Thought it was time for a quick recap and to begin a new look at the link between engaging in mission and experiential learning.
![we are safe here 430x384 The Reflective Cycle [Mission & Learning 1]](/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/we-are-safe-here.gif "We are safe here - by Dave Walker")
A while ago, I wrote a post on mission and learning, which explored the link between engaging in mission (or perhaps with culture) and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. This is a version of Kolb’s cycle (also known as the reflective cycle):
On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Continuing our series of reflections on the Twelve Days of Christmas, as the days increase so the subjects of each day become deeper and more elaborate. Today, seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
So – the sixth day of Christmas and we’re halfway through the song. In the Christian folk tradition that we’re following the six geese a-laying stand for the Six Days of Creation.
On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Continuing my reflections on the Twelve Days of Christmas, the third day of Christmas is for French Hens. Within Christian folklore, the French Hens are for the three virtues faith, hope and love.
Thought I’d take a moment out on Christmas Eve for a few reflections. Happy Christmas – hope you have a good one!
There’s that classic verse from John 1 in the message version of the bible that a lot of people in the missional/emerging movements use. “The word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood.”
It’s a fantastic way of declaring Jesus’ presence amongst us – the God who lives (or dwells) amongst us. The God who incarnates.
This God breathes his own live-giving breath into man. And walks with him in the garden.
This God knows – maybe even feels - the sufferings of his people in Egypt. And sends a man amongst them to be like him to Pharoah.
People wanted the resources from the little mini worship time in Bristol CYM this morning ;-)
Yesterday a group of us organised worship for the whole CYM student body here in Oxford (I get back from Induction Week tomorrow). We kind of titled the whole thing "God is…" Some people asked for the powerpoint and music info – and I didn't get the chance to give the files to everyone who wanted them by memory stick – so here they are.
Powerpoint: Download god_is.ppt
And these are the tracks I used – which were mainly just thrown together on the spot:
I know people have noticed a lack of my usual deep, critical, reflections on the blog since before the summer. So I thought I should try and explain a little bit why (I think bullet points is the best way to do this, although it seems a bit weird).
So I'm committed to keeping the blog going, but it's just taking a little time to discover a slightly different way of writing. I've just posted the first post on Surprised by Hope – which gives me some structured content to reflect on and so hopefully should get the juices flowing a bit. Oh, and I also have a new design for the blog planned fairly soon.
So hopefully the blogs should be just as deep as they were, but much more creative and constructive, soon enough. It's easy to get stuck in a deconstructive pattern of reflection – especially in the first year of a theology degree – but I think it's time to move onto pastures greener.
The results should be much more innovative, more creative, and more outside-the-box.
If anyone has any ideas for where to start reflecting more positively – or subjects I've blogged about in the past which you'd like me to follow through a bit further (usually reconstruct what's left after my deconstruction) – then please share in the comments below…
Part 1 | Part 2
Managed to get hold of a copy of Tom Wright’s new book (kind of pinched from my little brother), so thought it would be cool to try and blog through a book. This isn’t something I’ve done before, only seen Scot McKnight do – but thought it could be an interesting exercise. Hopefully I will manage to blog my way all the way to the end of the book.
My intention is less to try and sum up each chapter, but more to try and use the book as a launch pad for my own evaluation and reflection. So a disclaimer to start: if you are looking for a balanced summary of the book, this probably won’t be it.
Wright starts by building a case for the need of a book that deals with eschatology (life after death) by sketching a picture of the many confused and muddled up ideas people, both Christian and non-Christian have of life after death. He uses examples like the Hillsborough Disaster and the death of Princess Diana to describe the many different superstitious ideas people have around death. Two broad responses would be a kind of stubborn atheism on one hand, and what I would call the “Lion King eschatology” on the other – the dead will live on in the stars / always be watching over us from creation. He also comments that belief in reincarnation is now becoming more predominant.
He begins to build an argument about the connection between our understanding of life after death, and the way we choose to live our lives now. In theological terms, we would understand this as the link between eschatology and missiology (this being our understanding of the Christian “mission”). I’d call it (I don’t know whether this is an established term) an eschatological imperative – our hope for the future drives our present.
Wright begins to build the case that with only a confused understanding of this future hope, we lose out on the motivation to work towards it in the present.
Most Christians still have an understanding of one day being “zapped up” to heaven, and abandoning this earth – which does absolutely nothing to motivate for the present. We need to get back to a biblical understanding of the re-new-ing of creation. I’m don't need to guess that this is where Wright is going…
If we can really allow this eschatological, missional imperative to join in with God’s re-creation permeate our faith communities, then the Church will suddenly find itself with a whole lot more purpose.
Peter Wagner on Todd Bentley: (HT: Mark)
First of all, Todd has been removed from public ministry until further notice. He has resigned from the ministry he founded, Fresh Fire, so he is no longer a part of that board. It has become clear that he indulged in periodic drunkenness. He has no intention at the moment of reconciling with Shonna, nor does she with him. Their marriage has been torn for years by his emotional attachment with at least one other female whose physical contact went beyond hugging and kissing and holding hands. Enough said-maybe more details will be revealed later-but it was clearly immoral. All of this was skillfully concealed by lying and by swearing close associates who had observed his behavior to secrecy.
Can’t find the quote, but Augustine wrote that the validity of the church’s ministry doesn’t depend on the holiness of its ministers, but upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Still, it’s pretty difficult to reconcile that with Todd – is it possible that the image of Christ which is presented by The Church’s ministry (and it is “The Church” – we must share the responsibility of our brothers and sisters) is so disfigured that it actually perverts and prevents God from working through it? Or is God unstoppable?
I suspect that as time goes on both will turn out to be true.
There will be some who still will have felt God’s grace revealed to them through the Lakeland Outpouring, even if the majority feel hurt and betrayed. But, for those who did feel God working through Todd, what kind of God will they understand to have encountered? And what resemblance will he have to a biblical understanding of God?
I realise I’ve stepped into a minefield here. These are just some open reflections, rather than any conclusion.
Welcome to the blog of James Henley. I'm a young church leader / youth worker and student based in Newport, South Wales.
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