Monthly Archives: April 2011

I believe: in life to come

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This is not all there is to it I believe in life after death. Not though with everyone with their own harp and cloud. Much more down to earth. I am 90% certain that there is concious life post death, and in some form of bodiless state… but that this is also a waiting stage for resurrection and the new creation. The ‘real’ life to come.

What will this be like? I have sometimes said in that age I would like to be the resident wine-maker. Not possible to make a bad vintage, and if in a hurry I guess the possibility of turning water into wine? I am not sure I have totally grasped the new creation but I suspect it is a little closer than the ‘I’ve got a mansion in the sky waiting for me’.

I believe in something very creational because of the resurrection of Jesus. He is not simply alive, but his body is not in the tomb. He as first-fruits of all creation has gone on before. This seems to be the level of God’s commitment to creation. With the incarnation and then with the resurrection the God we worship has changed for ever. Humanity and creation has been taken into God.

Where does that take us? To a similar commitment to this world. To seeking to model here and now signs of what is to come; to give some kind of pictures here now of what life will be like then, realising that we do not see things too clearly. And because the life of that age is already breaking in here, I also want to affirm life now, or I’ll do that in the next post.

Asturias to Porto

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Over the past months Gayle and I have taken occasional trips into the Iberian peninsula to go see and pray. This time we were in Asturias (Oviedo, Avilés, Gijón: April 14-16th), Porto(April 17-19th) and Galicia (briefly in Santiago de Compostela as we drove back to Oviedo airport on April 20th). We are travelling to gain a better understanding of our current context, to pray for the thousands who are being called to relocate in the gateways, and to gently explore any future places to invest in.

The north of Spain – Asturias and Galicia are very beautiful, very Celtic in appearance and culture. With the third highest set of mountains in Spain some of the views are breathtaking. Of all the places we visited there Gijón was the place that caught our attention. Unpretentious, young people on the streets, roughish but with a real sense of openness.

On our return from Porto we drove into Santiago. Many will know this as one of the main places of pilgrimages, and indeed we saw pilgrims walking there on the way. We were only there long enough to give it a small ‘kick’. But closed and heavy would certainly be 2 words that apply. Our observation of Spain and the faith is of heaviness. Easter is far more about death than life, and about Mary than Jesus. Everything is so syncretistic with the superstitions of paganism thrown in. While in Asturias we went way up into the mountains to a village of about 80 inhabitants to the ‘oldest tree in Spain’, a ‘magical’ tree connected to paganism. Of course right there is a church, and up the hill the graveyard.

Death not life. Later in the calendar, November 2nd is the day of the dead. That is so far out there it is incredible. In the north of Brazil I once experienced on that day, voodoo priests manifesting inside a building that was secure on that day with poison ready for our food!! However, thank God for intercessors, for they were ready for them having seen them in a vision that morning and where they would come in. A good healthy challenge to our world-views.

Porto

War memorial to defeat of Napoleon

But it was Porto that impacted us this time. We were met there with good friends that I have known for years, Annie and Julian Bullen. They knew the city well as they had spent time there in language training previously. A city that blends the old and the new; that has wealth – the home of Port and many Port houses – and poverty. The ‘crisis’ is more evident there than in most of Spain, and many of the buildings were derelict. If some areas were simply multiplied in size they would come close to being a favella in Brazil.

It is a city with a bite to it. The first night (often a sign) we were both awake by 3.00am aware that Porto is ready to resist. A very strong exterior.

Here then is our take on it:

  • A gateway / Philadelphia place. Took us a while to see this and pretty much only as we drove away. This indicates that this is a place that is not going to open quickly but is in desperate need of those who will give the city time. Gifts often suppressed here and that is our sense.
  • There should be far more art in the place than is. We went into a photographic exhibition that had some great photos but the presentation was very uncreative. So a need to call for the freedom for the artists and the poets.
  • Any significant arrogance in the city is from a position of self-protection. The exterior might be hard but it is due to internal vulnerability. There is a resistance to the outside.
  • Calls itself a ‘Cidade Invicta’, the unvanquished city, with a perspective on its own history. However, deliverance came from the outside, and we would suggest the city is quite vulnerable to exploitation.
  • Porto: A gateway that is calling for people to love her for who she is.

So Porto is firmly on the map in Western Europe as a place that needs TIME and AFFECTION. Anyone who wants to get fit could come here and walk the streets (hills abound) and in the process LOVE the place to its destiny. Oh and visit a Port house or two – that is a bonus that the call to this city can throw in!!

The Traveller’s Rest- My Dad on earth…

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Priority list

As a church Pastor I always faced the task of prioritising. There were demands and expectations all of the time. At college we were taught that there was a list of priority in ministry life; God, family, others, myself. I soon found out that for church people and eldership teams this list was a bit different, it went; us, others, God, family, self, although they would tell you it was really the same as the list the college gave you, that is unless they were from the old school and then  it was; God, others, family, self. Whatever over nearly twenty years of ministry I realise one thing (well I realise alot of things but this one is relevant here!), family suffers for the sake of the so called ministry. My marriage suffered as meetings were always priority, other phone calls more important, other people always got listened to, always needed to be seen to be doing the right thing etc. I remember once when Allison was pregnant and she started to bleed in early term on a Sunday night. I still had to go to church and stand in the pulpit while she began to miscarry at home on her own. I had to be called home from church just as I was finishing my preach. I feel so ashamed of myself. Allison has had to put up with some crap inthe name of ministry and commitment to the Gospel. My kids suffered; they wanted to play football on Sunday-No, busy. Wanted to go to parties on Sunday- No, busy. Cannot take you there I have a prayer meeting/Bible study/having a cup of tea with an old lady etc. Dad was always about His Fathers business. (Jesus was not the best example here, lol). My parents have suffered too, and that brings me to this…

Only Son of a Bricklayer

It is nearly 44 years since I came into the world of Derek and Janet Leader. An only child. My mum and dad wanted more but I was a bit of a pain as a baby and they decided I was enough. I am blessed in that I can look back with fondness to my childhood and upbringing, my dad was a real laugh, a bricklayer but a softy, and my mum was a hard working sometimes disciplinarian woman. I loved them to bits. When I started going to church they were not over the moon but they accepted that. When at 19 I wanted to go to Bible college my dad wanted me to get a proper job like him, but they both drove me to the college for my interview, and were so proud when I became a so called Pastor. They would tell everyone what I was doing. But there was a price for them, when I drove away in tears at 19 little did I realise that I would never really live at home again. My holiday visits got shorter and less frequent. Then I left college and went into the ministry (learningto despise that term). Was in Lutterworth near Leicester. A year later got married. Most of the time if my parents wanted to see me they would have to journey to where I was. My Christmas breaks were spent with Allison’s family. The three had really become two! Then I moved to the Welsh valleys five years later, even further away. Now I was really too busy. More ministry, missions work, conferences… The list goes on.

The Big ‘C’

Then came the real hammer blow, my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the bowel. He became very ill and started treatment. Over the course of a couple of years I visited on a few occasions but the ministry had to continue. Made great escapism anyway. I could live my life and pretend his did not exist. I had my church and my family to think about anyway. Mum would look after him. She did, she gave everything, literally. Dad responded to treatment and slowly recovered. So much so that he was given the all clear. Then came the double hammer blow, my mum was then diagnosed with exactly the same thing. She had been showing symptoms for a while but did nothing because she was looking after my dad and did not want to worry anybody. By the time she was checked out it was too late. It was too advanced. Then was the painful journey of watching her deteriorate, well my dad watched her. I carried on with the ministry and my life. Priority! Humbug, bloody poor excuse of an only son who did not want to face real issues of life and ministry. Six years ago my mum died. Death does sting. I spoke to her the night before but still took no hint. Had a phone call the next day and drove to Suffolk, but I missed her, she had gone, it was too late. No rewound clocks. She was always there for me, I failed to be there for her. But at least I was a good Pastor. I was pretty crap at that too. Life hey!

My dad

Where has all this come from? My dad is coming to visit me today. He is here with his new lady. That is another story, lol. I love my dad to bits. Still don’t do enough for him but at least ministry and church is not the excuse anymore. He is doing really well, he returned to work as a bricklayer full time with no ill effects, still has a social life and has recently entered the world of the retired, and he is alive. I still have a chance to show him I love him. He is not the greatest conversationalist, but hey we talk football. He attends church but we never talk about whether he has been washed with the blood of the Lamb. He would have no clue who Evan Roberts is or the Toronto blessing or who David Wilkerson was (sadly passed away today), but that is refreshing. I am so glad that for a couple of days we can share food, laughter, stories, grandchildren, tv and definitely no church meetings. He has no hang ups to my journey. As long as I am happy he always says. And do you know what? I am. I am happy with my wife Allison, my boys and the visit of my dad. And I want to make sure that I am not neglecting Corban as Jesus called it because I am being religious ever again. I have a new list of priority;

Family(blood) + Family in Christ ( that includes everyone?), self…. that is it!

God is there through all and in all so He does not need to be listed.

Oh well must go for now, my dad will be here soon…

Roman Empire

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In the past few weeks we have had some discussion when Roger and Sue Mitchell were with us about the Roman Empire and North Africa. Here is a map of the RE:

[Image from: http://www.roman-empire.net/maps/empire/extent/rome-modern-day-nations.html.]

Interesting to see the area of North Africa that is currently experiencing turmoil. Could this be a continuing aspect of the Roman Ways being rolled up?

I will blog in a few days time about I believe: in Europe’s transformation. Of course, we all have a bias (or more than one!!) and mine is that Christendom was a major deviation from the purposes of God, the poverty of it now being revealed. It was formalised in and through the Roman Empire, and there is something to break within that geographical context. Poverty and difficulty to be revealed before something shifts. We pray for the shifts and live through the process. No process, no results.

I believe: he was born of a virgin

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Maybe I should have touched on this aspect a little earlier. But the Scriptures make so little of this issue theologically. I personally believe that the conception of Jesus was not the result of sexual intercourse – that he was conceived by a virgin. I am not sure why this is the case… in other words I am not totally convinced that had he been conceived as a result of sexual intercourse that would have meant he was not God, or he was born a sinner.

Let’s assume for a moment that all who are born as a result of sexual intercourse are not God and are sinners (that’s you and me!) – does that mean that God could not have done a miracle and caused one human being to come into the world that way who was none other than the living God and without sin?

What is amazing is that he was born. So helpless and so dependent. So slow to develop. If you don’t mind me saying so Lord, was that really a smart way? After all what does that tell us about you?

Humility in the extreme. Willingness to enter our world.

A couple more things about the virgin aspect. This imagery is a symbol for faithful Israel, so not only is he born of a woman (and a virgin, I believe) he comes to us through those who have been faithful though not perfect. He does not just appear, he comes to us, and comes through us.

Maybe there is a ‘no need for help from you males’ involved in the virgin birth. That would be quite like God. Marginalise the powerful. Jesus was male, but so very different.

Not so much about the virgin birth but certainly the family line was somewhat interesting. Sexual issues there and quite a bit of racial impurity. Oh boy. God does just do things his way. Doesn’t seem he flows along too well with the religious status quo.

I believe: his death opens a way

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Understanding the death of Jesus is not straightforward. Theories of the atonement abound. People get in trouble when they talk of some theories as being similar to ‘cosmic child abuse’. What is clear is that we cannot have a divide between God the Father and the Son, in the sense of one demanding punishment being motivated by justice and the other responding with love. The Father and Son are one.

So whatever we decide about propitiation / expiation and all that, let me put in one other aspect here.

His death frees us from all the powers that have bound us. The suffering of the world, the subjection to slavery, the ownership by the devil – if that is a real paradigm then the death on the cross must address those issues. So he becomes subject to the powers, even to the power of death. Maybe the more central understanding of the cross is the dealing with the powers rather than ‘he bore my sin on the cross’.

If so then we can understand that death and the powers cannot lay legitimate claim to his life. And he does it as the truly human one. The one dies for all.

So how free of the powers can I be in my life? Do I sell out to them or am I bought with a price and sold out to his freedom?

Book on evangelicalism

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Here is a great article on ‘The Survival of evangelicalism: an interview with David Fitch’.

A couple of samples:

On Rob Bell and Love Wins;

in finding a heretic, we found a reason to feel validated in our beliefs, and boy does that make us feel good. Of course, along the same lines, he would take notice of how the publishing world is creating this swirl of activity to ask, who is the church? Is not the church being shaped around these crazy discussions that are generated by publishing empires? Is this not a sign that evangelicalism has become a groupthink that generates no real activity for change in real life?

On inerrancy:

It is a strategy that in fact undermines Scripture by defining its authority via a reference point outside itself, by what is an “error” and who gets to define “error,” as opposed to what Scripture is in its relationship to the Incarnate Christ. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t surprise me if the New-Reformed movement among evangelicals makes inerrancy once again a shibboleth to determine who is a true evangelical.

Link to the article.

I believe: Jesus is the prototype

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In the beginning God created Adam and Eve. Humanity – or maybe just potential humanity? Why do I suggest this?

We know that Jesus is fully human – thank God for this. But what is more than that he is truly human.

So he is fully God – we are not nor will be, yet through him we share in the life of God.
He is fully human – which we are with all our weakness and fallenness.
He is truly human – which we are in process of becoming, and I think one day we become, post death with resurrection bodies once we see him. But we are not yet truly human.

This is why maybe Adam and Eve (whatever that means) were humanity in potential.

So WWJD carries validity. Tough old questions then are teased out. Not just over issues of sexuality, but over issues of economics, race, ecology, nationalism, patriotism – oh the list is long!!

I ask many times ‘what would Jesus do if he were living in Palma?’ Good question, Martin. Go answer it.

That is the incredible result of the Last Supper. He distributes himself in and through the disciples. It was an offence to Judas. It is a challenge to me. I like to ask – what should that person be doing? or why are they doing it that way? Jesus says – what’s that got to do with you, Martin (John 21 kind of stuff).

Are they planting a church in Palma a friend of ours was asked. ‘No that would be too easy… they are there for the Gospel.’ Words that often trouble us.

Religion kills. Jesus gives life, but we lay hold of that life as we refuse to hold on to our own. Religion takes our lives but gives nothing back that is truly human.

So Jesus is the hermeneutic for Scripture – that can remain as something interesting.
He is the hermeneutic for God – provocative.
He is the hermeneutic for life – now that calls me to an adventure.

I believe: Jesus is my God

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Most doctrine books will start with a Doctrine of God section. I think though that Jesus changed the order for the doctrine books. We do not know God without having him revealed by the Son. ‘Was / is Jesus God?’ might be a legitimate question but it really needs to be rephrased. Jesus is God, so what kind of God does he reveal? In other words, Jesus is not defined in God-terms, rather God is (re-)defined in Jesus terms.

Little wonder he was controversial. His life and behaviour was placed at the centre. No way round it. Changing the old adage that this makes Jesus either mad, bad or God, I would like to suggest this makes Jesus either mad / delusioned or we have to change our view of who God is.

Jesus becomes the hermeneutic for Scripture… and the hermeneutic for God.

The fullness of God dwelt in him. This is very radical for our thinking about Lordship and Sovereignty (Roger Mitchell has pushed this – see either his blogs or listen to the material under the section about gates). Every knee will bow, but understood through the Jesus’ lens this seems so far away from the ‘I will force you into submission’ type of approach that comes through might is right.

The turning the other cheek is not a passivity, but it is certainly not that of forcing our way… but that is to jump forward in our blogs.

Of course once we put Jesus at the centre through which God has to be understood it does challenge how we read Scripture. However, I cannot see how we can read it as a flat book with all parts equal in weight and with the same level of relevance for all time.

Jesus at the centre opens up many possibilities. To live a Jesus-revealing-God-life is way beyond what we have been taught to expect. Followers of Jesus are not called to know God, but to put a name to the unknown God. To put a relational name to the God of all creation. Maybe it is possible to ‘know’ God to some measure without having met the living Jesus. Maybe some Christians have come to a knowledge of God.

But the promise of a spontaneous ‘Abba, Father’? No longer a harsh task master, arbitrarily saying what is right and wrong. Not waiting for me to fail to prove he is sovereign. A God who can call all the Judases ‘friend’; who on the night he was betrayed can give his life.

So… I believe Jesus is my God. I wonder – do I follow Jesus, or do I abandon the true image of God, for the image that I create of God? The God who loves art forbids graven images because all other images fall so short of the one he gives.

The Traveller’s Rest- Should We Pass Over the Passover?

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Historical thread

What have Patrick of Ireland, David of Wales, Columba, Count Zinzandorf and the Moravians, the Puritans and the Waldenses got in common? Yes they were all radical reformers and holy wanderers in the earth, but there is something I also find very interesting and something that I wanted to open up for thought/discussion/whatever etc, they all kept the feasts of the Lord including Passover. Here is a quote from a book on Celtic Christianty, “Patrick, Columba and the other Celts assemblies held included the observation of the other festivals of the Eternal (Lev 23). ” Here is another concerning Patrick, ” he left the Law of Moses, the Gospel and instructions on the feasts of God.” What is that all about? What was fought over and debated in 325 AD? It is interesting that at only this point in British history did the celebartion of Easter substitute the Passover. That man Constantine again. Cymru (Wales) being the last nation in Europe to crumble to the demands of the Council of Whitby. Is this just mere religious observance that is more baggage or is this really part of the restoration of all things that Luke talks about in Acts 3:21? I am not saying that we all need to become Judaisers, as there is as much baggage now associated with Judaism as there is with Christianity. I have never been to Israel and do not really feel I need to go there and walk where Jesus walked because I do that every day anyway. But is there something here for us today? Is this part of the rhythm of God we need to rediscover? Is this part of the claw of the Roman/Greek world on the church that we need to deal with? Is there anyone else out there that finds celebrating Easter and it’s Pagan roots with Ishtar more and more difficult? What was the motive behind replacing the Passover with Ishtar anyway? Was Constantine really anti-semetic? Loads of questions without full answers as this is a journey-mans discussion.

Leviticus 23:2

The feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are my feasts.

Leviticus 23:4

These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.

Leviticus 23:31

it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Personal pilgrimage

On Monday night I went to a Passover supper at a church in Merthyr. What took me by surprise was that when I walked inside it was packed, over 100 people sat at tables waiting to share in the meal and the account of the Passover, with particular reference to the last supper that Jesus took with His disciples. There were faces there I recognised of friends from the journey, and loads of new friends to be made. The atmosphere was one of fun and joy. The setting was one that created conversation and real opportunity to get to know people and renew acquantances. I loved it. Have not been to gather in Wales for a long time now. I was so nervous about going and actually seeing people, but the setting was one that made me so at ease. What drew me there?

After resigning my position of Pastor I walked for a while with a good friend who was very much into the restoration of the feasts. They gathered as a fellowship on Friday nights and later on Saturday afternoons, and it was here that I first experienced the Passover celebration along with the other feasts of the Lord. It was great for a while but what concerned me was the whole religiousness of it all and the judging of others that didn’t quite get it. Superiority crept in and a fussyness about using certain vocabulary and doing things a certain way. I hate religion in all it’s forms and therefore my whole insides shouted out to escape. I felt I could not keep walking in this way with my friend any longer and our paths then went in totally different directions. I had replaced one religious gathering for another and I did not want that in any shape or form. The sad thing is I have found that with many people who go for the Israel angle, so often they are too extreme for their own good and their sometimes weirdness can be the repelling factor to actually pushing people away from discovering something that could be of great significance. So I laid it down and buried it, only thinking of such things when we would celebrate Passover as a family around the family meal table, until now. What drew me there again? What was that all about? Anyone else on a similar journey?

Pointers from back to go forward

Here are just a few things that keep my interest;

a) they are called the feasts of the Lord and not the feasts of Israel

b) they are appointments

c) they are to be kept for all eternity

d) they are family based

e) they are meal based

f) Jesus and the disciples celebrated them

g) they are like God’s calender; Passover, death, Pentecost, Spirit comes, Tabernacles, ?

h) the Celtic Chrsitians kept the feasts

i) many are being drawn to them without consulting others, God speaking?

j) smashes more of the Empire spirit on the church established by Constantine etc.

Not telling anyone to follow anything, just thinking out loud and sowing seeds. Just know that Monday night I was touched afresh and reminded of the blood sacrifice of the sacrificial Lamb. That I too am experiencing a personal passover because I know the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Be blessed this season and may we all spring forth this spring into our own personal destinies.