 36:26; Jer 31:31-34; 32:39;

Not understanding these matters, which are the heart and soul of Paul's exposition of Life in Christ, is a deeply troubling and debilitating state of affairs for individual Christians.

Over and over, Paul writes to the early churches in his letters, if I may summarize: “this is who we are and what we have in Christ Jesus, therefore, this is how we live it out”. Well-meaning people often teach us exactly the reverse - to live out the life of Christ from our own resources, which is a massive folly. Christ is not our model in some way we can actually follow without help; rather, as Paul writes, He is our very life. Col 3:4;

If you do not know who you are in Him, then you have to get your identity and therefore, your whole mode of living from somewhere else. Inevitably, it will be, from the world, the flesh or the devil. And why not? We are used to this old way. A way which seems right, but leads to death and dead works.

Now, since we are in Christ whether we realize this or not, God is going to bring pressure to bear to break us of our dependence on things that misshapen our lives. In short - He will break us. This is definitely not fun or abundance, but the fruit of this work is going to work an exceeding amount of goodness and blessing. I remember hitting this particular wall about six years ago, and today, I have scars to help me not forget.

The bible speaks about the refining fire in several places, but in our cushy, air-conditioned, drive-through churches, we are not used to hearing this side of things; as if it were some innovation, or a hang-over from medievalism, rather than a simple fact of the spiritual journey.

There is much that is done in the name of Christ with good intentions, and even outcomes, to be sure, but I assert that this is something of a trickle, compared to what might be if we were more in partnership with God, rather than striving to make things happen in our own strength. Imagine how foolish it would be to plant some nice seeds in your window box and never giving them any water, or driving a car without any oil. Withering, grinding, and great waste will always ensue!

All too often, I hear Christians begging God to do things that He has already granted us in Christ. It is not uncommon to hear people grovel before “the throne of grace”, yet Hebrews tells us that we can boldly come before Him. Heb 4:6; This status in Christ is not of our doing, and it does not diminish either, our call to holiness and wholeness in His power; nor does it mean that God is somehow relieving of us of all responsibility for our lives. Nevertheless, there are a few prize chestnuts that tie us up in knots that you will find commonly, probably seeded into our churches by the enemy and perpetuated by our performance, law-loving, and conversely, licentious flesh. I leave these lies unidentified, for you to take time out to investigate and root them out in full dependence on the Holy Spirit.

The way of God is not the way of man. The path of spiritual growth cannot be accomplished by human efforts. Spiritual disciplines, prayer, meditation and study of scripture and so forth, are rightly done as means to avail ourselves of grace – they do not produce it. There are no “1-2-3-4-5” principles that we can routinely follow or discover which will make one iota of difference - except perhaps, to strengthen the power of our flesh (and not our spirits); and religious flesh is probably the most insidious avenue that is really a “cul-de-sac”(!); just look at the Pharisees, ultimately leading us down the road to spiritual bankruptcy and hypocrisy.

I don’t mean to suggest that I have this all sown up, or that there is some magic formula to all of this, but that as the truths’ of Scripture about who we are and what we have in Christ gradually penetrates us, we will find life in Christ flowing from God Himself in our lives, as we yield to Him. This may take time, come in differing stages from person to person, but it is something God is ready and willing to grant us - for we have it already!

Resources that might be of use to you: http://www.gmint.org/go/resources/

Down with the Brussels Eurogarchy!

The Universal Church is today, it seems to me, more definitely set against the World than at any time since Pagan Rome. I do not mean that our times are particularly corrupt; all times are corrupt. In spite of certain local appearances, Christianity is not and cannot be within measurable time, 'official'. The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide.

--- T. S. Eliot

The French have finally voted "non" to the European treaty. That's an amazing thing to me, although it was predicted. It's hard for an English man like myself not to give a wry smile!

I have long felt some disquiet about the growing intrusions and secularizing power of the European Union. For instance, over 25 years the EU has issued 23,000 directives and regulations into UK law - a figure greater than the total number of Acts passed by Parliament in the whole of its history! This growing libraries of constraints, such as banning bananas that are not bent enough, mandating the use of genetically modified corn (to the universal disapproval of almost everyone), or throwing people in jail for using lb's (Pounds, weight) alongside kilo's, should be a cause for concern to anyone who values the people's right to decide. These things are the tips of a swelling iceberg.

Citizens of sovereign nations should be able to chose their own standards of commerce and discourse, and apply common sense in their own nations, for goodness sake! To say nothing of protecting their own interests and defense, as history seems to beg us. United groups with no place for God have a way of failing in a most spectacular way. Every "tower of babel" is doomed. However, the many euro-committees are populated by an army of unelected officials who are not averse to a little tyranny, such as not letting democracy get in their way. Case in point: The European Commission is a permanent unelected body of 17 people appointed by national Governments for 5 years or more. Responsible for most EU law, which passes directly into UK law, the Commission is aided by a legion of more unelected officials. I think we all know the maddening and cynical results of every bureaucracy.

Some might point out that the rejection of the constitution by the French (and other countries, though not all) is indicative of their fears of job losses, as immigration controls are weakened, of the introduction of the Euro, again, without a vote, and of the admittance of ten new nations without consulting them (what can you expect un-elected politicians to do? It must be intoxicating for them with such a free hand). These objections are likely candidates or reasons for the results of the vote, but there are other outstanding questions and issues that are overlooked. Deeper and more profound matters are in play - as are their implications.

Reuters gives some reason's for the vote here:

Do you know, that despite the urging of the John Paul II, or JP the Great(!), the "wise" drafters of the stalling constitution decided to exclude any mention of the Christian heritage of Europe. Much can be made of the errors that have been committed by, so-called, Christians, but that does not invalidate the simple truth and manifest common wisdom encapsulated in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, and certainly, the fact that art, science, and morality, to say nothing of the freedom of the human soul, have not been given an incredible impetus as a direct result of faith of generations of scholars and leading lights.

More on the late Pope's plea for Christian content:

http://www.cathnews.com/news/302/100.php

For the most part, the EU and its majority of citizens have little, if any, real knowledge of true Christianity. They seem to believe that Christianity, and probably America, are the causes of many of the evils plaguing our world. Whereas, in fact, communist and fascist states have singularly butchered their way through history, with incomprehensible levels of murder and systematic oppression in tow, far surpassing anything that has gone before. Although we Christians must hang our heads in total shame at travesties such as the fool-hardy crusades, (not that these crusaders were all sermon-on-the-mount believing Christians either), we must also weep at the lost opportunities and failure to live out our faith, which leaves us impotent and rightly accused of hypocrisy in too many instances - but not all.

In the days of the Romans, it was put about that Christians were cannibals, so ignorant were they of the practice of celebrating the Lord's death in Communion with simple bread and wine. I fear that European and other Western nations are holding many (though, I hope not so off-base) misconceptions about Christianity; and why wouldn't they? The Church is being overtaken (largely in the mainline churches, which are shriveling, take note!) by doubting Bishops, and those who believe that it quite OK to make cultural accommodations with the content, not just the form, of our Faith and Practice.

One remembers the great irony of York Minister being hit by lightning (July 9^th, 1984) shortly after the liberal Bishop of Durham was consecrated there. We might want to ponder the meaning of this apparent demonstration of divine displeasure, even as the dogged march of secularism, liberalizing modernism, relativizing postmodernism, and the diluting power of consumerism tries to infect our own lives. It is all a blindly foolish war against God, and its a sop to our flesh. In a way, this is akin to a surrendering of our birthright for the proverbial, mess of pottage. It is suicidal to continue in this way, firstly for the weak and helpless, but secondly, to the whole of humankind in the end. The forces of good are not just different to the forces of darkness; they are polar opposites, and their end is just as dissimilar.

Regarding the liberalizing of Christianity, I protest that the articles of faith are not up for debate, nor can the solid traditions of 2000 years and biblical authority be cast away just because they are not popular. Sure, we may need to communicate these things accurately in a way the makes sense, but we must never allow the mob to generate our creed, or politics to hold sway over our dogmas. People need to be given the opportunity to at least hear and even reject, the actual and accurate truth, and not some poor facsimile thereof. Concerning our current penchant for fast, "instant results" everything: we fall prey to a great deceit when we act like teenagers and decry the wisdom of our elders, spurn any measure of caution, and rely on our own shortsighted counsels. Not everything old is bad, and not everything new is good - despite what the marketers and advertisers attempt to portray in their quest for the supremely fast buck.

A new battle will also ensue with the relentless rise of Islam. Of course, Muslims or any other persons are not the real enemy, but nations are in darkness, serving a master they don't realize has them in bondage, just as much as any secular European.

Nevertheless, I also believe that when we are weak, we are strong in the Lord. The power of the Gospel and the oft neglected, Holy Spirit, are primed to take a vital and shining witness into the growing secular morass. Who will the new champions of Grace be? Where will the army of Lord emerge; clothed in humility and passion for Christ, the spotless lamb? I think we will be surprised. They may not be like we expect or in forms we prefer, but arise they will. Can we say "no" to Europe and then "yes" to Christ? Or can we say, "yes" to Europe by given them Christ back?

-----------------------------------------------

More cornball about the EU:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/unelected_eu_commission_ap_19052004.html

A few disquieting facts about the EU:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1298349/posts

“England's Declaration of Independence” - Article by Dick Morris:

http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13791

Hoisting the Euro trophy for the FIFTH time! 

Liverpool Triumph Again

You may have read that I'm from Liverpool in England. This is a good day for us "scousers" around the globe...., ..here's why:

These are some of the adjectives being used to describe our victory in Turkey over AC Milan:

"Amazing, astounding, awe-inspiring, breathtaking, extraordinary, hair-raising, heart-stirring, magnificent, marvellous, miraculous, moving, overwhelming spectacular, spine-tingling, striking, stunning, stupefying, stupendous, wonderful."

I'm posting a pic above. More can be seen with the full story at www.liverpoolfc.tv

I'm a happy Red!

Peter

Page Display

A friend brought to my attention that some readers of this blog (hi, you two!), are not getting the page to display correctly in Internet Exploder.

Why am I not surprised!? It looks fine in Firefox. For those who don't use Firefox, go get it. It is SO much faster and more useful than IE. Mozilla.org

The page displays perfectly in Opera as well. Opera is also a very good browser, orginally from Norway. Get it here: Opera.com

I am wondering whether to swop this blog to another blog host. Not sure yet.

Otherwise, watch this space....

Cheers!

Peter

At The Office

We had some good friends over on Saturday evening. As well as a splendid meal, we commenced the use of a version of the Daily Office, Celtic Daily Prayer, which you will find on my links to the right of this posting, or here.

We were in Florida about a year ago, when I stumbled across this little gem of a prayer book in a second hand bookshop in Sarasota (Parkers?) while visiting some dear friends. For some time, I had been seeking a way to break through a (another!) spiritual plateau, and had found some relief by employing a great little book of prayers which I have had since about 1981, "The One Who Listens" by Michael Hollings and Etta Gullick.

For those who are not familiar with the Daily Office, variously known as the Liturgy of the Hours, and the Breviary, it is a structured was of praying the Palms with other prayers, scriptures and readings that are used at set times of the day. Originally, the Office (from a Latin word for "Duty") was birthed in the Monastic world and has been in use for a very long time, both privately and in groups. All around the world, Monks, Nuns (Religious), clergy, and all kinds of people are using this same method to give order and rhythm to their spiritual lives.

I love the Celtic version because of the immediacy and vividness of it's content. These are powerful prayers that have over a thousand years of heritage, yet, they are being lived and prayed out in the context of a neo-monastic community of ordinary people; the Northumbria Community.

Some may find it boring or stodgy to use these kinds of prayers, but I have come to (re-)discover their value and would recommend this practice. (Or just add it to your spiritual tool belt to be used as and when you see fit -especially for specific times of retreat or even spiritual dryness). You have to think of the power of the ocean, wearing away at the cliffs, or of the (continual) drop of water falling onto hard rock which eventually wears it down, and leaves an impression.

The Office is not only a way to pray, but it is a means to drive the truth and beauty of God from merely out of our mouths and head, and into our hearts, so that we can really resonate with the truth that are repeating or pondering.

You might feel that this is too catholic or prone to steal away spontaneity, but no spiritual practices are free from some kind of issues if we use, miss-use or abuse them.

A good article about "Vain Repetition" can be found here.

From a Jewish perspective on "Fixed Prayer and Spontaneity," go here.

Ultimately, it all boils down to what is in our heart as we do things, rather than getting hung up on methods. Perhaps you would appreciate reading my earlier blog about the use of liturgy.

If you want more information about the Daily Office, here are some links,

Introductions:

http://www.historicchristchurch.org/worship/daily.htm

http://www.prayerbook.ca/library/resources/praying_offices.html

http://www.icmi.org/Newmonasticism/dailyoffice.html

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/20966_49266_ENG_HTM.htm

There are many sites offering version of these daily prayers. Here are some of them,

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/ccp/

http://www.universalis.com/

http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/daily/generalintro.html

http://www.saint-luke.org/dailyprayer.html

I close with this prayer from the front page of Celtic Daily Prayer:

Invocation of the Holy Spirit

Most Powerful Holy Spirit,

come down upon us and subdue us.

From heaven, where the ordinary is made glorious,

and glory seems but ordinary,

bathe us with your brilliance of your light like dew.

Amen to that!

Cheers,

Peter

Long-Winded

I notice that my posts are tending to be quite long. I guess I have to get better at being more brief and to the point. It's amazing to me how the thoughts in one's head take much longer to become real and manageble in the real or written world!

I would be glad of feedback that will help out.

Otherwise, it's a lovely day here in Georgia. The temps. are back in the eighties, at last! I do love the sunshine. I hope you have a nice day wherever you are. Remember, that God shines down on all of us even though it may seem that clouds are occluding the view. He likes you. Honest!

Cheers!

Mud in the eye

You can come in
You can come a long way..
But you won't be inside.

- R. S. Thomas

All of the bru-ha-ha about the emerging church (EC), serves to show that a nerve has been hit; that something important is happening. Hab 1:5; "I will do something you could not imagine," springs to mind.

Who could have envisioned some of the things that EC churches are doing even a few years ago, and what they are daring to challenge, but actually things that have been due to face the music for way too long?

Of recent note, is D. A. Carson's very poor critque of the EC in his book, "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church", may, in fact, be proving their point. Carson considers the EC to be a threat to the Gospel, see here: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=20420
when in fact, the Gospel is more under threat from things he and others do not see - which is more serious. They (and I) are so blind to the cultural accomadations and wider influence of modernism, which we live and breathe - actually, more so than those outside of the Church. Though, at least, I, and maybe you too(?), are aware that there is a problem.

The mainline church has many things to be both ashamed and glad about. However, in general, the famous fable, the emporers new clothes, illustrates things well. For all of the well intentioned efforts and devotion, the sub-culture of much of the (American) Church - I must resort to using broad strokes, in kind with the way the opponents of the diverse, EC do - though a large segment of society, has largely failed to turn the world upside down, as we might expect. According to Barna, there is little difference in the lives of the churches when compared to the un-churched. Now this does not invalidate the truth of the message, but it does impugn the messengers and practitioners of that message. I believe that the Gospel is true, but I am not sure that our evangelical perception of it is all true. How else can we explain the impotency of our churces, which fight more often about external matters and other such things that add nothing to the spread of the Gospel? "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4.

New Wineskins

One thing that stands out from my experiences of revival and renewal in the church - the older, or stick-in-muds parties, usually do not accept or embrace the "New Thing" that they may have actually prayed for when it does come! Jesus said that new wine needs to be put in new wine skins. His context may have been Judaism of the first century, and the people to whom He came, but out from which arose the Church, where the wine of the Gospel was poured into, so to speak. We are perhaps, facing a form of crisis between the evangelical "judaizers", who have it "all sown up, thank you very much!" and the upstart, post-moderns, almost-called, apostates. I feel that this face-off is a diversion - a false dichotomy between "truth claims" and "truth lived", if you will, which I'm sure the enemy of souls and of love will foster as much as possible.

Leaving aside the knee-jerk reactions, there are certainly things I do not like or am critical of in the EC, but there is an abundance of life beginning to flow; new, prayerful and sincere groups, grappling with Christ and His message. These groups are seeking to emulate the sermon on the mount, but are not afraid to dispatch many sacred cows onto the grill, which are long overdue for roasting, in my opinion. I'm avoiding specifics here because, so often, we fight about petty things, such a preferences and styles, rather than exercising ourselves on a critical, personal level, against biblical imperatives about the kind of people we are, and the attitudes we are to have, more than we care to admit. We're not so good at the weightier issues, such as keeping a rein on our tonques, offering charity to all, and giving a good hearing to our fellow-believers, never mind our enemies!

Keeping the Baby, Not the Bath Water.

So what might be at stake? What criticisms are valid? I have observed several things that trouble me (I could be wrong) about the EC, but it is early days yet.Time may prove my concerns unfounded, (and those of others). Perhaps, many of the dangers will be ameliorated quite naturally, as the pendulum swings back to the center (whatever that might be, it will be some sort of balance, tempered by wisdom). Notwithstanding the fact that, quite ironically, a balanced view of the Gospel appreciates that it is essentially radical and scandulous to our sensibilites at it's core. Converting Jesus' parables into our own context can be quite a shock, if you have not tried it! If you are comfortable with everything, then take heed, and ponder the significance of that fact.

The enemy, if we can even use that term, is not so much from post-modern accomodations, or it's perceived threat (which may actually be a very good thing), but it is from failing not to take the Gospel to heart, where and when we are now. Of allowing the shape or power of the modern AND post-modern (and what comes next) mindset to squeeze out the Gospel, and/or distort it's present day application, and eternel essence. Like missionares, but in our own culture, there is a vital task of enculturating the Gospel into our sitting rooms, so that it is neither denuded of it's message, nor it is unintellible to those around us. It is replacing some things and embracing others, with the Gospel as the yardstick; which actually makes this effort tougher to do, because the Gospel frequently up-ends our thinking and values. The Gospel is messy when it intersects with human lives; it's truth is wonderful and terrible, and certainly not a, "one-dose-for-all-time" formula. Some things need to be thrown out. Some practices and attitudes need to be left behind. And yes, some fears say more about us, and less about others or what we are afraid of.

May Father help all of us to wash the mud from our eyes so we can see clearly. We may have been healed in Christ by receiving salvation, yet many of us might only be seeing "men as tree's walking", i.e., partially, (Mark 8:24;) without a second (and third) touch from the Master, so that we might really see, might humbly believe, and might love more than our own.

Wallace Memorial - Some Inspiration! 

A Spiritual Health Warning

Below is a short article that I have written, and that I hope, will be taken with a dose of kindness, and is not intended to be sectarian or negative. It expresses some of my concerns about the dangers inherent in the use of liturgy, and may apply equally to non-traditional settings.
You may scroll down for the endnotes. God Bless you.

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A Spiritual Health Warning - A Short and Gentle Critique of the Liturgical Resurgence

by Peter W. Gilroy, 12th April 2005

Introduction

There is a resurgence of hunger for spirituality in our day. It seems like every other week Time and Newsweek feature cover stories on religion. A recent survey conducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute announces that:

“There is a high level of spiritual engagement and commitment among college students, with more than half placing a high value on “integrating spirituality” in their lives (58%), 77% saying “we are all spiritual beings,” and 71% indicating they “gain spiritual strength by trusting in a higher power.”

Substantial numbers of students, upwards of 84%, have had a spiritual experience at least occasionally (e.g., witnessing the beauty and harmony of nature, listening to beautiful music).

Regarding perspectives on religion, among the third-year college students surveyed, three in four report that they pray, that religion is personally helpful to them, and that they discuss religion and spirituality with friends. The …. data provide further evidence of the general theme of spiritual and religious interest among students.”1


The massive and unexpected response to The Passion (of Mel Gibson!) is another sign of this spiritual revival, or at least, of real curiosity. For those of us who are believers in Jesus, this is a good thing. (But can we have more God and less religion, please! These are two forces that seem alike but are polar opposites!?).

However, within the youth of today, and amongst certain Evangelical and Charismatics, (who seem to be looking for more substance as opposed to the sometimes, over-hyped, faddish, or café bar world of certain Church celebrations), there is a more specific hunger for a more particular kind of spirituality, in short, a return to the liturgy of ages past and a fascination with “community life” that has led to an interest in, of all things, the monastic life. Taizé, in France, is a shining example that embraces both of these foci. Other fresh examples are the Vine & Branches Community and Vineyard Central, two from amongst of a growing number of “emerging churches”, stamped with the hallmarks of the post-modern ethos, who practice the Daily Office (A long established method of daily prayer, including psalms and readings), and who are not averse to chanting like monks, though probably wearing jeans and thrift store clothing. 2

When I use the term liturgy, I mean the formal pattern for Christian worship that includes sacred readings, reciting written or set prayers, and using symbolic gestures or elements, that are all intended to foster a spiritual mindset and corporate participation in relating to God, typically led by a clergy-person, and involving sung or spoken responses, with or without music. 3

It is significant, and germane to this short discussion, to note that the word liturgy derives from a Greek word, “latreia”, Heb 9:1,6; which denotes “the work of the people”. Indeed, it is at once informative and ironic, for the work of the people has become mostly the work of the clergy, be they Protestant or not. Though, this pattern of “equipping the saints to [watch] the work of the ministry,”(My paraphrase), is a probably a far cry from Paul’s idea of ministry. Eph 4:11-ff;

Here, I will not speculate further as to the causes and influences that have given rise to this interest spirituality, but I would like to press believers to look with more caution on the inherent (but perhaps not, apparent) dangers in the celebration or practice of liturgy. One important caveat: I do not assume that liturgy is wrong or inherently bad in some sense. Liturgical worship can afford one a tangible sense of the divine and is genuinely inspiring to many people.

Learning and Warning

Surely, there is much we can learn from the past and the wider Christian tradition, and therefore, a need for humility is needed in these matters, but we are all too easily led into fads, and may be blind to the dangers of methods that others have used (and abused) in the past, precisely because the needs and questions of our are day are quite different, or because our background, especially that of Protestants, has kept us from experiencing such things, either the good or the bad. There is also a growing, understandable and needed reaction, against the besotting nature of consumerism in the, so-called, Western World that probably makes the liturgical and spiritual world seem more preferable and increasingly attractive to lots of people. But how can we avoid the perils (of a zealous embrace of liturgy, and even, of religion in general) that might be hidden to us?

For instance, how can we know what it was truly like for Martin Luther to anguish over the torments of his diabolically over-active conscience in the face of the demands of Medieval Roman Christianity, and of the stultifying abuses of the Church that ultimately precipitated his thesis-nailing on that door in Wittenberg; in actuality, the beginning of the Reformation.

Luther writes:

“But I, blameless monk that I was, felt that before God I was a
sinner with an extremely troubled conscience. I couldn't be sure
that God was appeased by my satisfaction. I did not love, no,
rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners. ”4

No Finger Pointing

Here below, are several areas of concern regarding the use of liturgy by Christians and a brief rational that follows each issue raised, that I hope, might shed light on these things, rather than merely seeking to be controversial or reactionary. There are, of course, dangers and weaknesses in all human endeavors, including types of spirituality, whether inside or outside of Christian orthodoxy and praxis. Furthermore, some of the matters discussed might equally apply to Evangelical and other Churches who are apt to snipe at the Catholic Church without due caution as to their own failings and less-than-charitable attitudes.

As noted above, I am not against liturgy, per se, but as an ex-Catholic, and ex-seminarian, I want to caution others with the benefits of these (my) insights, such as they are, so that we might all go forward with our eyes and hearts open in a way that is God-honoring, and I hope, that will help to serve others too.

Religion and Rote can be deadly

It is my firmest belief that religion (and its vile progeny: legalism, control, intolerance, and elitism – a veritable cluster-bomb of death, Matt 23:23; John 7:19-25; 2 Cor 3:6,17;) is the most critical threat to man, and that Christ, and Christ alone, is the true font of all light, truth and the only path to freedom in the power of His Holy Spirit, both individually and corporately, and in means or practice of Christian spiritually.

Danger’s inherent in Liturgy and Religious Observances

Therefore, I would like to posit that liturgy may allow, produce, or foster the following:

Liturgy - May reaffirm, a clergy-lay divide, and overly hierarchical structures..

Why? The "president" of religious services typically becomes dominant through continually leading the meetings; a premium begins to be placed on his or her involvement and competence to the increasing exclusion of others. The (eventual concern over the) efficaciousness of sacraments starts to tie us down to forms and words, and a superior priest caste arises. However, God tends to level us out, but we tend to want a King! 1 Sam 8:6-ff; “Would that all the people were prophets” Nub 11:29; “I will build a house for You…” “No!” Says God. 1 Chron 17:6-ff; We are “kings and priests”. 1 Pet 2:9;

Liturgy - May reaffirm, theological erosion, dilution, and/or pollution is a potential danger, eg., a leaning towards pre-resurrection faith, sacramentalism…

Why? We can be lulled into praying to God to do things that have already been accomplished; we borrow terms and forms (ie., from service books, Missals, etc.,) that may not reflect the current/actual theological truths that we hold dear. Many version of the liturgy come out of (even) early traditions that are based on a sacrificial/sacerdotal, and therefore, largely Old Covenant paradigm that does not apply to us - "there is one mediator" 1 Tim 2:5; and "one sacrifice for sins" Heb 10:12; - "we have remission of sins." Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 3:5;

One might also add that Greek and Roman thinking lie close to the root for the definitions of these matters, i.e., sacraments, church law, and liturgy, and are likely to be tainting our comprehension and application of the scriptural basis for much of these topics. (Including subsequent, and more recent innovations and ideas). It is obvious that the Church Fathers (and others after them into the Medieval period), employed the best tools of their day, ie., Plato and Aristotle, to devise their theological paradigms and to inform their world-view, with the inherent weaknesses or blindspots that must follow all such efforts.

We may also leave ourselves open to assuming that things are so which are not, (a weakness of all, so-called sacraments), e.g., a semblance of unity might seem to be present between all who are attending when some may not even be Christians, though they are participants in the service, or the sign of peace may be simulated without any real surety that people are all in harmony with one another. How many Parish Councils are, in reality, at each other’s throats outside of the services that they so cherish on a week-to-week basis?

Liturgy - May reaffirm, foster or feed: soulish/fleshly needs or preferences ...

Why? Liturgy tends to involve emotions and draws one in, though this is not necessarily spiritually efficacious. Some people actually fight over particular preferences of liturgy, music, bible version, or about which forms are more “holy”, in violation of the command to love, e.g., Jn 13:34:, which supercedes all of these matters. "The Spirit gives life, but the flesh profits nothing" Jn 6:63; “Seek those things that build up” 1 Thess 5:15; “Consider the needs of others.” Phil 2:4;

Liturgy - May reaffirm, foster or feed, the human propensity towards superstition, which may eaily come into play, and thus, supplant the vital place of true faith…

Why? We easily can fall prey to employing mediation (with/to God) through "holy" things, events and places (books, prayers, beads, oils, shrines, people, paraments, etc.,), that seem to "give a form of Godliness, but deny its power". It is easier to follow some “D-I-Y” method or tradition than to trust God and be patient! More alarmingly, we can become more distanced from God as a person with whom we can have intimate contact by relying on these things – Jesus said of His Father that, "eternal life is to know Him," Jn 17:3; Any mediator other than Christ is a dangerous thing. Paul’s one fear for the Corinthians was that they, with all of their other significant problems, might “be led astray from their simple and pure devotion to Christ,” 2 Cor 11:3; as had Eve, being deceived by the serpent. Religion both binds and blinds with anything other than the main thing – which is Christ himself.

Liturgy - May lead us to assume, that performing or celebrating liturgy, is automatically fulfilling God's desires…

Why? We tend to look at the outside and focus on getting things right, looking good, and being in control, however, we are then starting to displace or even quench the activity of the Holy Spirit, 1 Thess 5:19; quelling His presence, and the spontaneous contributions of gifted members of the wider body, ie., spiritual gifts and personal insights or perspectives which He bestowed in the first place! " Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” 2 Cor 3:17; “..each one has a song, a teaching, a revelation..." 1 Cor 14:26;

Liturgy - May lead us to become servers of the service, rather than servers of others...

Why? We may so focus on getting this or that right, that we neglect or excuse charity and service towards all others and personal devotions, on a day-to-day basis. This may promote a legalistic mindset that is a terrible killer of personal and corporate life, and detrimental to the witness of the Church as we tend to become judgmental because of our "correctness" and exclusive in our holy club... "You tithe mint, dill, and cumin, but leave aside the weightier issues of justice, faithfulness, and mercy" Matt 23:23; Jesus is "Lord of the Sabbath" (all Holy days and things!) Matt 12:8; " The Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking...” Rom 14:17; or as Paul warns against, "weak and worthless things.., observing times and seasons," Gal 4:9,11;

Liturgy - May lead us to become increasingly, sin and man centered...

Why? Liturgies tend to borrow or resonate with the human/pagan sensibility of groveling before “deity” and we do not realize or take deeply enough to heart, the complete, imputed righteousness and fond welcome from the Father Himself. (Though, in no way would I try to ignore or underestimate the abominable matter of human sin). We can transpose our desire for forgiveness or need to divest ourselves of shame through religious acts and participation in ceremony, in lieu of holding fast to our acceptance in Christ, rooted in His “finished work” and fostered by “the renewal of our minds,” Rom 12:2; What we do can become more important than what He has done, which is the supreme folly of religious people, and too many, well meaning Christians.

Liturgy - May lead to that deceit that/of : The older, (seems) the better…

Why? We assume that because something is old, or sounds special and "holy", that is right and good for us. It is easier to hold on to our way of doing things (whether old or more recent), and/or to begin new practices in the same old vein, than to trust in the often wacky and unpredictably, or risky, faith-requiring ways of the Spirit. God is not necessarily nice, but He is good. How many "nice" services have never really changed anyone? “My ways are not your ways” Isa 55:8; “Christ has opened for us a new and living way” heb 10:20; Sometimes, thought, we want to build our own tower up to God. Gen 11:4;

My Spiritual Health Warning:
Liturgy - Use sparingly with flexibility, pass the ball around (i.e., let other join-in or lead), and add lots of kindness, with a little dash of Godly anarchy!

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Further definitions of liturgy on the web:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oi=defmore&q=define:liturgy
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1. Source: “Spirituality in Higher Education: A National Study of College Students’ Search for Meaning and Purpose ” conducted by The Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA
[ http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/ ]

2. Links to Vine and Branches Christian Community: [ http://www.vbcc.net/vineblog.html ] and, Vineyard Central: [ http://www.vineyardcentral.com/hours ]. Taizé can be found at: [ http://www.taize.fr/en ]

3.Liturgy, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, [ http://www.m-w.com/ ]

“Main Entry: lit·ur·gy
Pronunciation: 'li-t&r-jE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural –gies
Etymology: Late Latin liturgia, from Greek leitourgia public service, from Greek (Attic) leïton public building (from Greek laos -- Attic leOs -- people) + -ourgia -urgy
i: often capitalized : a eucharistic rite
ii : a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship
iii : a customary repertoire of ideas, phrases, or observances”

4. Except from: “Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Works” (1545) by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546.
[ http://housatonic.net/Documents/393.htm]

© Peter W. Gilroy 2005. All Rights Reserved.