In what ways is transformation a metaphor for mission, and how does this affect our understanding of mission and the way we approach it?
Transformation is a key element of mission – and it’s also one of the big indicators that our missional work is having an effect.
But what if rather than looking at transformation as a result of mission, we looked at transformation as a metaphor for mission itself?
How does the image of mission as healing affect the way we understand the mission of God?
So, after a long sabbatical it’s time to resume our Missional Viewpoints series. I almost let this series go, but I still think it’s something worth continuing so it’s time to revisit it and press on further. Just to jog your memory, here’s what I wrote as the brief for this series last Summer:
Over July and August, on the blog I’ll be going through a series looking at our definition of mission, and particularly some specific keywords that inform our understanding.
With university work finally out of the way after the final push to get everything finished, and with The Lab beginning to quieten down for the summer, I thought it was about time to get back into blogging. So, in order to become more focused, and to get myself “back into shape” in terms of blogging, I thought it’d be good to work through a fairly simple, but quite interesting summer series.
Whilst babysitting for my boss last Friday I raided his bookshelf and had quick look through Roxburgh and Romanuk’s The Missional Leader. This seems like a really good book for leaders who find themselves wanting to propagate a missional environment in an established/conventional church setting. Although presenting a single model for transition towards missional community could be a little prescriptive.
What reading the book did do was to again highlight for me just how much a transformation or widening of worldview and mindset plays a role in moving a community towards mission. In working with The Lab, this has been one of the big questions we’ve faced over the last couple of years – beginning with students from conventional church backgrounds and trying to grow missional community.
Sat in St Paul's Cafe whilst some Lab and St P's friends are staffing it. Just been looking back through Pete Rollins' blog, and hit on this:
It is all too common for Christians to attempt to do justice to the scriptural narrative by listening to it, learning from it, and attempting to extract a way of viewing the world from it. But the narrative itself is asking us to approach it in a much more radical way. It is inviting us to wrestle with it, disagree with it, contend with it, and contest it—not as an end in itself, but as a means of approaching its life-transforming truth, a truth that dwells within and yet beyond the words.
Hey guys. Life is just incredibly busy right now – but in a good way. I plan to do a nice big update on everything when I get home next week, but in the meantime I thought I’d fill you in on a few bits and pieces…
Recording
Last Saturday morning we (myself and G) took over St Mary’s to start work on recording some tracks – mostly trying to get a finished definitive version of some of the songs I’ve written over the last few years (since I was 14!), but also to record two new songs. Altogether I now have 6 tracks, with other bits and pieces in my songwriting notebook, which is probably enough for an EP if that’s the route I decide to go down. Anyway, here’s a list of the songs (the first four I’ve prioritised to get done first and then the other two afterwards):
1. Finally Whole (I can’t hide it) – 2007
2. God hear my cry – 2006
3. Your faithfulness – 2006
4. Teach me to worship – 2003
5. We will worship – 2006
6. Be thou my vision (Be the apple of my eye) – 2007
The plan is to first work on finishing some really simple acoustic-ish recordings to a high standard – just main vocals, acoustic guitar, piano/keys, and pad/synth – and then those can go online so should anyone wish to actually take up some of my songs and learn them they’ll be the definitive version to listen to and pick them up from. Then, possibly, we’ll work on tracking bass, electric guitar, BVs, and possibly some real drums, and other bits and pieces – eventually maybe leading to a CD (let me know what you think about that – I’m still convinced people would buy it). So hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I’ll be able to upload the first acoustic tracks for you to enjoy.
Holiday Club
We’re running our Easter Holiday Club this week which is going really well, really good fun. We’ve adapted it from the Wastewatchers material from Scripture Union, and it’s all about transformation, and how God can transform us.
My Birthday
I’m now stuck in the no man’s land that is 19 – past 18, but not quite yet in my twenties. Yesterday was really good, despite not being at home – we had a cake at holiday club, and then Mum, David and Bethan came down for the rest of the afternoon so we went to Cardiff Bay for bowling and to go round the Dr Who Exhibition – which was good. I really can’t wait to get home, though, especially after yesterday.
Holding Nothing Back
My best birthday present so far (the main thing I was looking for was money towards a laptop to take to uni next year) is the album that will define Modern Worshp Music, at least in the UK, for the next two years… Mr Hughes new record is incredible… Awesome new tracks and great tracks from Soul Survivor over the last couple of years. I love the title track – Holding Nothing Back (awesome name for an album imo), the slightly chilled out version of Almighty God and Everything. Just generally a fantastic album… although I’m not yet completely sold on the last couple of tracks.
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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