Today was in a meeting to discuss youth worker training, in the midst of the conversations there were some gems from the marvellous Brec Seaton. It has got me wondering if my exploration of a new kind of church community in Lancaster combined with my youth work experience and training have a connection... maybe I am not put of my depth with the new stuff as I have been leading 'church' for years with young people.
So if there are so- called youth workers in our churches they might be church leaders in cunning disguse. But the challenge to my work in that , and the institution of church , is what are we doing to train, support and develop these church leaders? Little I would suggest because we thought they were 'just' youth workers and we've been offering training and support for that.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
so what is worship?
There was unanimous agreement from the family that what we all needed was a new kind of church where we sit and eat and chat about God and things.
I asked the wise 15 year old christian, 12 year old agnostic and 41 year old atheist if we did that, would it be worship. They agreed it would if we were talking about God; and of course the super-wise 15 year old said that it would make a difference if we had conversations with a sense of Hope. She truly is very wise.
So now I am musing, is it worship? or is it fellowship? and is there a difference? and is that difference a sense of Hope of encounter with God?
I asked the wise 15 year old christian, 12 year old agnostic and 41 year old atheist if we did that, would it be worship. They agreed it would if we were talking about God; and of course the super-wise 15 year old said that it would make a difference if we had conversations with a sense of Hope. She truly is very wise.
So now I am musing, is it worship? or is it fellowship? and is there a difference? and is that difference a sense of Hope of encounter with God?
Monday, May 9, 2011
amazing people tapped in thd church
Totally inspired by Lyn and her family today. Energy to raise 3 disabled / challenged children, fight homophobia and still run a youth club, setting up youth drop in. Youth club is more than that, it is church.
And still she feels it necessary to seek formal accreditation to really create church. So even when the Where and Who are sorted, and the Why is clear it is really tough for lay people to lead meaningful new forms of church.
How can we release people to go and make church alive?
Also today I met 2 incredibly competent trainers of senior leaders who, of course, their local church has snapped up to take on roles. But they too are frustrated and want to build church which is meaningful for their generation, not even never-churched people, but church folk who are hanging on by their finger tips.
I know I am not alone. I am beginning to see that maybe with my work I am uniquely placed to connect all these people. Maybe God has brought a community to me and we can muddle through together.
Looks like time to call on the trusty Moxon and Street.
And still she feels it necessary to seek formal accreditation to really create church. So even when the Where and Who are sorted, and the Why is clear it is really tough for lay people to lead meaningful new forms of church.
How can we release people to go and make church alive?
Also today I met 2 incredibly competent trainers of senior leaders who, of course, their local church has snapped up to take on roles. But they too are frustrated and want to build church which is meaningful for their generation, not even never-churched people, but church folk who are hanging on by their finger tips.
I know I am not alone. I am beginning to see that maybe with my work I am uniquely placed to connect all these people. Maybe God has brought a community to me and we can muddle through together.
Looks like time to call on the trusty Moxon and Street.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
who stole all the boundaries?
This little blog is a space for me to muse as I take a different track in life.. after years of not being able to invite my friends to church (not because it is bad, but simply because it is culturally irrelevant) I am resigning from church voluntary roles to actually do something new.
However, I have no idea what or with whom. And today, to top it all I am not even sure there is a god. My experience and tradition say there is. My reason says there isn't.
Ben asked me yesterday "why did god not just create us without drive to kill". Good question.
You see the trouble I am having is that in inherited church there are boundaries, questions we dare not ask, and there are clergy with 'answers'... where I want to be there are no boundaries and the clergy, much as many of them would love to be where I am, are trapped in church.
So, today I am scared. Today I am vulnerable. So today I am real.
A thought did cross my mind. If I am free from inherited church roles from September, then maybe I am free from attending too? What if I go where everyone else is on a Sunday and join them there... eating brunch , strolling and chatting and cutting the grass? How can that become community?
Too many questions.
However, I have no idea what or with whom. And today, to top it all I am not even sure there is a god. My experience and tradition say there is. My reason says there isn't.
Ben asked me yesterday "why did god not just create us without drive to kill". Good question.
You see the trouble I am having is that in inherited church there are boundaries, questions we dare not ask, and there are clergy with 'answers'... where I want to be there are no boundaries and the clergy, much as many of them would love to be where I am, are trapped in church.
So, today I am scared. Today I am vulnerable. So today I am real.
A thought did cross my mind. If I am free from inherited church roles from September, then maybe I am free from attending too? What if I go where everyone else is on a Sunday and join them there... eating brunch , strolling and chatting and cutting the grass? How can that become community?
Too many questions.
Friday, May 6, 2011
stumbling blocks bringing disgrace
"You can train as a local preacher" they said."are you sure she asked?" Yes they replied. Then in her first interview they said 'don't talk about your family, it might upset some people".
This homophobia brings the greatest of disgrace on our ministry.
This is why I want to provide a real, safe-enough place to build worshipping community.
The theory is great, getting started is terrifying.
I think our theology starts within the body, the experience of life as a woman, an able bodied person, an unfit person. Just as that local preachers story telling has to start , in part, with bring lesbian. And yet St Paul says its about the spiritual- and he is right. But maybe we have to start with the corporeal. If we ignore it, are we not creating stumbling blocks.
So, what will this new community look like? What will we do? Who will we be? I have no idea, but I know we must not discredit our ministry by placing stumbling blocks in the way of people of The Way
This homophobia brings the greatest of disgrace on our ministry.
This is why I want to provide a real, safe-enough place to build worshipping community.
The theory is great, getting started is terrifying.
I think our theology starts within the body, the experience of life as a woman, an able bodied person, an unfit person. Just as that local preachers story telling has to start , in part, with bring lesbian. And yet St Paul says its about the spiritual- and he is right. But maybe we have to start with the corporeal. If we ignore it, are we not creating stumbling blocks.
So, what will this new community look like? What will we do? Who will we be? I have no idea, but I know we must not discredit our ministry by placing stumbling blocks in the way of people of The Way
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
the unwise trade off
This is my first blog entry and it comes on a day when I am very scared as I am stepping out into being brave.
Despite appearances I rarely feel brave.
Today I resigned from 2 jobs in church - not a big deal it might appear, except one was as a leader of the under 18s work; and me a JNC youth & comm worker too, the shame is real.
But I also agreed to join the new church leadership/council team. Not a sensible trade off you might think, and you are possibly correct.
The thinking behind the ridiculous decision is this... I have God stirring me up and agitating me to step out and see if I can form some kind of new community of doubters where my real self and my real friends can do God stuff.
This blog might be a view into my journey into this new community. It might also be how I hold myself accountable and stop myself bottling out. It might also be a space where if I tell people this blog exists they could help me with words of wisdom ; and if that happens it would mean that either I have been brave and told people or alternatively that there is a button I have not noticed and google will tell all my contacts anyway.
Being brave also means that on this space I have to be real about my home life, a life with 2 teenish age daughters and a partner who claims not to know God - although through whom the light of God shines out and to whom I am not married. Big grown up, inherited church seems to be uneasy about this, but as this blog is a step into a new brave world here is no place for secrets.
Here is also not a place where I speak for anyone but myself and certainly not for my current employer.
Ok, enough bravery for day one.
Not hard to ask the 'where is God in all of this?' question today as God is always in the scared who are being brave. Thank God for that.
Despite appearances I rarely feel brave.
Today I resigned from 2 jobs in church - not a big deal it might appear, except one was as a leader of the under 18s work; and me a JNC youth & comm worker too, the shame is real.
But I also agreed to join the new church leadership/council team. Not a sensible trade off you might think, and you are possibly correct.
The thinking behind the ridiculous decision is this... I have God stirring me up and agitating me to step out and see if I can form some kind of new community of doubters where my real self and my real friends can do God stuff.
This blog might be a view into my journey into this new community. It might also be how I hold myself accountable and stop myself bottling out. It might also be a space where if I tell people this blog exists they could help me with words of wisdom ; and if that happens it would mean that either I have been brave and told people or alternatively that there is a button I have not noticed and google will tell all my contacts anyway.
Being brave also means that on this space I have to be real about my home life, a life with 2 teenish age daughters and a partner who claims not to know God - although through whom the light of God shines out and to whom I am not married. Big grown up, inherited church seems to be uneasy about this, but as this blog is a step into a new brave world here is no place for secrets.
Here is also not a place where I speak for anyone but myself and certainly not for my current employer.
Ok, enough bravery for day one.
Not hard to ask the 'where is God in all of this?' question today as God is always in the scared who are being brave. Thank God for that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)