Salzburg - the 3rd story

I constantly live my life in two stories.  In one story I'm boss - nothing happens outside my will.  In one story I'm hopeful - I have no idea what will happen but I trust it will turn out OK.

In the first story I'm sending a team of students to Salzburg in March.  Inspired by Fusion's 'Escape & Pray' initiative I'm committed to letting the blessing God has poured on our church impact on the European church scene.  I'm excited about the idea of linking Christian groups across the continent to serve students who are becoming increasingly internationally mobile.  I'm convinced that a cross-cultural mission partnership for our students will increase our boldness in sharing faith back home.

In the second story I have arranged transport and accommodation but little else. We're going over the top in faith.  I don't know if we'll be able to minister God's healing, grace and truth on the streets of Salzburg - but I know we can't if we're not there!  We have an invite from a Catholic group called Loretto but I don't know how to connect people with church in Salzburg - but I know we can't if we're not there.  In fact I don't know anything much about out time there except that we will pray our hearts out, serve our butts off to make Jesus famous in Salzburg - and that we can't do that if we're not there.

But maybe there's a third story?  Maybe there's a divine narrative that we connect with through faith not risk assessments?  Maybe there's an adventure to be lived, a set of assumptions about church to be shaken and new story to be written?  And what if we're invited to join by trusting the master storyteller??

I want to live my life in the third story - not one where I'm struggling to control details, or one where I'm pretending to understand what's happening - one where I admit I have no idea, that there is a master storyteller and my place in the story is determined by my willingness to trust him exactly where I don't understand why.

I don't understand why we're going to Salzburg - but I trust there is a third story, a master storyteller and that he rewards those who seek him in faith.  And we'll never know if we don't put ourselves in the game.

Calvin's Institutes

John Calvin - you either love him or you hate him right?

I mean 'Calvinism' is either synonymous with the orthodox faith or the most serious danger to that faith. Depends on your theological stable.

To call someone a Calvinist could either be an insult or a acclamation. In some ways the word Calvinist divides Christians like none other.

Here's the irony. We've never read any of Calvin's writings. If you know anything about Calvinism it's probably associated to the acronym TULIP which stands for:

Beautiful Beauty Broken Broke

We get to host this amazing exhibition at St George's Church this week - and I get to write a piece about the heart behind it.  The text is here - but there's nothing like coming and seeing it for yourself.

Beauty.  The thing that creates intense pleasure or deep satisfaction.

Beauty in the wrinkles around deep and soulful eyes.  Beauty in the sun-kissed landscape.  Beauty in the moment of connection of two hearts.  Beauty in the moments of massed non-violent protests against injustice.

Beauty.  In the miniscule and the massive.  It’s everywhere and it’s just out of reach.

Brokenness.  The thing that’s left after violation, crushing or forcible separation.

Brokenness in the frail, aging and dying body.  Brokenness in the scorching and devastation of the rainforest.  Brokenness in the heart of a child who can’t understand why their parents hate each other.  Brokenness in the society that allows the 1% to abuse the 99.

Brokenness.  In the miniscule and the massive.  It’s everywhere and just beyond cure.

As a society we have a strange relationship with birth and death.  The two most natural of all human passages.  Our society would have us hide them away in whitewashed, clinical, sterile environments.  We take the most human moments and put them in the most inhumane buildings.

Maybe we can’t really cope with seeing beauty and brokenness up close and personal.  Maybe there’s something in us that is happier to pretend everything is ok rather than face the fact that we’re surrounded by astonishing beauty and devastating brokenness.

Maybe the reason we hide behind facebook profiles, dress ourselves in other people’s labels, define ourselves by what we do, maybe it’s because we can’t bear the idea that this beauty and brokenness is not just outside us.

If there’s real beauty then there’s real value.  If there’s real value then there’s a real value-giver.  If there’s real brokenness then there’s real value – destroyed.  If there’s real value then there’s a real value giver and they will be eager to restore value.

The Christian message is born in the cauldron of beauty and brokenness.  In the beginning God created… and he declared it was very beautiful.  Then, as the story goes, brokenness enters our beauty.  Mistrust into a perfect moment of vulnerability.  Pain shatters perfection leaving a world divided, unequal and hurting.

The good news of the Christian ‘gospel’ is that God himself has stepped into his beautiful and broken creation.  He is not hiding behind a facebook profile, a book, a messenger or an institution.  God himself has come face to face with the highest heights of beauty and the deepest depths of brokenness.

The cross where Jesus died shows the brokenness of the world absorbed in one man.  The empty tomb bears witness to the fact that beauty wins.  God wins.

The invitation of Christianity is to allow God to restore you to the person you were meant to be.  As you become restored you will join in the work of restoring beauty in a profoundly broken world.

This is why St George’s are thrilled to host such a spectacular exhibition.  We are in awe of the quality of these artists and their ability to bring beauty and brokenness to our attention.  We believe that you cannot know beauty and brokenness intimately and not be drawn to Jesus – the pinnacle of beauty and brokenness.

How big is your kingdom?

I spent part of yesterday doing some teaching to church leaders about how to be better leaders.  I started off with the premise that John C Maxwell coined as the ‘law of the lid’.  It says that the limit of the kingdom you’re building is determined by how good you are at leading.

This gives us two options.  See, I really want God’s kingdom to grow and be fruitful in Leeds especially among students.  What can I do?  Either I can get better at leading it; or support things that I’m not building.  I’m committed to get better at leading – but I’ll never be good enough as a leader to see God’s church grow enough for my liking – let alone for His!

Here’s my solution: I will encourage, support and pray for things that I’m not building.  I will not get the credit for their successes.  Sometimes their successes will make me look less good.  I will advertise other people’s churches – not because they’re better but because we need each other.  I will support the CU AND I will support the local church – because we need all the help we can get.

We've just released a map (below) pointing students in Leeds to churches who are working together with the CUs for the gospel.  There are 12 churches on my list.  I wish there were hundreds.  There are around 70,000 students in Leeds and I can’t find more than 350 in Christian communities in this city – I’ve been looking for three years now.

I might be able to run a student ministry that, God willing, impacts 1,000 or 2,000 students every year.  Even then, there’s still enough work to go round.  I must encourage, support and pray for that other work. Even if I look less good as a result.

Euro '16 qualification: what a load of rubbish!

Is anyone else utterly uninspired by the qualification tournament for the European Championships in 2016?

I want to see England playing competitive football against the likes of Spain (last in 1996), Italy (once since 1997), and France (twice this century).  I know we'd lose lots but, like rugby union's 6-nations, it's when Europe's best compete that we're interested!

Someone needs to tell San Marino/Faroe Isles/Andorra that they're not very good, never will be, and they should not be wasting our time.

Can we please keep the Euro finals to 16 teams, keep the main draw of qualification to the teams in the world's top 100 and stop allowing Asian countries to masquerade as European to cash in on European football? Please?

Maybe we'd replace pointless qualification games with a Spring series of 4 international games with European nations split into divisions of 5 with annual promotion & relegation?

In case you're wondering England would be in div 2 (on world rankings) against: Netherlands, Belgium, Greece & Croatia. Exciting & evenly matched internationals...there's an idea!!

That would mean missing out on games against the following...

Asian: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Kazakhstan

Currently too poor: Gibraltar,  Andorra, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta

Would you miss football against that lot? Who's with me?

Surely you know...

surely you know what 'The Gospel' is?  How about defining it in a sentence?

I came across a blog the other day where someone had posted a lot of different definitions of 'The Gospel'.  He was worried that if Christians couldn't agree what the Gospel was then they couldn't accurately convey it's message to the world.  I thought I would have a stab at it.  Here goes:

Gospel = Good News. The 'Good News' were proclaiming is simple: Jesus is Lord. Let that be heard from the rooftops, from the churches, from the underground venues, from the halls of academia and let it resound throughout the pubs of this great land. 'Jesus is Lord'. There are as many reasons why this is good news as there are stars in the sky, grains of sand on the seashore and people whom God has loved. There are as many reasons as there are thoughts in the mind of God.

Jesus is Lord. Let me give you one reason why this is THE gospel...

The the second law of thermodynamics is subject to the reign of Christ and ultimately superseded by the promise that all things are brought together in him. The increase of Entropy will be overwhelmed by the increase of Shalom. Why? Because Jesus is Lord

Everyone you ask will explain why Jesus is Lord is good news in a different way.  Why?  Because he is the sufficient Lord.  Let that draw us to worship not worry.  Let that cause us to join together in praise not bickering.  Let that inspire your worship as you work, warm your hearts as you love and refuel your hope today.  Jesus is Lord.

The irony of Christmas

Waking up at 5am and feeling the unmistakable weight of a stocking loaded down with presents by your toes.  Jumping out of bed and running into your parents room to empty the stocking and rip the paper off - silly string, chocolate oranges, party poppers, a DVD, a book, a water pistol to chase your brother around the house with.  Realising that your allowed to eat as much chocolate as you want BEFORE breakfast!

Getting downstairs to find a roast gammon for breakfast, eggs, fresh home-made bread and your favourite juice on the table already.  Spotting the huge pile of presents under the tree and knowing it'll take you all afternoon to open them, build them and learn how to use them.