To the tree planters

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Prophetic Perspectives

It is said that Martin Luther replied about the imminent return of Jesus that,

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

Tomorrow is so unknown. Defence budgets in numerous nations have doubled in these past few days. In Europe the average defence budget has been for years around 3%, decades ago they were well into double figures, and in certain times in history have been as high as 70% (and above) of taxation went on ‘defence’. It does not take a mathematician to work out what this means, for once things are doubled, without something that brings about a halt to it, we will have budgets tripled in that direction. We cannot accurately predict if there will be nuclear fall-out, if not by the unleashing of a weapon, with damage to a nuclear plant. Not a bright future.

SOW WHERE WE WANT THE WORLD TO GO.

I have used that phrase in my book(s) when seeking to give some very amateurish advice concerning those who are comfortable with shares / pension funds. Luther’s words at some level get hold of that. We do not know what will happen tomorrow, but I am able to do something today.

Creation cries out, waiting, looking.

Yes I pray what Putin is being sourced from dries up, from the spiritual forces, the imperial fantasy and whatever else is involved. This has to happen. Maybe tomorrow something will happen of that nature. But today, I can sow.

As always I look to the body of Christ. My hope has to be placed there, the ‘significant other’ that God intended to carry on the work that Jesus ‘began to do and to teach’. We have to see the imperial aspirations of Putin (and many other leaders) fall to the ground; I cannot but believe that if only the imperial aspirations of the body of Christ with her insistence of choosing a king, of seeking to extend borders…

The liberating environment of the kingdom of God… liberating to one and all, not simply to those who have come to faith and made it through our discipleship courses. A new world is beckoning. Though there seems to be more than one possibility. The shape and culture of one of them is being sown now, pulling on history, drawing on spiritual wells. The budgets are responding to the expectation of that world. What about the other possibility?

It had to come to this… we stand at a crossroads. There is a huge choice before us. Try and revive what we see as history, draw from that spiritual well, or gladly surrender the Christendom vision. Even if… I would plant a tree, so said Mr Luther.

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Authentic

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Quite a word that one! Who am I? Where am I going? And how do I get there? And an intrinsic fourth – who will go with me / who will I go with? ‘My Story – our Story – the Big Story’.

Those are the overarching questions / shape of Authentic Lives. As most readers of these posts know Gayle has been involved in courses, developing schools material, helping train facilitators etc., within Authentic Lives. And of course as one who is unbiased… she is quite brilliant at it all.

Authentic Lives – Home

There are two courses coming up, one in person (Ashburnham Place) and one by Zoom.

https://www.ashburnham.org.uk/events/authentic-lives (Ashburnham: Tuesday 15th March 2022 4pm – Friday 18th March 2022 10am).

https://authenticlives.org/membership/authentic_lives_online_march_2022_uk1-002/ (Zoom beginning Thursday 31st March, 7.30pm).

Gayle and I are committed to Authentic for (as we see it) the next 20 years; Gayle from within and I will ponce around on the edge. I first met Andrew in passing in 2004, a ‘chance’ meeting as it was the one of the very few times (maybe the only time) that I ventured out into the public space in the Autumn of that year while Sue was undergoing cancer treatment. Andrew was living in Hong Kong, and was visiting London: I likewise ventured out to visit London. We then connected in person in January 2020. Two aspects immediately impacted me. The cleanness on money – and for this reason courses are not charged for – and the person-focused nature of the material (maybe this is the reason why I am not involved; I always wanted to pretend it was simply that the material was over my head).

I do believe we are (globally) at a major turning point. This year I have both written about the cumulative series of events that will destabilise our world and the opportunities to go through one of the ‘four’ doors before us – only visible if pointed in a forward direction. AL / AB is one aspect among many that I believe is pointed to the future. The old parameters, if held on to too tightly, will obscure the possibility, for there is a Cornelius / Peter time here. Conversions within the body of Christ. Choppy waters. Those like the wind, unpredictable – for that was the mark Jesus gave to those who were born again. He did not ascribe the ‘wind’ as a sign of the Spirit (though it is in Gen. 1 and Acts 2). We are happy with it applied to the Spirit, but apparently when the unpredictable Spirit blows it will always blow people in a predictable direction… I think not!

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Favourite verses

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

You must be born again / from above (John 3:7).

That is a favourite verse… spoken to one person… but to be fair it also says ‘no-one can see the kingdom of God without being born again’. So perhaps justified as a ‘favourite verse’.

Go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor… (Matt. 19:21).

Not such a favourite verse, spoken to one person, but maybe with some justification it is not universally applied (just wiped my brow with relief right then).

It is amazing how we choose some verses over others, and thankfully maybe just about come down on the side that is OK-ish.

I was totalling up the other day who intimidates me:

Those with more money than me5%
Those who are not of my gender50%
Those younger than me92%
Those smarter than me91%
Total: thank God the battery on my calculator ran outQuite a lot

So a favourite Scripture of mine is:

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Cor. 5:16,17).

My short list above has a left-sided column that is composed of categories ‘from a human point of view’. Not surprisingly then the right side column is not a pretty sight. ‘See’ is the command. Now there is a challenge. See there is ‘new creation’. This current one is groaning, currently visible in the Ukraine, but groaning when Martin sees with old eyes. One is visible to all via TV; the other I can keep hidden… though the fruit will be visible to anyone who approaches me.

I think maybe this (2 Corinthians 5:16,17 quoted above) is my (current) favourite Scripture. If the born again Scripture is a favourite it seemed that Jesus said the sign that we really are allowing the reality of what we favour to be true for us is that we are unpredictable. If I allow the content of the verse that I claim as favourite to transform me then my categorisations need to go. Got a lot of work to do… or find another favourite Scripture. The latter will be easy, the former… not really sure I know where to start.

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Come join – if you want!

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

I have hosted a monthly ‘open zoom’ evening where we have explored some of the ‘so what’ questions. Tonight (7:30pm UK time) I want to explore a little more on ‘how do we engage with society with a view to contributing toward transformation’ – a succinct title if ever there was one!

(Zoom link will be at the end of this post.)

I have a paper that is in note form here that will be worth casting an eye over first:

March-1-Open-ZoomDownload

In summary: the Gospel is about a ‘heart transplant’ being offered to society; ‘individual’ salvation is periphery in the sense of ‘saved from… saved to go to…’ but is an invite to join the advance party of those who experience a heart transplant and position themselves so that others (individual and corporate) can also receive such a new heart. And then how do we engage – two poles, get the top 3% and maybe even control the change, or the opposite, just the little small things we do… And I acknowledge that our leanings might be because of our personalities… if (I only put the word ‘if’ in there to soften the blow of reality to myself) one is intimidated by anyone different, better educated, know more, have more money, have a lot less money, are female, they’re younger and I have no idea how to relate to them even if they are grandkids, and then breathe a sigh of relief ‘at least I am not intimidated by those who are older’… until I realise why – oh yes I am the older one!! Yes we do have our own peculiar bias and not a few weaknesses that colour our beliefs.

Anyway feel free to join, just use the link below. Any questions at the end of the paper are simply ones by example, I hope we gather a few more in the evening.

Topic: Open Zoom Evening
Time: Mar 1, 2022 19:30 London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5728039267?pwd=NEozVVM0Z1NJSDFKKzNwdG9KUDc5dz09

Meeting ID: 572 803 9267
Passcode: 5GkMTA

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A little discipline

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

Books on ‘discipline’, ‘how to bring up kids’. Those are the kind of books I would not have clue where to start… or books on almost anything practical. So maybe I should read what the good book says and receive some gentle instruction:

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel will hear, and be afraid (Deut. 21:18-21).

Yesterday’s post on gift or title still does not make the calling of ‘city elder’ too appealing! A gift to live up to?

All designed to make sure Israel will be kept in order, everyone will ‘be afraid’. Such a tough old book to understand. I am coming to the end of Deuteronomy, Joshua will be something to look forward to though not sure what to make of all the blood in there, not to mention the lack of archaeological evidence for so much of what is claimed… Anyway I have got through some of this law stuff by also reading Psalms – though one or two tough bits there too!

I like Jesus. He told a story that is a bit of a challenge to the law about ‘discipline’ that I quoted above. He told the parable of the very outrageous father, the ‘prodigal’ father, and I don’t think it is going too far to suggest he probably intended us to understand something about God through the parable, the God who gave the Deuteronomy instruction.

The so-called prodigal son certainly qualifies for a good old stoning. It starts with his ‘I wish you were dead’ attitude and speech to his father, for to ask for one’s inheritance in that culture, something given at death, was to say just that. He went off, rebellious, disrespectful, lived a life of debauchery including being with prostitutes.

WOW… he decides to come home! Any decent father knows exactly what to do, and it has to be done otherwise law and order, society itself would be undermined.

So yet again God is going to break his own law. He runs – shock, this is not in the script. In that very act he is undermining, disrespecting the status quo. It just carries on. Party time. Party time to the extent that it offends the ‘good son’. The explanation is at the end:

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.

The correct behaviour would have been to let the son come back then inform all that ‘this brother of yours has been put to death’; rather we read ‘he was dead and has come to life’.

Life triumphs over right and wrong. The law just does not cut it, and when applied is a strong statement that something bigger is amiss. Choose life…

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A spiritual war in Ukraine

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Reports

Here are two articles that came in my inbox today. They are not giving the same analysis, but in reading either or both it becomes clear that to us Westerners that there is a major spiritual ‘re-conquest’ element to this.

Moscow has to be restored spiritually for it sits as a ‘third’ alongside Constantinople and Rome historically (Jeff Fountain’s article).

It is a synthesis of Russia’s national and spiritual aspirations. It’s not just Russia, it is “Holy Russia”, part religious project, part extension of Russian foreign policy. Speaking of Vladimir’s mass baptism, Putin explained: “His spiritual feat of adopting Orthodoxy predetermined the overall basis of the culture, civilisation and human values that unite the peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.” He wants to do the same again. And to do this he needs Kyev back.

And in the words of Putin himself:

The spiritual choice made by St Vladimir [988AD] still largely determines our affinity today. In the words of Oleg the Prophet about Kyev, “let it be the mother of all Russian cities”.

https://unherd.com/2022/02/putins-spiritual-destiny/

https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?e=f5c999e39e&u=65605d9dbab0a19355284d8df&id=4bc71b39d6

Thank God Christendom is unravelling. It gives us hope for the future.

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Gift not title

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

The Ascended Christ gave out some titles so that everyone might know who is above them, order might be preserved… That might not be the first time I have misquoted the Holy Book.

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves…” (Lk. 22:25-27).

No misquote this time, and strong words: I am one among you. The incarnation truly lived out. That has to be the foundation, modelled in the breaking of bread / the Lord’s Table, where everyone is equal, it not being the ‘table of the xxx movement’, and where we are careful not to fall into the trap of giving the person arrayed in rich apparel (or higher status) the better seat… (Those references only make sense when we consider the politically subversive nature of what the Last / Lord’s Supper (deipnon: banquet) stood for. Subversive to the Jewish world of the day, where Jesus instructed who to invite to a meal, and deeply subversive in the Graeco-Roman world where the banquet was part of the activity that held the Imperial system of everyone in there place intact.)

Even in the parable that maybe gives some indication of ‘order’ in the age to come Jesus indicated that he would do the serving! Serving is not something for this age and then we lay it down and get our position!

Jesus gave gifts, not titles. Not even ‘Apostle Paul’. But we have Paul (by the grace gift of heaven) an apostle. A title sets me in position and will commission me to do things ‘to’, and if I am a goodish sort of person release me to do things ‘for’ you. But a grace gift, releases me to be ‘with’ you, and holds me in check to be accountable to God for the gift given. Paul as an apostle had a commission to fulfil, one marked by signs and wonders with great patience, in other words he truly had to sow the subversive seeds of the Gospel in the direction of the eschatological future, that was opened when Jesus rose – that new creation direction.

If we are to see real breakthroughs in our hierarchical world, if we are to model the end of all divisions, then we really need to drop the titles. I think that would be a good move.

Jesus was one among us, but he was not simply one among us. We do not read, OK here we all are, time for the annual meeting, who do we want to appoint now as the Messiah, maybe we pass it round… how about you Peter? After all you are pretty rockish. Or, how about you Judas, you do seem to carry a clarity about this kingdom issue?

One among – the foundation. And standing in the gift that God has given, that is not given to allow for position ‘over’ but alongside to bring that gift for the sake of the release of others. Leadership / gifting is to be recognised and to do so is not a vote for hierarchy; it has to be first self-recognised. It is not contributing to hierarchy, not when there has been time spent in the wilderness and temptations have been refused (and there is a direct tie in this Scripture to that of the offer of the oikoumene to Jesus… become the one over the kings of the Gentiles – talk about order and delegated authority perfected!!).

From that foundation there is no shouting nor declaration of how great one is, but the embracing of a leadership that does not advance itself in status but increasingly disappears, increasingly empties itself, carries the ‘better I go away’ attitude, recognises that the function is ‘until’.

Leadership is not to control order, but to release exploration and then in the wake of the explosion to try and keep up!

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God votes: the word ‘with’ tops them all

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

Relationships… (please remember that I like to think, but thinking is in my head, that I really both know what I write about and incarnate it…)

Incarnate. God with us, you shall call his name Immanuel: so begins Matthews Gospel; ‘I will be with you to the end of the age’: so ends Matthews Gospel, the Gospel that is self-consciously written as the fulfilment of all that has gone before. All of the before was to lead to ‘God being with us’ and it was never to end but simply to increase.

The incarnation was not something done TO us. I have tried to stay clear of that in my relationships. Maybe there is a time when we need to do something TO someone as there is no alternative, but sadly most often the TO aspect is a strong me (powerful) / they (object of my power).

The incarnation did have some element of FOR us. The cross certainly did, and the cross is part of the journey from the incarnation. Jesus, being in the form of God; Jesus because he was rich became poor for us. Yes there is a FOR us element there, and I am thankful for that.

But really the incarnation is a WITH scenario. ‘I am one among you’ so undercuts the Imperial model – that system that claims it is FOR us but really is only doing something TO us in order that we can be there FOR the Imperial system.

WITH is a challenge. I am pondering why I have many who offer friendship but I am not truly friends to anyone. I think there is something here that I am missing. WITH. I guess a WITH scenario opens up all kinds of possibilities. Maybe I should explore that… or if not I could continue to write about it.

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God votes: I would like them to learn to compromise

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

‘No, no and never will I compromise,’ I retort.

I have my ideals; I am sticking to what I know to be right.

Sure Mr. ‘Righteous’ (also known as Mr. ‘Aloof’, and probably a few other titles such as Mr. ‘Arrogant’…), but there is something bigger, better and more wonderful, the land of compromise.

I consider God is quite the compromiser. I think that cos I err on the side of immanence, God with us; not on the side of transcendence, with God sooooo different, a divide, God up there, beyond me. Of course it is an err(or) on my part but give me a break, I am not sure that there has not been a few errs as well in you dear reader!

God compromises – evidence s/he seems to come close to me. If that is not compromise… Jesus ate with ‘sinners’. God does not ride on some high-horse, but chooses the donkey and comes through the east gate while Pilate comes in with all the pomp, ceremony and power through the western gate.

What a compromiser we find in this God, and yet we need to grasp that those compromises are redemptive and therefore eschatological. That is the challenge I need to rise to, to engage with people and situations in such a way that I make a small contribution to those people and situations helping them / opening the door for them to move in a direction that is more in line with the glory of God, and whatever contribution I make or presence I bring is in the direction I want the world to go.

And it should not be too hard for me to compromise. There is no ‘transcendence / immanence’ debate around me! There is no ‘I am so beyond you…’ Even Jesus said he was ‘one among us’.

I guess that God would love us learn how to look at situations, be in / with those contexts, come out with feet dirty and as a result are not able to pat ourselves on the back but the situation was just a little different afterwards.

Mistakes and compromise… going beyond, way beyond law… mistakes – an aspect that defines humanity; compromise – a calling for those who have met the God who compromised to redeem them so that without judgement they engage, and in that engagement something redemptive and eschatological takes place.

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God votes: let’s give them a few laws

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

Don’t… ‘You shall…’ A few laws. I am reading at the moment in the ‘cheeky’ book of Deuteronomy. Cheeky cos it keeps talking about the ‘Place that shall be chosen’. Really? Moses are you sure… or you Babylonian based editors, how did you get that slid in there so that we read it as if Moses had this always in mind, and if he had it in mind then so did God?

Laws to set boundaries and then we can be smacked really hard for straying outside of them, or were they always written in pencil (I know there is something in there about ‘written in tablets of stone’ but just for now let me suggest ‘pencil’) and are pretty helpful as some notes to refer to, but then one day will become unnecessary.

Laws given to Israel, Israel who represents all of us, imperfect, but supposed to set an example to all of us. Laws that are OKish but pencil writing. After all before we come to all those laws that instruct us to make sure that any murderer does not escape and go free… before we read about that… we read that God did not punish the first (the FIRST, hence quite an example here) murderer but looked to protect him – Cain. Now that really does not seem an action that pays much attention to the pencilled in writing. Carry it through and the next time that Cain and Abel come on the scene is when the two ‘sons of the father’ appear in the New Testament. One goes free, the other does not. Barabbas goes free!! [Note to self: and so do you Martin, so don’t complain.]

Laws quickly help us determine what is right and wrong. They then have to work hard when it comes to ‘mistakes’, hence the many exceptions in the OT laws, ‘you are to do this, but if this has happened then do…’

And laws are not too smart about really helping us to choose a path that leads to life.

Yes, let’s give them a few laws, but it sure would be good if they could choose the life path instead of trying to get everything right and fit within those boundaries.

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