A week on retreat within my life, has led to some interesting developments. None of which sound ground breaking, all of which have changed my life and all of which I was taught as a young person and am being re taught now.
Just because I have resigned from jobs at church with the expectation of starting something new, I do not have to start anything immediately, or indeed ever!
I do suspect that I need some time out of doing, to ground my being, so that whatever comes next I am ready for. I am called by god to be me, not to do. It might be that from being me, certain things happen- indeed that is inevitable and good.
So my message to myself, and anyone else is, get grounded in god, be strong in your being and let god shape the mission.
During retreat i prayed through a passage in Jeremiah, and might share the reflections here in due course.
Already an outcome has been that I have been braver in leading prayers with groups. With a preachers away day I led a guided reflection based on woman at the well and set in 24 hour supermarket, the following day led paper chain prayers with non Christians, both of which I would have avoided a week ago. Would probably have led more structured prayers , but feel much freer and increased confidence in gods spirit to do what she needs in each person present.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
i fear the church_ after all this time
On Sunday I challenged the congregation to make a commitment that every step they take this week to be the footsteps of an authentic follower of Jesus. My commitment was to be the real me in all my persona... Twitter, Facebook, work, home etc.
And what have I found?
I've found that I fear bring the real me on Twitter as so many people there are part of 'the church'.
And yet, I was not able to avoid the commitment I had made on Sunday as there were so many tweets from the Christian new media conference that were exploring issues of authenticity, persona etc that I was faced with my explorations regularly.
So it was 'the church' which kept me on track, and also 'the church whose judgement I fear.
What have I learnt this week? Engaging with social media honestly forces up issues which have been laying dormant for years.
And what does this teach me about the new type of 'church' I want to be a part of? That it has to take people as they really are, and that I have to be in it as I really am.
Again, nothing I am saying here which is new. But saying it here is new.
And what have I found?
I've found that I fear bring the real me on Twitter as so many people there are part of 'the church'.
And yet, I was not able to avoid the commitment I had made on Sunday as there were so many tweets from the Christian new media conference that were exploring issues of authenticity, persona etc that I was faced with my explorations regularly.
So it was 'the church' which kept me on track, and also 'the church whose judgement I fear.
What have I learnt this week? Engaging with social media honestly forces up issues which have been laying dormant for years.
And what does this teach me about the new type of 'church' I want to be a part of? That it has to take people as they really are, and that I have to be in it as I really am.
Again, nothing I am saying here which is new. But saying it here is new.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)