URBANarmy

As I rang the door bell the sign unmissable laid out some ground rules - scribbled with venom with blue biro it declared "No Bible Bashers...". I stood outside Janine's door. Janine had become a good friend with Eryn and the inevitable invite for tea had come. As I rang the door bell the sign unmissable laid out some ground rules - scribbled with venom with blue biro it declared "No Bible Bashers...". I smiled to myself as the door opened. Janine's mum - Bev - beamed and brightly said "come in...". ... "I'd love to ... but I'm afraid I can't..." .... "Oh why's that... are you in a rush?" Bev enquired. "Not really .... it's just that you obviously have rules and so I would hate to break them... I'm not allowed to come in" Bev started to look quizzical "Rules what rules...?" I look at the poster on the door "you say no bible basher's and I am a minister of religion so I guess I...

Mainly a week of interviews this week. While very very tiring - there is something very stimulating about sharing with people in this way; something special about journeying with people while at college. I love hearing people's insights whether implicit or explicit; I love hearing how cadets are feeling they are being shaped for ministry. I love sharing in the highs, lows and vulnerabilities and teasing out the lessons therein contained. Above all I love the contact and being able to learn from other people's insights - there is a real privilege in this process. "I see preaching as a special part of my worship to God..." I'd not thought of it in that way before - I learned something about myself today, something blindingly obvious - thanks to a day of interviews!

Amy Stock one time member of the mother of all Sunday school classes with yours truly at the helm has asked me to give a shout for a new website and and useful resource she is involved with... Schoolswork

Joe Noland a Salvation Army Officer with a wealth of experience writes a provocative blog called slightly irregular -I pop into now and then. I missed his little series called Doing Church in the 21st Century: Rediscovering the Mission. Seems to me that his thoughts are helpful to anyone thinking through mission and future direction for their church! (Thanks GR for the tip off). Following is an outline of “mission distinctives” from my POV, preceded by their “institutional distinctive” counterparts (in italics): 1. Slumber------Awaken: An obvious precursor to relevant mission . 2. Status quo---Attack: “GO!” Aggressive. “…wherever people were to be got at.” 3. Exclusive----Attach: Embrace the culture inclusively – “bind emotionally” (Encarta). 4. Traditional--Adapt: “pas de deux with the culture”- “The law of adaptation.” 5. Irrelevant---Attract: “…convey it by such mediums, as will arouse their attention and interest their minds.” I think several books have influenced Joe - in particu...

As I picked my lonely bag from the carousel I thought back over an hour where I felt vulnerable, pushed to new place where I for those moments knew alienation My bag was the last on the carousel, sadly making it's circuit in isolation. As I made the long walk to retrieve my bag it came to a shuddering halt - it had been a long flight but the last hour had been particularly interesting...! The flight to Canada had given me plenty of time to crack on with Volf's Embrace and Exclusion; plenty time to explore the identity of 'other'; to engage with what it was to be excluded; to be alienated; what it is to be pushed to the margins; to understand where true reconciliation comes from. Eight hours later I was in an immigration side room alongside a flight from Jamaica and Pakistan finding context with what I had just read - apparently there was something wrong! I was learning what it was to be alienated. "Welcome to Canada" flashing around the room seemed an ironic ...

I was out all of yesterday at Hove SA - so didn't get chance to say in blogosphere ... He Has Risen!

And so we took him down (Or thought we did), Wiped off the sweat and spittle From his face, Washed the dried blood, Threw out the crown of thorns, And wrapped him once again In swaddling clothes. A tomb can be a cramped, Confining place, Far smaller than a stable. We laid him there (Or thought we did). We were not able To comprehend The infinite contained. For us it was the end. Only the harsh realities Of death and stone Remained. Elizabeth Rooney I've kept this picture and poem saved from Kathryn's blog last year. It is to easy to forget this day - but it seems odd to miss the sense of isolation, loss and alienation of the disciples that first Easter Saturday.

"At the heart of the cross is Christ’s stance of not letting the other remain an enemy and of creating space in himself for the offender to come in". (Volf 1996) Volf, M. (1996). Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation.

Emergent Kiwi points to a good resource from sgmlifewords

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying,"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:19 To enter this scripture through Lectio Divina was interesting for me today - Maunday Thursday; to fast from the proof texts of a polarised and perhaps tired debate in TSA and to meditate on what shone for me revealed something of an obvious surprise. "For you...." I wonder what shone for Albert Orsborn the General who penned My life must be Christ's broken bread, originally as a song? To me he got it, he understood the sense of "for you..." To reduce these words to a Salvationist apologetic for its position on sacraments is a disservice to the sentiment of mission that Orsborn captured long before mission became a euphemism for evangelism or was introduced as a trendy word ...

We borrowed a satnav to get to the crematorium in Merton, we didn't want to be late struggling to make sense of an A to Z, so it seemed a good idea. There must be was something unnerving about driving into a crematorium to be informed by a very friendly but informative travel companion "you have reached your destination...!!" Monday was a remarkable day of celebration of a remarkable life. As we drove home after Nicola's funeral, I felt guilty in that I had had a thoroughly good time, more than one farewell conversation seemed to be inappropriate in that they finished with a sentiment of 'we should do this more often!!' . But such thoughts and feelings were totally appropriate in that it was plainly obvious to all there, Nicola has not reached her destination, and that as Phil put it on the family blog . "Our life together has been a great adventure as we have attempted to follow in the power of the Resurrection. Nicola has taught her family and many oth...

It was good to meet some new people this week while doing some teaching in Toronto; to make friends and find kindred spirits!! I loved being with a crowd that were just so eager not only to serve but to discover what that means. It was great to be invited and to be able to get caught up with the vision of the regional youth guy Nathanael Homewood and to support him inspiring young Christan's to be active in mission to a depth I've not seen in that generation. The essence may not have been uniform, brass bands and guersey's; nor was it a self indulgence of video loops, coffee, Coldplay and candles - it was a love for the whosoever. I loved what I saw at the FRWY and I captured something of the indelible essence that is undeniably 'salvation army'; the way that community comes together whatever their background to support and nurture their own versions of 'Patrick' was beautiful. While to some perhaps unorthodox and even a threat - I'd say look at the ess...

Not around for a couple of days...

"Earlier today, after a courageous battle with cancer, Nicola Garnham died. Over the past days family and friends had gathered at Nicola’s bedside to share words from scripture, songs of praise and prayers of hope. At one moment Nicola removed her oxygen mask and prayed, thanking God for the full and miraculous life that he had given her. To the end, her life was marked by the presence and power of the risen Christ. Consequently, while we mourn the loss of a wonderful wife, mother, sister. leader and friend, we celebrate a life well lived and commend Nicola to God in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life." Nicola with her husband Phil inspired a generation of officers as to what it was to be missionalTSA. She taught mission to twelve sessions of cadets and her impact in the UK territory was and is immense. She encouraged me to develop my mind, recommended books, invited me to teach, taught mission with her when we first came to teach at WBC. Her mind a...

What I do know is that Adrian went home with a new set of trainers and in his complete and utter confusion I think he felt listened to, loved, respected and embraced For half an hour I watched him picking his nose, while I tried to concentrate on a pretty mad conversation - how to sound proof your house against jumbo jets. It's been a while since I met someone whose conversation was quite as disjointed as Victor's ( Victor and his talking flute ); but this week at FH I met Adrian who most definitely is up there with people whose conversation comes from a mind that is either not firing on all cylinders or firing on far too many cylinders. His catch phrase which punctured the evening frequently was a slowly drawn out "I don't know..." which really you need to hear to appreciate its humour. It started before he came in, being early and being asked to come back, disgusted he could only reply "I don't know..." . It carried on when I asked his name "I...

I found out about this fascinating and challenging reprint brought to us by the bible society. Here is the sales pitch if it were needed: "A groundbreaking Bible that megaphones what God has to say about poverty and injustice. It's a Bible to surprise a watching world. To engage compassionate young adults. And to enrich your own life. This new Bible highlights more than 2,000 verses, revealing God's heart for the poor and oppressed. Easy to follow, accessible and fresh Contemporary English Version Bible text. Includes a unique 32-page guide with in-depth studies from equality to education, wages to water and practical suggestions on what to do next. Builds on issues raised by influential Christians and public figures including Bono, Rob Bell, Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo" Amazing that it took Bono to point it out...! Buy it here .

Not totally convinced by the name but the resources look good. Talking with James Catford the Chief Executive of eth Bible Society he suggests that this could be a lighter version of the excellent Renovare Spirtual Formation group material. Lyfe Renovare

Theos looks like a potentially interesting site; particularly the media monitoring. This is what they say about themselves: "Theos is a public theology think tank which exists to undertake research and provide commentary on social and political arrangements. It aims to impact public opinion about the role of faith and belief in society. It was launched in November 2006 with the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor."

Fellow mission tutor Nick Coke put me on to this a little while ago and it has been lurking in my drafts. 51 minutes good ironing listening!!

I never knew my Grandad so it is odd to hear his voice 40 years after his death! Is it the maternal grand father side that dictate future baldness? I am going to be soooo shiny! Shiny Headed Prophet you may have some competition,