by Lawrence on November 25, 2006
What’s the difference between a vision, wish-fulfilment, blind optimism, hallucination and derangement? I ask because I’ve run “vision days” for churches in which I know what they’ll come up with: a church full of children, with people dropping in and wanting to join, full rotas, full bible study and prayer meetings … in other words, “Bring back the glory days!” And why is that wrong - if it’s wrong? I think it is. I think that is a case of nostaligia and wish-fulfilment. It’s driven by an inability to cope with the radical changes in society that have seen the Christian Church plummet not only in public affection but in the sense that the Church matters or is valuable. What most church people can’t cope with is that the Church has simply become irrelevant. Oh - and the other thing that makes me doubt it’s a vision is that I know exactly what they’ll come up with beforehand! There’s nothing new, surprising or difficult about it.
So what makes a vision a vision? It seems to me that it is about new possibilities under God. Now of course, that opens up the sense that anything is possible - cos it’s God we’re dealing with! But vision is not the same as “blue sky thinking”. We don’t start with a blank sheet of paper. We start with a particular group of people within a particular context. A vision, then, has to do with possibilities for us - for the people we are. If we’re all over 70, it’s no good having a vision of us starting an enormously successful “camp for Jesus” campaign by having a week’s retreat on a snow-capped mountain! A vision takes account of our limitations. The possiblities that we discover under God may be deeply surprising - but they won’t be outlandish.
For instance, we can’t have a vision of the URC suddenly becoming an Emerging Church. It ain’t gonna happen! People who have been Christians and church members most of their lives aren’t going to be turned on by new, very different forms of worship and spirituality. But the URC might become a place that facilitates emerging forms of church - that funds, resources, encourages and nurtures them. That’s one thing I hope and pray for, anyway.
So what are the possibilities for the URC - or indeed, any mainline churches?
by Lawrence on November 20, 2006
If you had one vision - just one - with which you’d like to infect the church, what would it be? A group of us are meeting at the Windermere Centre from Monday 20 November - Thursday 23 November to brainstorm our vision for the United Reformed Church. We’re doing it in the conviction that the URC has reached a kairos. We’ve got to get this right now, because if we miss the boat this time, there ain’t gonna be a next time. It’ll be an exciting and important time.
The point is that we can’t carry on as we are. If we do, we will simply die - quite literally of old age! We’ll be about half the size we are now in 5 years’ time. It’s noticeable, too, that with an ageing church comes associated issues about energy, physical abilities and capacities for communicating across the gap between church and non-church people.
That’s what we will be doing. So what’s your vision for the church?
by Lawrence on November 13, 2006
URC in blogging cybersapce! There are more and more of us. I come across them by accident (as well as design). I’m keen to link us all together to share information and common journeys, so I’ve established a blogring - URC Bloggers. The joining form is at the bottom of the sidebar. If you’re a URC member, and maintain a blog, come and join.
by Lawrence on November 11, 2006
I don’t do Remembrance Day very well. It’s a good thing in principle - an opportunity to remember those who have given their lives on behalf of their country. It’s difficult, though, for those who fought - it stirs up memories of events as well as people. For me, it brings back memories of events and friends who died in a self-serving, grubby defence of colonial robbery on a pretty grand scale!
That’s the story of Rhodesia - and now Zimbabwe. Land grab. Scene 1 is Cecil Rhodes, with his dream of painting Africa red (the colour of the British Empire) from Cape to Cairo. Imagine that - “Let’s own Africa!” Imagine being an ordinary black Zimbabwean. One day a group of white people arrive from a place you didn’t even know existed, heavily armed. They take your land and build a magnificent country (and Rhodesia was magnificent) - a country, though, in which your job is to live as a servant.
Scene 2 - enter Ian Smith. He comes to power in 1963 on a platform of “no racial integration” at a time when Britain is divesting itself of its colonies because they’ve become too politically expensive. This is as much of a land grab as Mugabe’s. It’s no less ruthlessly defended. The only difference is that it’s justified by efficiency - a strong economy, with phones that work and trains that run on time. But it’s robbery. And my generation is sent by my government, my parents and my church to kill and die for it. We’re to preserve Rhodesia for the whites at all costs.
That’s not what we’re told, of course! We’re told we’re fighting to preserve Christian democratic civilisation against the southward march of global, godless Communist expansionism. And so we go to war - bravely, brightly and sacrificially. We give our lives - and our futures. We grow old at 19 - old in things that no human being should have to grow old in. We grow old in memories that haunt those of us who survive - memories that resurface every 11 November.
I survived. I “did my bit”. And they gave me a medal - not for bravery, but simply to remind (as if I could ever forget) that I was there and part of it all. A medal - or an accusation? After all, look whose face is on it: Cecil John Rhodes!
by Lawrence on November 10, 2006
I came across a widget that turns your wordpress blog into a photoblog. It’s been developed by Johannes Jarolim and you can get hit from his site here. Not only has he developed it - he has a forum for users. And, ublike many forum owners, Johannes answers inane questions tirelessly, promptly and with good humour! Here’s what the plugin does:
- A non invasive WP-plugin that converts wp into a easy useable photoblog system
- Easy image upload - All wordpress post-features can be used
- On the fly thumbnail generation - Use multiple thumbnail sizes where and when you need them: Â Â Â Â Thumbnail generation gets controlled from the template.
- EXIF data processing and output
- Self-learning EXIF filter - Your own cameras tags can be selected to be viewed.
- Full i18n-Support through gnutext mo/po files
- Ping additional update-service-sites when posting a photoblog entry.
- Nearly every WP-theme can become a photoblog in virtually no time.
Thanks, Johannes. It’s people like you who keep the net alive.
by Lawrence on November 9, 2006
Mike Walsh has started blogging. His blog, the unlikely evangelist, is well worth a visit. He’s doing some important things with bible study. Go take a look and leave a comment.
by Lawrence on November 6, 2006
Here it is - mustard seeds in a permanent home! Hope you like the layout. Please leave a comment to say you’ve been. And if you’ve time, why not wander over to my lectionary site, disclosing new worlds? Enjoy your visit here!
