Reflections at Christmas time

Christmas is going to become more and more important as the years go by, as the Emerging church gets more popular (Or is it dead? Sorry, just touching some nerves :P), and similar liberal view of Christian spirituality permeate our culture.
As things like the virgin birth get called into question, the deity of Christ, the authority of the Bible, the historicity of the Bible, Christmas will become a time where the two views, that of Biblical Christianity and of extreme liberal christianity, will need to ask again and again these questions.

While the whole world looks on.

It will become a time where we can speak of Christ the way the Bible speaks of Christ, and where we can share with those who think they know the Gospel the real truth and weight of what it means to believe in a humble Saviour, divine yet human, took sin for us yet exalted, gave us the gift of new life by faith yet deserves all our praise by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christ, born The King of our lives.

Some helpful things I just read:
C. J. Mahaney looks at the disturbing nature of the Birth of Christ, and why it's important to see it this way here

Albert Mohler revisits why the virgin birth is important to Christian belief here

'Cultural relevance'.. or cultural snobbery?

Often this passage is used to justify a new expression of church, in the name of cultural relevance:

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

And it's a fair call, I myself subscribe to a modern church methodology. But are we at risk of becoming the new cultural snobs?
I can't help but think that hip music, no robes or rites, 'missional' language and preaching to the postmodern persuasion is alienating many from the Gospel.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Are we possibly becoming too much of a Gentile to the Gentiles at the expense of becoming a Jew to the Jews?

Beach Soccer

It's coming up to the summer holiday season, and it's about the time when people start pulling out the BBQ, hitting the Gym, going to Music festivals and eating too much Icecream.

An initiative of Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Hobart is the 'Endless Summer of Love' (Their brochure is here and here)
This is an excellent encouragement to actively seek to use those summer months for the furthering of the Gospel.

Along independent but similar lines, I am looking to begin somewhat of a Beach Soccer mission or ministry.
I don't know how it's going to take form yet, there are many ideas going round in my head, but here are a few currently in focus:
- Provide regular (weekly) game/games of soccer on a Sandy bay beach. (local for most)
- Provide an opportunity for Christians and non-Christians to mix in fun, team based, but completely informal sport. Extending to potentially a few games running simultaneously.
- Potentially Christians can provide food or drinks weekly for those attending and spending time after playing sharing a meal together.
- Prayer time before and after our games, and seeking opportunity to invite our friends along to church, or where our model of church may not resonate with them, invite them to a different church!
- Actively initiate healthy discussion on issues of faith amongst those attending.

My difficulty is in knowing how far to go. This is essentially 'pre-evangelism' (not so much a fan of that concept, as pre-evangelism is still evangelism in my mind) and will depend on the individual to use the opportunity to expose their friends to the Christian community, and seek the support from fellow Christians to talk about topics of faith.

Any thoughts, suggestions, critiques? Feel free to pass on this blog if you feel others can contribute to the discussion, I'd appreciate the input!

Edit: I must give much credit to my friend Hannah, who got 'the ball rolling' and had all the enthusiasm!

Small Groups

I know Mikey loathes the word Missional. But the title of my blog contains the word, so I shall use it. Now I've conceded that, I will go on to talk about 'missional stuff' :P

At Wellspring Resonate, we have a desire to equip members of our church to live a life of witness in all areas of their lives. One way we do this is through our small groups.
The model is changing, developing, and our recent expression of it is called 'Communities'.
Communities is designed to serve both those inside the church, and outside the church, with bible-based studies, prayer, support, accountability, and the most important and obvious thing: true community.

In our small-group model, we have a system, where a member of the church will step up, or be invited to lead a small group. Some of these small groups have a focus in a particular part of our culture, eg. Live music, Outdoor/Adventure, Book Clubs, Mentoring. Others are simply called 'Tuesday Night community group' or 'Monday Night community group'. All these groups were previously called missional teams, as the focus was and is one of mission. Now there is greater focus on building one another up, we have adopted the much more inclusive name of 'Communities'.

Gospel according to..

Second hand information can be good.. but sometimes it's really helpful to get back to the source.

This has never been more true than with the Gospel.
In the big bad world of evangelism so many people have their own idea of the Gospel, and preach it daily..:

• "Jesus was just a man"
• "The Gospels of Mark, Mark 2.0 (Luke), Mark 2.1 (Matthew), and John are all literalist revisioning of a Pagan Mystery religion."
• "There was no literal Jesus."
• "The Good News is there's a sale on Mormon ties and hoodies"

In our present post-christian society (anyone got a technical term for this?), we have the challenge of preaching and ministering the Gospel to those who have already "heard it" today..
They'll accept anything as Gospel..


..without reading it themselves.

How can we be challenging the secular world to be opening the Bible before creating their own version of the Gospel?

"In the world, not of the world.."

A common phrase.
But what does this really look like?

How much should we be removed from the world?
To what degree should we involve ourselves in the activities of this world in order to win people to Christ?

There are the extremes.
The Exclusive Brethren are at one end, our 'lapsed' brothers and sisters at the other.

We are called to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), and shine like stars in a depraved generation (Philippians 2:12-18). We are also called to do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:23-33).

Does this define our behaviour in certain contexts, or, does it define which contexts we place ourselves to behave?

Are we to witness in every place, or is there places or contexts that we cannot witness?

Can we also participate in the world, for necessity (say our Jobs), being witness to Christ to the best of our ability?