benedson

Davinici Mass

I went to the Davinci Mass in Manchester Cathedral last night. The event was really well put together and the innovation that went into it should be praised. The Mass aimed to address some of the criticism that the Divinci Code makes regarding the role of women in the church, (i.e. that they are oppressed by the church) however, for me, it failed. It was a male dominated event with the lead being taken by a man, the talk given by a man and the communion led by a man A few women were involved but they were secondary roles, I think that the message given out about the church being an empowering place for women was not matched in the actions. Pity.

Missiologically, i think that the hermenutic of language is being challenged by the hermenutic of deed. Our actions are the most important thing in mission and evangelism and hence when our actions don't match our words there will be a level of suspicion...

Technorati Tags: Manchester, mission

MBS

Just coming back from a fascinating day at MBS, good to see Jonny, Gareth and Phillipa. Had some great conversations with people about Christian spirituality and it was great to pray with people too. I met up with Alison from Everyday Angels - she channels angels, paints pictures of them and then give messages. Anyway she gave me a picture of one of her angels called 'The Light'. i can't help but make connection between the Light and the Light of the World...here are some of the words she channelled:

"Do you see the Light?"
Seeing is only one aspect.
I ask you now: "Do you live the Light?"
And as I wonder on this question, ask this:
"If I see the and live the light, am i not then the Light itself?"

Technorati Tags: culture, mission, spirituality

Hallelujah Diet

Check this out...barking!!!

Technorati Tags: fun

Blah...Manchester. Faithful Betrayals with Pete Rollins

Faithful Betrayals: the ir/religious nature of Christianity

What if one of the core elements of Christianity lay in a demand that we betray it, while the ultimate act of affirming God required the forsaking of God? And what if fidelity to the Judeo-Christian scriptures demanded their renunciation? In short, what if the only way of finding faith involves betraying it with a kiss?

By employing the insights of apophatic theology and deconstructive theory this seminar seeks to explore the subversive and clandestine nature of a Christianity that dwells within religious institutions while simultaneously undermining them. Here we will explore the Promethean nature of a faith which attempts to live up to the name bestowed upon it by the divine: Israel, one who wrestles with God.

Peter Rollins is the founding member of Ikon and a freelance lecturer in philosophy. He is the author of the recently published How (Not) to Speak of God (SPCK/Paraclete) acclaimed by Brian McLaren as ‘one of the most rewarding books of theology he has read in ten years.’

blah...manchester is a series of conversations hosted by CMS in partnership with The Church Army on mission, worship, church and Christianity in today’s rapidly changing culture. It’s a time to keep listening, chatting and reflecting as God beckons us into the future.

Monday 12th June
6:30-8:30pm
Drinks and refreshments provided
Admission free
Venue: Nexus. For directions see: http://www.nexusonline.org.uk/contactus.htm

Drinks served from 6:30
Input begins at 7:00

Let me know if you're coming

Technorati Tags: Blah..., mission, theology

London MBS

I'm down in London on Thursday for the Mind Body Spirit fair with Jonny, Moot et al. I've been at the Manchester fair for the past three three years with Sanctus1 - here's something that I've written about it.

You meet some fascinating people who are seriously exploring spirituality - including one person a few years ago who was a church warden and a practicing wiccan...One thing that i find frustrating is when Christians judge New Age spirituality from moral high ground as shallow and consumeristic, when really a lot of Christianity in the UK could easily be perceived in this way too. The New Age Movement has brought about profound changes in the way that we view ourselves as human, the way we view the environment and the level of connectivity between the mind, body and soul. This cannot be dismissed as shallow and consumeristic, sure, there are shallow elements but this is true of all religions. The New Age movement is an authentic expression of faith in post-modernity.

Anyway, have a look at the site: dekhomai. I think that Jonny should be a marketing guru...

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Technorati Tags: mission, spirituality

Faithful Cities

Faithful Cities is published by the commission on Urban life and faith, it's the follow up to Faith in the City. The commission had my Bishop Stephen Lowe on it and I was involved in the consultation process that produced the report.

Part of the report has been leaked to the Sunday Times, who say:

"The Church of England is to issue a withering attack on some of Labour’s highest- profile social policies, accusing the government of forcing asylum seekers into destitution and setting the minimum wage too low to relieve poverty...It states: “It is unacceptable to use destitution as a tool of coercion when dealing with refused asylum seekers.”

Read more here.

Technorati Tags: Justice, Manchester, mission, politics

Holiday Reading

I only had time to read a book and a half on holiday (having a young son means that you only get a couple of hours in the day to read). I highly recommend 'Small Island' by Andrea Levy. It's a book that explores a number of different themes that are all part of the social history of the UK, Immigration, racism, war all through the eyes of two couples one west indian and the other being an english couple parted by the war.

I also started Mirsolav Volf's new book, Free of Charge. To be honest I was a bit disappointed, I though 'Exclusion and Embrace' was a stunning book that touched on some quite profound issues, however, this book seems to lack the theological rigor that other books by Volf have. On a positive note though, i though that it built well on Kester's concept of gift in the Complex Christ.

I'll try to finish the book later this week and may comment more fully on it then.

Back from Namibia

We got home safely from Namibia on Friday after an overnight flight with our 18 month old...he screamed so they upgraded us to first class! Result - he slept in there!

Namibia is a beautiful country. I was there a couple of years ago with the Diocese as we are twinned with Namibia and spent much more time with the local people in some really rural parts of northern namibia. This time it was more of a holiday and so the people that we were with were either tourists or rich namibians. The gap between rich and poor is massive - i think that Namibia is about 13th from the bottom of the World Deprivation Index and yet the places that i visited this time almost hid that grim fact. I guess i cope by over-tipping and making sure that i am aware of the reality of the situation.

Stayed in some beautiful places, i think that my favourite was the beach house in swakpmond - stunning and cheap as chips...

Anyway I've uploaded a few photos here. They're okay but I'm still a bit of an SLR fan so most photos are on the SLR.

Technorati Tags: travel

On Holiday

We're in Namibia until 19th May...so this blog will be quiet.

Blah...manchester

I'm blogging this live so it may be a bit random! I'm at Blah...Mcr with John and Olive Drane

'Spirituality To Go' Olives new book pubilishers have said that it is ' the must have book of spring 2006' and John's new book 'Do Christians know how to be Spiritual'. On the sole of the shoes is a map of the southern and northern hemisphere - bought in a warehouse and there is a message of spirituality within the shoes! Spirituality is everywhere within contemporary society.

Section1 - The spirituality of Today

Explored the secularization theory, Bruce, Callum Brown etc. that the uk is getting more and more secular. Contrasted with the growing interest in spirituality within contemporary culture - ie Da-Vinci code, In a Spiritual Style - book that talks about the transformation of the home into a spiritual space. Starbucks stocking books re. spirituality. Mainline press producing books on spirituality, Christian version is 'A Purpose Driven Life' - similar genre to the other self-help books... how to help yourself.

Looked at some of the stats re. decline of church and the growing interest in spirituality in contemporary culture. ie Brierly stats re 76% of people having a spiritual experience. Growing interest in contemporary spirituality, looking at the empirical research into the growing interest in spirituality such as the Kendal project etc. www.kendalproject.org.uk

Heelas and Woodhead: 'Over the UK as a whole, New Spirituality is now larger than every Christian denomination except the Anglicans.'

Section 2

Three books that represent a spectrum of spiritual beliefs that are out there, here are the three points of the spectrum:

1 - High Energy Spirituality - Executive mystic - Enthusiasm - Dreams, OBEs, tongues
2 - Disciplined Spiritual life - Spirituality for dummies - Religious Practice - tradition devotions - Prayer, Hymns, Bible reading
3 - Good advice on how to be a nice person! - Complete idiots guide - Secular Spirituality - quality of life - Relationships, Family

Important to get our heads around this spectrum when we think about mission as people are seeking different things...All can be spiritual if pursued with intentionality. Intentionality is important

Secular spirituality - none of these phrases had entered the british vocab before 1970's life force, the kiss of life, get a life. Life now gives purpose as meaning to life rather than God - Don Cuppitt.

Explored Neuro-Theology, one of the fastest growing areas. Experiment to see what happened in the Brain when two different types of people are having a spiritual experience, the same thing happened - the conculsion was that you're not crazy if you have spiritual experiences, that people who have spiritual experiences are actually more physcologically balanced.

if we were dismiss spiritual experiences as mere neurological activities, you would also have to distrust your own brain's perception of the material world.

Conclusion - Being spiritual is a human activity, not exclusively a religious one. Augustine 'You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find you.

Section 3 - Olive

Everyday spirituality - To be religious was once to have a connection with the Spiritual, now it is far broader than that and hence the rising interest in Spirituality.

Spiritual is now in the everyday. Rise of Shrines - Hillsborough, Dunblaine, Diana,

Rituals are no longer monopolised by the church and people are taking responsibilities for their own rituals, due to the rise in other spiritualities, other ways of nurturing faith, other ways of being Church, also the distrust of institution and not only church but also the big corporate business, government, NHS etc. Don't like the big institutions.

Now trust our own judgements - health, this feels right. Celebrate diversity, Process information holistically. We are only interested in what works.

Rituals at the heart of life - Food, Story reading to children, weddings other rituals,

Starting to collect rituals - woven through the everyday, how do we celebrate those occasions and make them have a spiritual occasion? By being intentional with what we do. How do you engage with your inner person? Knowing who you are is key in engaging with the spiritual...

Finding the spiritual in the everyday - Rituals from birth to death. Celebrate the first times, the transitional times, family relationships, disruption - some disruptive experiences can be positive, testing occasions, seasons and holidays,

Being intentional lifts it from being a habit to being spiritual.

Technorati Tags: mission, spirituality, talks