URBANarmy

Bethan has always been at a Church School and so we have followed the church year through making the periodic trips to church to support. Tonight was a little different. As a member of Grey Coats Hospital school for girls, Bethan's local church is Westminster Abbey. There is something very, very special about Westminster Abbey. The architecture, the history, the organist - it combines to a special experience. Tonight, whenever there was any applause it always started at the front and rolled back, like a Mexican wave, permission to clap almost sought from the row in front. The significance of the wave of applause that started outside the Abbey and rolled forwards at Princess Diana's funeral struck me. I don't think anyone who has used the sentiment to explain any shift in worldview would quite 'get it' without actually feeling the really odd sensation of the rolling applause.

Here is another Michael Frost measuring stick when it comes to 'missional' community. When a church community is living missionally he suggests it will be a community: of heartfelt praise, not the fake mouthing of sentimental worship songs of authenticity and truth, not public pretense that does not live for itself, but genuinely serves others of missional engagement with its host empire, not retreat into a religious ghetto of mutual responsibility , not privatised religion of hope, not intimidation and alienation Frost, M. (2006:104). Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture.

Yesterday was a great day spent in the company of Robert Beckford , clearly someone who loves to teach and has great insights to how theology should shape what we do. There was probably nothing new to what he had to say, but there was profound impact that moved out and beyond his content. Here we have someone who gets hate mail from Christians who resent him challenging their presuppositions. Here we have someone who refuses to accept a glib watery theology. Someone who engages with the text in such a way that raises awkward questions. A theologian who approaches faith as something to deconstruct in order to re-build an understanding of God that is fresh and strong. Not what you would expect from someone who is proudly pentecostal. I can't think that there was anything but challenge for those content to engage with God through what could be seen as the cosmetics of church, without through doing the hard work within the text. I can't think that there was anything but challenge f...

There is something very appealing about the Upperroom site. I've added it to my Spiritual Formation Resource list as a site I like to visit. The Prayer Methods in particular are worth exploring. The Sacred Space section is there for you to develop for yourself should you wish. Here is a snippet of the Prayer Methods section. One of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer is lectio divina , or divine reading. In lectio divina , we begin by reading a few verses of the Bible. We read unhurriedly so that we can listen for the message God has for us there. Think of the Ig...