Monthly Archives: October 2010

The Traveller’s Rest- It’s Not So Grim Up North.

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The Cramlington Adventure.

Returned yesterday (Weds.) from a four day trip to Cramlington in the North-East (is that right? lol) of England. Had an invitation from a group in the area to go and share and listen and connect our stories. Here was a group that had dismantled the construct called church so much that all that was left were relationships of substance, liquid gatherings of purpose and space to ebb and flow as and when the situations dictated. Wanting to see life as the God space; family, workplace, the streets. It was exciting to see a group of pilgrims relating yet free to pursue. As this was my first journey of connection for more than three years, and my first journey of walking this post-congregational walk, this invite was totally on the back of these blogs, I was very apprehensive and felt quite exposed sticking my head above the parapet. But I was so warmly welcomed and felt so at home to be myself and not feel the need to perform, that I soon felt part of the family. I think I am still on a journey of receiving the healing balm of God in so many areas, and the guys at Cramlington were a huge balm on my spirit. It renewed within me prophetic downloads I had received in the past, such as the strategic connection and conduits between Wales, the North-East and Scandinavia, so much so that I have renewed my prayers for an open door into Norway/Sweden. And for the first time for a few years I felt at liberty to release some personal prophetic words. I felt like a beginner again, but that is no bad thing. I want to remain an anointed amateur at all times, totally reliant on God’s safety net and not upon the gift that I could rely on to impress people. The day of being a performing seal has gone for me. I am free to be me. That was the heart of all that God placed within me while I was in Cramlington. These are days of new connections and re-connections. People of Cramlington I love you!!!! For receiving the prophets in the name of a prophet you shall receive a prophets reward (not my words). Here are three things I felt God downloaded into my spirit while I was there…

The Ancient Paths.

We need to hold an appreciation, and a right heart, of where we have come from.

While at Cramlington I was taken to some of the key places, this included a visit to Lindisfarne (The Holy Island) and a place called Lady’s Well. Lindisfarne was the place where Aidan, and later Cuthbert, released the Gospel into England, bringing with it a transformational aspect of education, and a release of Art, with the Lindisfarne Gospels. While on the Island we saw some Wild Geese fly over in formation, talk about a holy moment. To any Celt the Wild Geese hold great spiritual significance. Lady’s Well is a small spring, pool of water, in the middle of nowhere (the margins that God loves). Here Paulinus baptised 3000 people in one day. Where did they come from? While there we called for a cleansing of the waters, and while we were there men came to clean the waters, we called for those gatherings to happen again, and as we did a flock of birds gathered and circled overhead. A new St Francis anointing with animals? Why not!

In moving forward we cannot despise or judge our heritage, and that includes the church construct heritage that many of us come from or even still are a part of. Both David and Jesus lived in what was to come while still serving the old. Appreciating where they had come from. We have to walk forward in love, forgiveness, grace, healing. We cannot have an us and them heart. Anyone who is a pioneer walking in the new is prone to pride, I see it they don’t. Why can’t they get it? We need to be like Jesus and let our walk speak volumes. When we were part of churches we judged those who left or who were not part of churches, now it is so easy to judge those who are still part of churches, some of those our family members. We have been given some grace to see something, but let us have enough grace to see where others are too. It was not that long ago that we were standing where they are standing. Live in what is to come and serve the old.

The Modern Dance

Have a Loose Hold on Where we are.

Now is not the end of the journey. I think that is so important if not we just build a different model around where we are. We build temples rather that stay living in tents. We settle rather than pioneer. Now we gather around meals and in kitchens spontaneously planned but in the days ahead this might all change. Some dynamics of relationship will change. We will get to a place where we do not know who our members are, people will ebb and flow out of our physical lives and yet still be a part of us. We need to allow people to be sown into obscurity and hiddenness at times. Others will be sown into workplaces and sports-teams and music arena’s. Gatherings are going to take on a whole new dynamic. I love it that in Antioch in Acts the personnel was always changing. Some remained constant but others would come and go. New faces would enter the area. All were a part of one another. Never for a minute think we have arrived. There is still some way to go yet. Today is a great day but hold it loosely because the constant shift is the only constant. While In Cramlington it was like four seasons in four days. Why? The changing wind direction. Didn’t someone say the Spirit was like the wind? In four days we can blow in different directions, are we pliable enough for the wind?

The Future Vision

We need an open vision about where we are going.

We see but we are not dictated by. Now cancelled American series Flashforward was very interesting here. Due to some scientific experiment everyone on earth was knocked unconscious for a few moments and everyone had a glimpse of their futures. When everyone was conscious they all tried to discover this so called destiny that they had seen. And events then did take shape, but the underlying question was always were they making it happen or would it have happened anyway? Interesting as far as giving and receiving personal prophecy and the responsibility in that. Anyone who loves prophecy try and get hold of the DVD of the one and only first season, good stuff. But we need to see. We need to have our eyes opened. It is great to have words and direction and vision, without it we perish. But although we may interpret what we see we need to be open to interpretation. We only see through a glass dimly. Abraham saw it but never saw it. Moses saw it but never saw it. The prophets saw Jesus but never saw it. We too are called to be Seers but in seeing we need to realise we do not see it all. This is why perspectives are so important. I want to travel like Abraham. It says in Hebrews he saw from afar off and was assured and embraced what he saw, but he still went out not knowing where he was going. May that be our daily experience and our life walk. The day of the fundamentalists is over. We need to come in the opposite spirit, not authorising confusion, but willing to question and be wrong and change and never place a full stop anywhere. Leaving the story open to interpretation, just like Jesus did.

The destination ahead looks amazing. I wonder what it will look like!!!!

(With thanks, love and blessing to all those of Cramlington as they journey and discover God in many manifold ways. And others everywhere journeying in these exciting days.)

Shifty and clueless

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Last week I was in Florence. First of all, it is a beautiful city, extraordinary for sure. And despite my dislike of all things touristy I am glad I was able to see it. I was there for a conference hosted by Uniscape, a research network focused on the European Landscape Convention. It was great to be surrounded by thinkers who research landscape though there was a distinct bias towards rural landscapes vs. urban. And I am most concerned with the urban ones. However, my friend and I had a paper accepted for publication and so we went.

One of the things that really struck me came out in the free discussions. Here it was clear that people feel clueless. These high level academics do not know how to proceed in the future. Everything they thought they knew has shifted especially with the issues of climate change and biodiversity. They feel paralyzed in terms of acting as citizens and intervening in the politics of land use and care for the land despite their knowledge.

The other thing mentioned often was the need for shifting how things are done. It was acknowledged that the very things that they, the professional academics, cling to, the publication culture, the silo disciplines of thinking cause problems. These narrow focused structures, means of communication, and accreditation mean that things that need to get done do not get done. They acknowledged that they needed to think how to open up the conversation to include professionals like landscape architects, architects, policy makers and communities.  Who, I might note, are having their own discussions anyway.

All this to point out that what we see happening amongst people of faith is occurring in other places. All institutions are being shaken and not just by budget cuts. There is a concern that our approach to problems is not adequate to solve them. We need to find new approaches, partner with other people, and open ourselves to new ways of thinking. In the meantime, until the shifts occur, we remain clueless. And clueless is good. It means we don’t have the answers and have to adopt a position of openness. So I salute all of us who are shifty and clueless. This is good.

C.

P.S. its off to Brighton, UK later this week. It will be my first time in an English speaking country in a year. I am just hoping to have no problems getting back into Italy as my renewed permesso has yet to show up.

Repetitive time

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A little while back I recounted a dream for this season that I recorded at 4.44. Twice in the past 3 days I have got up at 4.44. A couple of days ago I lay in bed (Oct 20) wide awake, aware of an angelic presence. Got to get up, Gayle said it’s early. I said – probably 5.30ish? She looked at her clock – I don’t have any time piece ‘my’ side of the bed. She said ‘no it’s 4.44.’

[DDET click for a few quotes from former blogs]

So I woke meditating on this dream, got up and began to record it at (looking up at the computer clock) 4.44. This is one of the prophetic times of the moment. I have encountered this time in recent weeks. It is the time of alignments but alignments for disruption that we did not expect, and disruptions that will have a widespread effect. The disruptions will reveal underlying situations. We will have to be ready.

Disruptions in specifics but they will affect the whole. A family situation that will affect the whole family. A city that will affect a nation. A nation that will affect nations [another economic 'run' is forthcoming].

[/DDET]

This is not a time for alarm, but for some sober realities to kick in. A few years ago I prophesied about a winter of severe discontent in France. From my memory it was the year that Sarkozy came to power. My expectation was that it would be that year… but this I believe is the year. The port cities will prove such a battleground. The hidden intercessors are key in the nation.

Not only though in France. [A nation that will affect nations.] I believe by 2012 the result of the shakings in this season will be much more visible by then. European-wide, I still remember the waking vision of the ice all across the land. The cloud from Iceland I believe was a pointer of what is coming. Clouds of heaviness, shifts in governments and emergency measures over currency stability. The façades are swinging open.

In the Western hemisphere a major wake-up call is that the answer is not in the political realm. Politics are vital. Godly, servant-hearted politicians are needed but the answers do not lie in the right nor the left.

The shifts of power from the west to the east and from the north to the south have already begun. And the 4.44 experience simply underlines that this is a movement that will be very persistent. It is not a time to try and preserve the institutions, but to invest relationally.

The Traveller’s Rest- Relocation, Relocation.

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Wikipedia definition of relocation

Over the last couple of weeks have been thinking about how vital relocation is for renewal, transformation and journey. It is vital both individually and corporately. Here is the Wikipedia entry for the definition of relocation;

Relocation, also known as moving is the process of vacating a fixed location (such as a residence or business) and settling in a different one. A move can be to a nearby location within the same neighborhood, a much farther location in a different city, or sometimes a different country. On the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, change of residence is considered a stressful activity, assigned 20 points (with death of spouse being ranked the highest at 100).

I am realising that the whole of the Biblical narrative is about relocation. It is never about standing still. It is always about having a pilgrims perspective, being an exile, being a foreigner and a stranger in a strange land. Never taking root, but being a seed dying in the ground. Going, pursuing, camping not building with bricks and mortar. Being a movement not a settlement.

The Biblical Narrative

From Adam and Eve we find the process of relocation. Abraham went to a land, Jacob went into the wilderness, Joseph went to homes and prisons, Moses went to the wilderness and Egypt and back out again with lots of companions. Joshua went into cities with big walls, David went to watch battles and then went everywhere, Elijah went to where birds and widows looked after him. Jesus, the ultimate relocator, came to earth in flesh, relocated in a body. He called people to relocate with Him. The Early ekklesia were told to go so they went. Sometimes they even went without a push, at other times God sent a little stirring. Believers were added as they went. Paul relocated all over the place, John relocated on a dessert island. Relocation is central and vital to all that we are and all that we do. I believe that is why we are seeing an exile from static ‘congregational’ Christianity. Settling brings no unsettling to the world. Relocation is vital for connectivity and transformation. Does that mean we have to physically change address? For some of us in this season it will mean physical moves, these moves are a sign of God’s relocation for renewal. Some of us have already gone through that process. But it can mean more than just a physical relocation, it can be a relocation of our gaze. Coming out of where we are to see a new place. Relocating from the empire and construct. Relocating from the centre and the stage to the margins. Relocating from a church based life to a holistic life.

Relocation and renewal.

Reading a book called ‘New Monasticism’ by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. In here he looks at the whole subject of relocation. Here are some words from his journey;

‘When we gathered…to name the characteristics of new monastic communities “relocation to the abandoned places of Empire” was the first mark we named. As we told …stories…we heard how God had called many of us out of places of power-Washington D.C, corporate America, suburban megachurches, top-flight universities. The patterns of life we learned in those places seemed to hold us captive, making it hard even to imagine other possibilities…Often unsure of the road ahead, almost all of us had left some part of our life behind. People had quit their job, dropped out of school, moved their family across the country, and given up former ambitions- all for the sake of a new life in places no one had heard of before…

Where we locate ourselves doesn’t only change our perspective. It can also change the thing we see and our capacity to reimagine it…Sometimes you have to relocate in order to really see the world and reimagine your role within it…renewal depends on relocation. God knows relocation matters. Because they had been relocated a new future was possible. Relocation has opened our eyes to issues we need to address in our homes and our communities. It has helped us see some of the Egypt that was in our system without us even knowing it. Relocation is teaching us that God is at work in the people and places that society has given up on.’

Walking through…

Life becomes a process of walking through rather than planting and rooting. Relationship rather than structure. Life rather than construct. When I look at all the relocation in my own life, at the time it was upheaval for myself and my family. It was a time of stress and wilderness. Yet I now see the process of God through it all. Coming out of church pastoral life, with all the inbred ambition and sense of impressing and finding a following, to the unstructured ministry of walking amongst people in the workplace. No pulpit just aisles. No sermons just life stories. No Biblical narratives just life narratives. No holiness masks just raw human life. Walking with the guys just earning beer money, those living in what we would term ‘unbiblical’ relationships, talking with those that swear and curse without correcting them, those in broken relationships and broken homes. Every one of them on a journey. This relocation is full of renewal and transformation. And I think it is a process we will all have to go through as we engage in His story. The calling out to call us in. The going to come into. The uprooting to see fruitfulness. Relocation that will lead to renewal.

Stages of faith: the two sets of three stages

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Stages 1-3 and stages 4-6

There is a divide between the first three stages and the second three. There is a crossing over point.

(The following paragraphs are heavily influenced or even quoting the material at theocentric.)

Most, if not all, contemporary evangelical models of growth climax at stage 3. For example, the “Purpose Driven Church” model assumes that a person is spiritually mature when they are part of the “committed core” – serving in and through the church according to their gifts. But it is entirely possible (and indeed, quite probable) that many people minister for selfish reasons. Church activity is not an indicator of maturity. Busyness in church activities does not automatically lead to spiritual growth.

The church is generally best at working with people in stages 1 through 3, so the fact that the highest number of people is in stage 2 fits with how the church sees itself. This raises some issues though, as to what and how the church relates to people beyond stage 3.

Many people leave the church when they experience stage 4 or ‘the wall’, since there are few resources or programs available for them, and they feel estranged when the faith they held dear does not work for them any more.

In his book, Exit Interviews, William D. Hendricks demonstrates that most of the dechurched (those who formerly attended or even served in a local church but have since left church-life altogether) have not lost faith in God. They have lost faith in the church. They have “grown disillusioned with the church and other institutions of Christianity” and have “lost the energy and enthusiasm they once had for programs of spiritual development.” Consequently, they “are now looking elsewhere to meet their deepest spiritual needs” (Exit Interview, 11).

The dechurched leave primarily because they are disillusioned with the church. They claim it is stunting their growth.

The church has a stunted model of spiritual formation that leaves little room for questions, doubts, and rediscovery.

The overall map, then, can be divided into two sections of 3 stages; with a shift from 3 to 4 taking place in the midst of crisis, and the necessity of having to ‘go through the wall’. This is understandably the sticking point for many, often resulting in people bouncing back and forth. Moving toward position 4 but retreating to position 3. There is a cost, a death involved in making that transition.

The latter stages (4-6) have less of a clear map in them as the individual’s journey will make a greater difference to their experience.

Pretty clueless…

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Here is a real WWJD question, and one that I have to confess I am glad I am not having to answer. [Read the blog at: Scot McKnight.]

Jason Micheli, is a pastor in Arlington Virginia at Aldersgate Methodist and recently a local group of Muslims in his community were in need of facility space for their Friday Jummah prayers, so they asked to use use the church facility for five months, the pastors at Aldersgate met and decided it was the right thing to do… but not all in the church agreed…

WOW – what a request and what a decision. Lest we quickly assume Jason is unclear about salvation here are a couple of excerpts from his Sunday sermon

Do I believe the worlds’ religions are all just different paths to the same destination? No.

Do I believe Islam rightly understands the God of Abraham? No.

Do I believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father? Yes.

But when we say that Jesus is the only way to the Father, we don’t just mean our belief in Jesus is the only way to the Father. We also mean Jesus’ way of life is the only way we manifest the Father’s love.

That we would welcome Muslim strangers into our sacred space with no strings attached is not a reduction of what we believe about Jesus (or a betrayal); it is, I think, the fullest possible expression of what we believe about Jesus.

No sanctuary… but stewarding space

Now what would I do? Not believing in sacred ‘sanctuary’ space of course helps: I am simply not going to be asked this question. But I do believe in stewarding space for God, so cannot escape that easily.

So what would I think about the situation if it were a conference facility (for example) that I was called to steward. I think the answer would be ‘no you can’t use this’ if the request was to shoot a pornographic film. Likewise if it was for a blatant occultist conference. Then comes things like freemasonry, yoga classes etc. – dark shade of grey!! Hinduism – still a very dark shade of grey… so answers above probably ‘no, can’t be used for that’. Those things are too ‘spiritual’ for me.

Switching right across the other side… how about some conferences that were to do with economics? Probably for most of us we would simply be OK with that. But money is spiritual. It was the battle ground that Jesus laid out. If greed is idolatry maybe to open a place up for certain type of conferences on money could be really opening it up for demonisation.

My point is – I am pretty clueless, am shooting in the dark, glad I do not have to make these type of decisions, but also aware we can be very quick to say ‘no’ to what we are afraid of and say ‘yes’ to what we have simply accepted as norm.

Is there a difference between Islam and (say) Hinduism (leaving the scenario of Freemasonry on one side for this time) as it is one of the three monotheistic religions? Maybe.

Stewarding of a home

I don’t have responsibility for a building where some of the body of Christ gathers. Neither do I have responsibility for a conference centre. But a home? What would / who would I be at peace with in this home? Could I have someone live here who is into one of the above aspects?

OK… pretty clueless. But thinking a lot about this. And praying that Jason who is clearly brave, will find a real Jesus way through.

laying down our own agendas

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Just a quick comment here as I am off to Florence early tomorrow and will be unable to blog on Monday.  Instead I will be attending an academic conference on European Landscape Conventions, or wandering  in a daze around Florence, depending upon the weather.

But I wanted to respond to Anne’s comments in reponse to my most recent blog. And I am still trying to get my head around the idea of being a ‘semi-cherub’. What does that look like?

It struck me in all of this that the real issue is that we have our own agendas. I am reminded of how in Canada, over several years, there has been an organization that has sought to pray redemptively for the land. The results have often been quite amazing. From the beginning the leadership emphasized that they came into every meeting and gathering without agenda, willing to put aside everything and follow where God has led.  That includes what issues were addressed and sometimes they have been obvious ones and sometimes not.

So when I look at the culture wars in the US I think of how the church has had an agenda, for a very long time. It has been against gays, against abortion, against (often sadly) racial integration, against lots of things. And it had an agenda it wanted to see imposed on the nation. But I believe God’s call to us is to lay down our own agendas even if we can justify them scripturally. Even if we are intent on righteousness and these agendas appear to be righteous.  I think, instead God calls us to lay down our lives in love for others.

It isn’t only the US church that has engaged in this kind of behaviour. It marks many evangelical, fundamental and charismatic churches and organizations. From refusing condoms to ordering wives to submit to abusive husbands so that they would have proper spiritual covering. From autocratic authority (again so believers would be covered) to healing gays through pseudo-pyschological therapies to hyper patriotism. It has characterized a number of churches in the US, Canada, and the UK. And perhaps other places. So isn’t it time we just laid down our own agendas and see what God wants to do? Perhaps if we could, in faith, lay down our own agendas, and just choose to love, then God could release a whole lot of really good stuff into our world.

C.

A good read

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Lloyd Cooke (Saltbox / Stoke on Trent) alerted me to a piece of writing by Stephen Crosby. Here is the link:
The Golden Ephod of Success.

Makes for some shocking reading, and thankfully it is perhaps not representative of the majority of those who fill platforms, but does indicate that there is a sickness in the body. These façades have to be opened wide if htere is to be any hope. The article talks of someone introduced as ‘more than an apostle’!! I do remember being in one country that was infected by apostolitis that a person had designated themselves as ‘semi-cherub’. Apparently ‘apostles’ were too common.

On a personal note not blogged for a few days as been busy sorting out travel to Nigeria.

The Traveller’s Rest- Love is a Wonderful Colour.

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The Watering Hole.

When Toronto broke out there were watering holes that opened here in the U.K. too. One place was Sunderland. An Assemblies of God couple called Ken and Lois Gott were touched by God and began carrying something of the so called ‘Toronto blessing’. As well as holding nightly meetings they held some conferences with some speakers that to a budding, learning prophetic type were like an oasis in the desert. Bill Hamon, Sharon Stone, Paul Cain, Wesley Campbell, Frank Damazio, just a few names (prophetic celebs) that until then had just been in books like ‘Some Said It Thundered’, but here they were in the flesh, in the U.K. holding prophetic conferences. I took many trips to Sunderland in those days and drank deeply from the well. Seeing Paul Cain prophesy was an incredible experience. As a preacher he was a bit boring (can I say that?), but then as he prophesied he would give such detail it was scary. At one of those conferences Bill Hamon bought a team with him. There were loads of sessions on all things prophetic. But there was one that stuck out like a sore thumb. One of the guys spoke on the subject, ’1 Corinthians 13, the most prophetic chapter of Scripture’. I have to admit I switched off. Who wanted to hear about love at a prophetic conference? I wanted to tear down and build up. I wanted to give people their postcodes and credit card details. I wanted to speak to nations and into churches and individuals lives. Why did I need another message on something so basic and so out of place at a prophetic gathering?  But that message about this chapter tucked in-between 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 14, the two most charismatic, prophetic themed chapters of Scripture, is today becoming so much more than a chapter out of place. To think that Scripture was written without headings and divisions and chapters and verses (why are we always so intent on dividing stuff?). These three chapters would have read as one letter, one subject, there would have been a flow. What is written in 13 would tie into 12 and 14 without division.

The Undergirding and Foundation of Everything.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about gifts and diversity. The manifestation of the Spirit. Then talks about these charismatic gifts all working together as the Body functions (this is not about doing church but functioning in and through the spheres of creation). Paul ends this theme by saying

earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

Have a deep longing for these so called spiritual gifts, but there is something beyond these gifts. A higher call. A more prophetic way than prophecy itself. It will take you to infinity and beyond. Love…Without this under-girding the gifts and the functioning all there is is hot air. The proclamatory gifts become a noise, no matter how impressive they seem to be. A clanging symbol. A constant drone. I could give people their postcodes or personal details, but if I do not share love with them it will end up being no more than a magic show. The supernatural signs and wonders movement, the amazing Bible teaching with added Greek and Hebrew, the social action amongst the poor and vulnerable, that martyrdom (every slant of Christian church gets a mention there). All worth diddely squat without the under-girding of love.

All You Need Is Love.

The Beatles told us all we needed was love. I think I disagree that it is all we need, but we cannot have anything else without it. It is foundational to everything. We must love people, and not just in the Lord (that glib phrase we use when really we do not like someone. I know I have used it many times!!!). Our prophetic lifestyles must springboard from this position and on this foundation or we become a very dangerous ‘gift’ person. Here are a few great things about a love revolution;

Love is patient. It waits. Does not live in a world of instant answers. This is key to desiring a new signs and wonders movement. Why do we want this movement? For instant transformation? Instant moves of God, salvation, revival? All great desires but instant moves from the past have not been rooted enough for a long haul road to transformation. God has more time than we do. He plants seeds in Genesis that bear fruit in Jesus birth and death. He has a mind set in eternity. We have a mind set in the here and now. Love is foundational to a long haul journey. It brings patience. We do not have to have the answers right now, we are sowing for the generations to come. We need to stop thinking my lifetime, and think generationally, my children and my children’s children.

Love keeps no account of evil.It forgives. We cannot afford to carry resentments and unforgiveness. Jesus said if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven, that is one heavy message. Many of us on this journey have been misunderstood, misquoted, misused, rejected, hurt. What do we do with all this stuff? Our gift to this world will be tainted if we carry stuff with us. We have to learn to deal with short accounts. Realise that the battle is not about flesh and blood, it is about spirit. People and comments are used to sow negative seeds in us. We need to take the people out of the equation and realise a bigger force is out to nullify who we are. We need love to forgive. If not the abused becomes the abuser. the chain must be broken.

Love bears all things. It puts up with stuff. There are times in a relationship that is young that we say love is blind. I’m not saying we should be like that, we need to be real about others. They are broken vessels as we are broken vessels. We just need to stop being speck hunters in others, and become plank dealers, taking our own eyes to the saw mill. Love and relationship needs to get beyond petty differences and debates. We fall out over the most ridiculous things. 99.9% of the time what we fall out over has no bearing on the eternal. Relationship needs to be bigger than stuff. We just need to accept we are all unique and get on. Put up with the differences for the sake of eternity. We may actually need each other is this. Love is vital.

I could go on but I am sure you get the message. 1 Corinthians 13 is the most prophetic passage of Scripture ever written. Without it we cannot move into chapter 14, prophecy itself. Love never fails. We may mess everything else up, but as long as love is the undergirding of everything we are building something bigger than our ministry or our church. It actually covers a multitude of sins. To end how did Jesus sum up the whole of the Old Covenant? What profound message did He have when asked about all those laws and teachings and structures and priestly duties?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul

and love your neighbour as you love yourself.

known for love

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I was excited yesterday to see Martin’s blog on stages of faith. I’ve been waiting for this since he first announced it was coming. I wanted, naturally, to see what stage I’m in. Do I even, in anyone’s terms have any faith left?  I ask that honestly. I seem to have walked, wandered, strayed so far from what I used to understand faith to be that I wonder many times where I am.  There are days, in relation to my starting points, when I feel totally lost.

According to the stages found on the link on Martin’s blog I may be in better shape than I thought. Certainly I went through all the questioning and seeking of another kind of relationship some time ago. And over the past 10 years as I have struggled with chronic pain and the unending chronic poverty of a student I have found God increasing my love level.  The results in relationships generally with non-Christians have been amazing. And I am enjoying all of that. Disclaimer here, I could simply be fooling myself though and still be stuck at the dreaded wall.

It made me think back to something from last week. I was reading something or other on the internet, wasting time, surfing around, watching the hysterical confusion that seems to typify American politics right now when I realized that all too often Christianity is now defined by what it rejects and hates rather than by love. In the culture wars that have left much of the American landscape a scarred battlefield the church too often is identified by what it has deemed unacceptable in terms of lifestyle or behaviours. And it appears, to many non-Christians, to have little to do with love.  That left me rather sad. Shouldn’t we be defined by our great and generous love?  Isn’t that how the world should understand the followers of Christ that we can’t help but love others?  I guess we all have to hurry up and get to that last stage of faith because people and creation sure need a lot of that amazing love right now.