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Here are the thoughts and news of the people in our community. Leave a comment as you wish. If you want to join the blogging ask Mark.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Belated Red Tuesday

Last Tuesday Bono edited the Independent to help launch teh Red campaign. I regret not having got hold of a copy [could have made a cracking profit ... am I missing the point?!].

There is nice little profile here at LICC:

The first thing the U2 frontman did was to ask Damien Hirst to provide a fitting image to replace the usual front-page splash. He chose a red field, of course, and imposed on it a cross made of icons: a skull, praying hands, a syringe, some pills and, at the apex, a dove.

'Celebrity is ridiculous,' Bono admitted in another article. 'But it is currency and I want to spend mine wisely.'

See a less favourable comment here at Complex Christ, particularly in response to the RED phone. Good points i thought:

As you know, I'm a fan of the concept of 'gift', and this idea seems to me to be anti-gift. We buy the phone because we are buying into a brand. Not because we really care. If the only way we can get people to help those in dire need is to have to offer them something cool in return for their pennies, then I think there's something very wrong.

What do I think? I think that Bono is changing the way people think about the AIDS and Africa issues. I find it inspirational and challenging. I do wonder though whether I am buying the celebrity in with the package?

Posted by: Mark | 12:29 pm |

Footsteps

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old;
seek what they sought"

Basho

Labels: reflective

Posted by: Mark | 8:52 am |

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Innovation Conference

My brother reminded me last night that I had promised more stuff on the conference. So I feel suitably spurred on. My previous post covered the first half of the first session [of 7, and each session was 3 hours!! The Germans, eh?!] by Gerard Kelly. He did one other session which I want to mention. I will do more of the stuff by Alan Hirsch, but not session by session [hopefully!].

Firstly he suggested 3 shifts since the millenium:

1) A philosophical Shift
The main point here was that he thought that there was a more positive outlook generally. From teh end fo the world feelings at the end of the millenium [Independence day etc] to the 'open space' of a new millenium. I want to agree with him on this, but I am just a little bit skeptical. Someone challenged him about it and he was fairly defensive! Maybe he also thought he was pushing it to say it was a 'cultural shift'.

What was good at this point was his retelling of 1 Kings 19 and Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal. He focussed on what happened next: Elijah is fearful and runs for his life, and then is deeply depressed. He followed the story all the way through to Elijah wanting the presence of the Lord - but it wasn't in the mighty wind, it wasn't in the earthquake, it wasn't in the fire, it was in the whisper. From the Drama of Mount Carmel to the Whisper of Mount Horeb. Now that is something I have never heard preached on that story!! Gerard related this to a required change of mindset and models.

This is a journey of GENTLENESS. Not of confrontation, not narrow triumphalism where we feel good because we have made our point. But finding those people open to the work of God in their lives - they are out there in millions. They are asking the question but don't now Jesus makes the difference. They can't engage on Mount Carmel because it is too loud and brash, but rather find God in the whisper.

2) A sociological shift
From the obligations of Christendom to the freedom to consume. Sociologist Grace Davey says the biggest cultural change for Europe is the collapse of the state churches. A huge number of people who have opted out of state religion. People no longer want to go to church because they think they ought to. Bu8t we have tended to keep the people we have through obligation and draw others through guilt!!! When you remove Christendom model of going to church because they ought to, there are spaces for new kinds of churchwhere people go because it does them good. [interesting note: apparently in Scotland they made charitable status of organisations dependant on the good that they do for the community. And guess what: some churches protested!!]

3) A theological shift
This I really liked [although not strictly theological!!]: A shift from what is true to what is real. In todays world in order to discuss truth you must discuss what is real. Therefore we must root our theology in what is real; Real experiences, and hopes and fears, real creation. Truth must be lived out in authentic human relationships, to demonstrate its reality.

Here was a great illustration of what reality deos for you. The artist Caravaggio painted two pictures of the Supper at Emmaus. The first was in 1601 at the height of his 'playboy' lifestyle.

The second in 1606 after he was in exile from his own country. The paintings reflect this reality shift, the nature of gritty realism.

Here's a [real] truth: It is when things go wrong that people see what your faith means.

[Hmmm this conference thing to take a while to get through!! Anyone actually interested?!]

Labels: conferences, discipleship, media, mission

Posted by: Mark | 8:58 am |

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Random Thoughts

A couple of things to make you laugh and one to make you think!!

First of all here is the link to the "German Coast Guard" advert that I showed on Sunday. Just thought you might like to watch it again. For me it just gets funnier!!

Secondly, Adrian showed me this extruciatingly funny recording of a voice mail message left for a church pastor. Honestly I chuckled. My favourite line: "I have written a book of 1400 things that God has told me" [you probably need to listen to it...]. Also whoever set it to music was inspired.

And finally... Choose your words
I found this interesting, a little article at LICC about the use of words. It does seem to me that words can become cheap and meaningless, spoilt by overuse. I often try to use other words, other language to express truths. But then I sound obtuse!! I am sure partly because of my lack of skills as a 'wordsmith'. But people want and need to hear the familiar words it seems, they make them feel safe and secure. We m8st remember that words are not a thing, they are merely windows to help us make sense of the world, they are suitcases stuffed full of meaning. But when the suitcase is empty we better stop using the word [that's what I tell my 8 year old anyway]. And when one person's suitcase is full of stuff quite different from your stuff you have a communication problem ... And that, it seems to me is why learning in community is essential, as it allows you to form meaning together. And also why it is such a problem, because you end up with your own little language...

Now what was I saying? Oh yeah the article. A couple of quotes:

When I interviewed Eugene Peterson for Church Times recently, the author of The Message had a few choice words for Christians who speak jargon without thinking. "A cliche is as bad as a blasphemy," he observed. That's a serious allegation, which, if true, means that all of us probably need to wash our mouths out with soapy water on a regular basis. He picks out such well-worn phrases as 'Jesus saves', 'born-again', 'God is love' and 'All things work together...' as 'pious conventions' which, once they've lost their freshness, lead to us taking the name of God in vain.

'Passionate words of men and women spoken in ecstasy can end up flattened on the page and dissected with an impersonal eye,' he warns. 'Wild words wrung out of excruciating suffering can be skinned and stuffed, mounted and labelled as museum specimens.'

Posted by: Mark | 11:50 am |

Friday, May 05, 2006

The Da Vinci Code

Everyone has heard of the The Da Vinci Code I am sure!. I read the book on holiday last summer. Whilst a literary master piece, it was a good holiday read with a gripping flow of narrative, with the added spice of scandal. It seems to me that the latter, the scandal msut be the primary reason for its huge sales. What feeds the desire for that scandal? a number of things, it seems to me:

1) The suspicion of authority
2) The "tabloid" love of the 'expose'
3) Suspicion of established religion
4) Suspicion of 'success' [how has something lasted so long, it must have a flaw somewhere]
5) A fascination with Jesus? [Graham suggests but I am not quite so convinced]
6) The idea the women have been suppressed for 1700 years

And many others no doubt, but I think it interestingly reflects our postmodern, post christian context. Just a thought.

Anyway, I am intending to use this post to collect links to response to the Da Vinci Code. The hype is only on the increase with the Film being released on May 19th.

We have a discussion night on the Book/film on May 24th, so you'd better get reading!!

[note: beware of spoilers in all of these links!!]

Wikipedia article on the book and the film
There is a great set of little videos from London's Temple Church, a central location in the book, dealing with the history of the Holy Grail, called "Demystifying the Da Vinci Code".
Trailers for the film here at IMDB.
Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code Website.
Decoding the Da Vinci Code - an article by NT wright covering the historical aspects.
The Da Vinci Code - a review by scholar Craig Blomberg
Cracking the Anti-Catholic Code Part 1 and Part 2 - critique by by Carl E. Olson, with Sandra Miesel
A nice little enthusiastic review, with some quick facts Dan Brown may have missed! by Steve Sparrow
BBC News item about how the Indian Muslims are joining the protest about the film. You may note here that it is being given permission to be shown on India: "if the film-makers agreed to a disclaimer at the start of the movie saying it was a work of fiction"
Da Vinci FAQ's - a very thorough look at everything you ever wanted to know!!
A proper list of articles here at emergesque - crikey!
Scott McKnight asks the church to learn something from this - the need for integrity.
Brian McLaren in this interview gives a fresh view in allowing it to ask us some questions
This is fascinating: Poll suggests Da Vinci code undermines trust in Catholic church. For example: "Sixty per cent of the adults polled who read the book believed there was truth to the claim that Jesus had children by Mary Magdalene. This compared to just 30 per cent of those who has not read it."
Dan Brown answers his own questions here
Article at CBS News on the existence [or otherwise] of the Priory of Sion.
Article in the New Yorker on Marketing "The Da Vinci Code" to Christians. Debunks the facts of the Da vinci Code from all angles, but asks if Christians have been duped by the marketing machine. Leonardo Da Vinci art expert suggets "The Da Vinci Code" might make a better opera than a film, offering the old advice that "if it's too silly to be said, it can always be sung". Opus Dei say: "The Web site has received more than three million visitors, and some of the curious have now become members. The Silas wannabes are generally screened out. "Every once in a while, we get an e-mail from somebody who's really fascinated by the cilice and the discipline, and says he would like to join up if he can use them. And that's not the kind of person that we're looking for."

Film Reviews:
Summary: Disappointing

Empire Magazine gives it 2 stars. Verdict: One of the most talk driven summer flicks in living memory, an out of sorts Howard transforms what should be a fun treasure trail romp into something inert and borderline dreary.
BBC review. Quote: "Hanks is dry and uninspiring as Langdon - and the mullet hairstyle he sports throughout deserves a credit of its own."
IMDB entry. Look out for on-going developments there.

Labels: mission

Posted by: Mark | 8:28 am |

Germany there I went

We had a great trip to Nuremberg. A real mix of stuff that when put together made for a really impacting weekend. Thursday and Friday we spent some time doing the touristy stuff. In particular we went round Hitler's 'Rally' grounds - where he held huge conferences [kind of]. It was in this place that you see the classic poses of him in front of thousands of people. We also went to a museum tracking his rise to power. Really quite scary. He clearly modelled the stuff on the Roman Empire [he built a colloseum type structure] and set himself up asa Messiah, god-like figure. I never realised the deliberate religious overtones that went along with the whole thing. For me it was particularly stark having recently read Colossians Remixed which picked up the themes of empire that the Colossians had to face and related it to empire in our own day -then to see the most extreme overt form played out in recent history - and so subtely that much of the German church did not notice. Crikey!

That picture by the way is of the "Holy Ghost Hospital" - an ancient hospital in the centre of Nuremberg.

We stayed with a lovely family called the Erkharts - so generous and welcoming. It is always good on these trips to stay with locals rather than in hostels or whatever. You feel like you get to know the people a little. On that front we also spoke in the church on the Sunday morning. I tried as much German as I could and got a round of applause for it - mind you Mark Mumford got almost as much response for standing up and shouting "Come on ENGLAND!!". He has such talent. Great to have the opportunity to share with them. A guy called Norbert Knoell [Nobbie to his friends] leads the church and is a great guy.

Then there was the conference. Run in true German efficiency - 3 x 3 hour session a day, it was pretty intensive. The first guy, Gerard Kelly, set the scene of cultural shifts:

1) Post-industrial - change in technological base of western culture; "when you change the tools you change the rules"

2) post-literate - a whole new chapter for the book

3) post-modern - philosophical shift in western culture, "...this is my truth, tell me yours..."; but we are now going somewhere else; now we have a generation who live in the new world of pomo and aren’t in 'transition'.

4) Post-imperial - change in global politics; the twin engines of globalisation and fragmentation

5) Post-Christian Spirituality "...can't believe it's not Buddha"; new generation: Christian spirituality is part of the old, and foreign ones are new and exciting; they are a spiritual generation. But no connection back to our churches.

Whole-sale change in how culture functions
- Everything about church must be rethought on the basis of this new landscape
- but we keep old treasures cos we have thought about it
- Innovation is required

Nothing majorly new there, other than it was the first conference I have been at where they used the term post-post-modern! Generally a good introduction though. This is getting a bit long so I will blog more about the conference on another post.

One other thing about germany - they do beer...

Labels: church, conferences

Posted by: Mark | 7:50 am |