Incarnational Posture

The following is a video from a short session with Hugh Halter at the Verge conference from last year. It was one of the more impactful moments of the conference. Halter spoke on the power of an "incarnational posture". He does an outstanding job of retelling the story of the woman caught in adultery (starts at 8 min mark). This is a great video to reflect on when thinking about incarnational mission. Halter makes a wonderful statement that “the incarnation is to be an advocate for lost people.” Hope you get as much out of this as I did.

7 Days to go

Only seven more days to go. It's all in the preparation. Checking things off. Lists of things needed, lists of things to do, lists of things to put on one side till I get back. Also remembering to pack things that are going to be good in the warmer weather in OZ. One of things im going to enjoy will be "meeting people" I love to meet new people and hear their stories. People are fascinating, and you can learn so much if you just listen to others. That's the real key to adventure " be fully aware of your surroundings" "take it all in" "be attentive to what you are experiencing" Listen with your heart to all that comes your way and you wont miss anything. Roll on next Friday.

Last Worship Service at Home Church in Leeds UK.

It's just ten day to my trip to Australia. I took my last worship service yesterday at my home church. This is the last service till the first week in April 2011. It was a good service. I preached on Micah 6:1-8 What does the Lord require of you....."to act justly....love mercy... walk humbly with your God." I also spoke a bit about social reformers in the industrial revolution, Fry's of Bristol, Cadbury's of Birmingham, Rowentree's and Terry's of York and so on.....The point being that the christian community is to be a community of personal and social transformation. People were generally upbeat about me not being there, but I could see a sadness there as well.

With regard to my sabbatical, Im looking forward to a different pace of life, reading many books, also reflecting on mission and church planting on the margins. I have a busy three months ahead with the first leg being in Australia. Keep logging on to the blog and follow the journey as it goes along.

Jesus was a radical and we, as Christians, are to do no less!

Jesus was a radical and, hence, countercultural and, as Christians, we are to be 

radical and countercultural as well!  We are never to be satisfied with a status quo 

that allows assorted social ills such as poverty, corruption in institutions, 

discrimination of any kind, or the creation of out-groups that are then demonised 

and discriminated against “in the name of God,” to go unchallenged.

As Christians, we are called upon to “…destroy arguments and every proud 

obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought 

captive to obey Christ.” (2Corinthians 10:4b-5)  These “proud obstacles” come from 

a variety of sources, some of which come from much of the organised Church itself.

Jesus preached love amidst hatred; unity amidst divisiveness; faith amidst the 

legalistic religious leaders of His day; inclusiveness amidst exclusionary religious 

leaders; wholeness amidst the brokenhearted; freedom amidst those held in yokes 

of bondage; love amidst hatred.  Jesus spoke truth to power, and we, as Christians, 

are to do no less!

The Lost Dogs - Breathe Deep the Breathe of God

A fantastic song that captures the inclusive nature of the radical kingdom of Christ


Politicians, morticians, Philistines, homophobes
Skinheads, Dead heads, tax evaders, street kids
Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dim wits
Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peace nicks

Breathe deep
Breathe deep the Breath of God
Breathe deep
Breathe deep the Breath of God

Suicidals, rock idols, shut-ins, drop outs
Friendless, homeless, penniless and depressed
Presidents, residents, foreigners and aliens
Dissidents, feminists, xenophobes and chauvinists

Evolutionists, creationists, perverts, slum lords
Dead-beats, athletes, Protestants and Catholics
Housewives, neophytes, pro-choice, pro-life
Misogynists, monogamists, philanthropists, blacks and whites

Police, obese, lawyers, and government
Sex offenders, tax collectors, war vets, rejects
Atheists, Scientists, racists, sadists
Photographers, biographers, artists, pornographers

Gays and lesbians, demagogues and thespians
The disabled, preachers, doctors and teachers
Meat eaters, wife beaters, judges and juries
Long hair, no hair, everybody everywhere!

Numbered with the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12 - Numbered with the transgressors. 

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Here is a challenging passage for our reflections on Incarnational mission. This passage says of Jesus that he "...was numbered with the transgressors" This has a deeply submergent message to us. Jesus in John's gospel "took on flesh and lived among us" He became human, took on our humanity, this is John's way of describing what Isaiah mentions here.


I have three questions that are occupying my thinking as we are in the ADVENT season, as we approach the time we celebrate Jesus taking on human flesh.

1. In our mission are we so unlike this Jesus approach, that we are missing the mark entirely? 
2. What does this passage have to say to our missiology? 
3. How deep in our discipleship are we willing to go for the sake of Christ?

Being prepared to be numbered with the trangressors means getting our hands dirty, living in the same space as others, embracing the pain of others, living with the radical grace of God extended out through us toward others. IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE TO OUR COMFORTABLE CHURCH -IANITY.

On The Road Again - John Smith, God's Squad CMC

The Last, The Lost The Least

This spoke volumes to me today. It's a cry, a prayer, a lament, a shout from the margins. for the church to take serious it's call to care for the least of these.

Live a life of privilege
Pushing back the last, the lost
The least of these
To dull the edge of concscience
With conceit
Live a life and see the world
Feel it's weight on the shoulders
Of the least of these
It spins and twirls
Without rest or relief

We all, we all wear dignity
It covers the strong, the weak
We all, we all wear dignity
Even the last, the lost, the least

Step into a spacious place
Where pride and right will give way
To the least of these
To know the face
Of who a man can be

We all, we all wear dignity
It covers the strong, the weak
We all, we all wear dignity
Even the last, the lost, the least

His image shown
We give our lives, our time, our own
To feed, to clothe
Those in His image we have left alone

We all, we all wear dignity
It covers the strong, the weak
We all, we all wear dignity
Even the last, the lost, the least

We all, we all wear dignity
God help the blind like me
Finding at last a voice we cry
And see with clear unblinking eyes

God's Greeting and Radical Hospitality

God's Greeting

As an expression of Jesus' prophetical ministry, Jesus exposed a significant flaw in pharisaical religion. The Pharisees were more exclusionary - and thus, less welcoming - than God. They erected boundary markers that kept people out, rather than let people in. In essence, they had their own table in the middle of the Cafe, and it was obvious who was welcome. Even more, it was obvious who was not! By failing to be inclusive, they failed to live a kingdom life in a fallen world.

Our greeting is to be different. Jesus calls us to greet others with warm welcome. Our greeting is deeply influenced by the grace we have experienced in Christ. Instead of erecting boundaries to keep people out, we are to remove obstacles to people's participation in God's kingdom community. Instead of boundaries, we focus on the centre. All are welcome, for there is "neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, but all are one in Christ" (Galatians 3:28).

In contrast to exclusionary religion, Christ calls us to no less than the practice of radical hospitality.

Radical Hospitality

In order to comprehend the rich depths of radical hospitality, we must first lift the word from its common use. Henri Nouwen offers excellent insight in this regard and is worth quoting at length:

At first the word "hospitality" might evoke the image of soft sweet kindness, tea parties, bland conversations and a general atmosphere of coziness...

If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality. It is one of the richest biblical terms that can deepen and broaden our insight in our relationships to our fellow human beings...   

The term hospitality... [is] a fundamental attitude toward our fellow human beings which can be expressed in a great variety of ways...    
So we can see that creating space is far from easy in our occupied and preoccupied society. And still, if we expect any salvation, redemption, healing and new life, the first thing we need is an open receptive place where something can happen to us. Hospitality, therefore, is such an important attitude. We cannot change the world by new plan, project or idea. We cannot even change other people by our convictions, stories, advice and proposals, but we can offer a space where people are encouraged to disarm themselves, to lay aside their occupations and preoccupations and to listen with attention and care to the voices speaking in their own center...   

Just as we cannot force a plant to grow but can take away the weeds and stones which prevent its development, so we cannot force anyone to such a personal and intimate change of heart, but we can offer the space where such a change can take place.

Such hospitality reveals an openness to others. It welcomes others into our world, just as they are, with no strings attached. "Hospitality means making a space for others, not so that we can exploit them or get something from them, or even so that we can make them be like us. It is showing them the same kind of grace and mercy, the same presence, that God has given us."

"It's time to change the face of poverty, to live our faith authentically and to get involved with the people who need help. It s time to sub-merge ourselves, to go deep beneath the surface of shallow living and make a difference in our world! Follow author John Hayes as he lives out his faith on some of the toughest streets and poorest ghettos in the world. Learn what real compassion looks like in the trenches. Discover why people of faith cannot ignore the poor and how the St. Francis model of compassion can help alleviate suffering today. You ll also be energized to action through an inside look at the workings of InnerCHANGE, a mission organization that seeks to work among the poor, rather than just offering aid and handouts. Readers will come away with practical ways they can work for justice and find significance in the process."


This book is one of the more formative books that I have read in recent years. It has again pressed upon me the need for ministry and mission on the margins. The books sets out a vision for a different kind of missionary endevour from what we are used to. It is not a "Cut and Run" model or a "loitering with intent" model. It it's heart it is a John 1:14 model. It is about moving into the neighbourhood. I have read it as preparation n for my sabbatical. One of the best books i have read this year. In fact if I am honest one of the best books written on Submergence.

Extreme Hospitality out of Extreme Poverty

Hospitality is when an invitation to a reception or meal is extended. Extreme Hospitality is characterized by a willingness to give that exceeds one's means to give. It is more than treating invited guests warmly and generously; extreme hospitality includes providing a sustaining environment to those who need it, wherever or however they need it.

Jesus described Extreme Hospitality in Luke 14:12-14. He taught that when you host a party or a dinner you should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. They cannot repay you, but you will be blessed.

Extreme Hospitality occurs when one gives without the possibility of return. When the church in Jerusalem was suffering from great poverty, Paul was commissioned to take up offerings for them wherever he traveled (Galatians 2:10). After Paul took the gospel to Macedonia, the believers suffered because of their faith, which resulted in a loss of income. Even so, they desired to help the church in Jerusalem with its great poverty.

Paul cited the Macedonian churches as an example of Extreme Hospitality, saying, "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty well up in rich generosity. For i testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability" (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). Paul encouraged the Corinthians to follow this example. We would do well to follow it as well.

Jesus said, "The righteous ones will be invited into the kingdom because they aided Me when I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick and in prison" (Matthew 25:31-46, paraphrased). The righteous ones wondered when they had treated the King in this manner. The King responded, "What you have done for even the least, you have done to Me." In other words, the way one treats others is the way one treats Jesus.

Extreme Hospitality is an attitude and an act of the heart that says that I will not just give on a convenient level. No reluctance, a freedom of giving that is beyond means and measure. (In Effect "Grace")  Extreme Hospitality is offered without regard to any return on my investment? This seems to be the level that Jesus works at.

Topdog or Underdog

WOE

Woe to the church who mistreats and abuses the underdog.

Woe to the greedy for power and adulation.

Woe to the pastors who put 'church' before love, 

before compassion and before grace.

Woe to the filled and the satisfied and the self appointed,

Woe to the rich who steal from the poor and ignore:

the pain and the suffering and the needs of the broken, the desperate, the messy and the unclean - for the sake of the 'good name' of their church and the wealth of their reputation and position

WOE

to the learned and the knowledgeable with their titles and positions, their creeds and their expectations which flow so eloquently from their mouths but neglect the heart of the outcast and the underdog who are waiting mouths open to grab at the scraps from the table they preach from.

WOE

to those who continue to peddle the evil of legalism, to freeze out the ones who are fighting to breathe and to survive and escape their demons only to be beaten and rejected by the hands they were told were sent to free them

WOE.

For Jesus he came for the sick for the sinner for the needy and broken for the soul that has crashed and burned and faltered and realised their need - only to be told by the 'church' upon entering that they are no good that their sins are crimson and go ever before them - but with words that say 'we love you' 'we accept you' and 'we include you' while at the same time rejecting and cursing and eliminating them from the ranks of 'their' chosen'

WOE.

Woe to the church who mistreats and abuses the underdog.

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Under the Bridge is a collection of poetry and stories by homeless people in Melbourne. While showing the despair of the reality of being homeless, it also shows the hope as lives begin to change through ongoing encouragement and support. The themes of despair and hope are accompanied by photographs taken by secondary and tertiary students in Melbourne as well as professional images by Casamento Photography.

Looking at rain, longing for summer

Im sitting in the office and it's raining. It's 8 weeks till I leave the UK and fly to Australia for the first part of my sabbatical. To say that I'm looking forward to it is an understatement. I'm looking forward to meeting a whole new set of people and to exploring some of the wonderful delights that Australia has to offer. It will be good to meet up with people who share a similar outlook on life. I'm looking forward to a bit of travelling around to see different situations. It would be great to do this on a Harley. I think this is not going to be possible though. 

Concern Australia

Concern Australia is a Christian mission, advocacy and welfare organisation. this is the mission organisation that I'm going to be with. It is situated in Melbourne. The many components of Concern Australia are all inter-related and inter-dependent and based on a strong belief that mission and community must go hand in hand.

Concern Australia is a movement based on the beliefs and values focused on changing the world with the love of Christ by making the gospel relevant to the ordinary person, and creating a church community to care for them.

Concern Australia strives to care for social need and provide an appropriate response to a hurting world.

There is a deep concern and purpose is for those people who traditionally have not been familiar with the established church. We genuinely aim to reach out in love to such people, offering them not only the transformation of lifestyle which only Jesus Christ can give, but also warmth and love and practical assistance through our whole community as well. Concern Australia has a concern for all types of people, irrespective of their age or cultural background.

It was founded by Rev Dr Kevin John Smith, and it exists to advocate and serve the marginalised, the poor and rejected and disadvantaged. It is a real honour that CA has agreed for me to go on my sabbatical with them. I'm very grateful indeed. 

Blogsite Up and Running

The site is now up and running. The last thing to do was to set up Google Calendar to work with the Itinerary Schedule. This has now been done so that anybody can access the details even if they are not a user of google. I'm very pleased with the result. I'm hoping that this site will be a help to those who feel that they want to pray for me on my journey to the other side of the world. I will be posting every day with information and with photographs, perhaps even video via the YOUTUBE facility. There will be much to see as the days go by. There are only a few things left to do now. Praying that the funding will come in. Everything is paid for but it would be nice for something to offset the family budget.

Sabbatical Plans - Phase Two

Phase Two :- 14 February - 28 February 2011
For two weeks (14-28 February) I’ll be working with Sean Stillman, who is an Authorised “Concern Australia/ St Martin’s community church pastor working in Swansea UK. Sean runs a church plant called Zac’s Place. Sean is also the International vice president of God’s Squad CMC. Sean also works in other cities across the UK, penetrating and connecting with those on the margins and the families behind this sub culture. I will also be working for another two weeks (1-15 March) with Howie Pickering the Pastor of God’s Garage in Stockport UK. Howie is the President of the UK chapter of God’s Squad. God’s Garage is a place for the broken and damaged from this scene, from tattoo clad rockers to ex-drug users. Howie has been working in this scene for over 15 years. Howie also works in many other towns and cities in the uk in his capacity of UK president of God’s Squad.Goals: 1. Observe and reflect on how Sean/Zac’s place and Howie/ God’s Garage connect and encounter the Marginalised in Swansea and Stockport and in other area’s in the UK, reflect on the general and specific mission principles involved in Sean and Howie’s work. (ie, Hospitality) 2. From the perspective of Sean and Howie’s work, mission and ministry and combining this with my own work  and what I have learned from the visit to God’s Squad CMC Australia and St Martin’s community church - wrestle with the question “What is the language, customs and culture of those who live there life on the edge and what kind of church planting/mission is needed in this subculture”? 3. Write a report based on all my reflections and observations in Australia and in the UK in order to promote further engagement and encounter within this subculture in the future, Combined with a guiding document on Engaging with the Language, Customs, Traditions and Culture of this particular mission field.

Sabbatical Plans - Phase One.

Phase One: - 7 January - 4 February 2011.
Travel from the UK to Melbourne Australia to visit for one month with St Martin’s Community church and God’s Squad CMC Australia. Goals: 1. Observe and reflect on St Martin’s and God’s Squad CMC Australia’s approach to mission among the marginalised by accompanying the Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Tasmanian, chapters on club runs and reflecting on their ethos of hospitality and friendship, with a view to contextualising this for mission and ministry within the UK.  2. Spend time with the pastors of St Martins community church to observe and reflect on how pastoral care works in this sub-culture among the broken and damaged with a view to contextualising this for mission and ministry within the UK. . 3. observe and reflect on other  “Concern Australia” initiatives and projects in other fields such as schools programmes, prison work, mechanics and engineering apprenticeship schemes, that are presently run for people who have been part of this viloent sub-culture, with a view to contextualising this for mission and ministry within the UK.

Sabbatical Ethos

I have been greatly challenged over the last five years by the ministry of Jesus in the gospels. His approach to those on the margins gives us some idea of where to head and hope for the future of mission and ministry in our churches in the UK. We Jesus dining at the tables of sinners and outcasts, We see him relocating the centre of his ministry on numerous occasions. We see the fruits of his labours, and his view of the kingdom of God. We the people who he associates with, people of brokenness and pain, people who have been ousted from society, people who have been misunderstood, and stereotyped because of their manner of lifestyle. We see Jesus getting “Stuck in” among them  “Moving into the neighbourhood” John 1:14. (The Message Bible) living life alongside, and in the company of.  I have been challenged for some time by this radical Jesus, and have refocused my world view, and my view of mission and ministry towards the margins. Because of this I have agreed with my church to take a sabbatical in which I will do further reflections on ministry and mission towards the margins. Ill be travelling to Australia for a month......find out more in next post.