riversmeeting
a church in carrick-on-shannonArchive for Mission
Praying for Myanmar
Myanmar protesters are now protesting not only their collective freedom but in favour of releasing the political prisoners that have been taken in the past month.
Please pray that this struggle will not be ended lightly or in haste so that the government will feel more pressure to change. Also pray that more people will join us in this spiritual battle to help Myanmar.
Thanks to all the encouragement and help with this and I hope you will continue to care about these kinds of issues and join me in prayer in the future.
The kingdom of God is a party!
Check out Luke 15: Three interweaving stories.
They were stories about precious things lost.
He told of a woman who had lost a small fortune, a shepherd who had lost a sheep and a father who had a runaway son.
Something precious was lost and warranted an all-out search.
When it was found, it was cause for unbridled celebration.
Then he said, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
It is not a stretch, nor disrespectful, to say that heaven throws a huge party when lost people come home to God.
And if we know anything about the Jewish concept of feasts and banquets, we can be sure that there is a lot of singing, dancing and joyful noise in heaven’s banquet halls.
So why should church be dull and boring?
Why should we subject people to mind-numbing boredom and sameness when heaven is cutting down the nets in victory?
Our church is not a show, not a performance, and not very polished. As a whole, we’re a pretty messed-up gathering of people. But God is good, His mercy endures forever and He is opening His arms to lost, broken people like us…and like you.
Please check us out…your visit would be cause for celebration!
“We don’t do funerals…we’re into midwifery”
Among the astonishing sayings of Jesus, comes this one: “Let the dead bury their own dead.” He said it in response to a man who was wavering about following him. The guy said: “First let me bury my father.” Either there was a family funeral he had to attend or -more likely, I think- he was talking about the general pull of family concerns: “I have family obligations. Surely you don’t wish me to shrug off my normal responsibilities?”
Jesus’ answer was an uncompromising YES. In one short remark he divided the world between those who followed him (characterised as those who had life) and those who didn’t (who were dead). It’s a Matrix-like distinction: those who really see the truth and those who don’t. And this difference is so utterly important that it takes precedence over everything. It’s the very first priority. Jesus “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and then all these things will be added unto you.” Get your priorities right, and everything in your life will find it’s proper place. (Check out Herman’s paper “One-way journey of endurance” on this).
I’m always fascinated by those church buildings surrounded by memorials to dead people. Why is that, do you think? In rather shocking contrast, I heard a preacher say: “We don’t do funerals. We are into midwifery.” “Let the dead bury their own dead….” “You [however] must be born again”!
Carefully fall into the river
On Sunday last we visited the African church near us. Pastor Ayo was speaking on Luke 5, on the call of the first disciples and the command of Jesus to “launch into the deep.” The disciples, you remember, had toiled all night and caught nothing. They were disconsolately washing their nets when Jesus commandeered one of the boats as a preaching platform. After the impromptu sermon, he encouraged the weary fishermen out into the lake to fish once more and Peter (probably) sighed “We’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at your word…” They cast the nets and are astonished at the immediate and abundant catch. They signal to their partners in the other boat to come and help them with the catch.
This is where I got excited. I knew the story, of course, but I began to hear what God was saying to our church. In the face of weariness (“We have toiled“) and discouragement (“and caught nothing“), we encounter Jesus and respond(“nevertheless, at your word…”). The harvest is plentiful…immediate… “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers.” And then they “signalled to the partners in the other boat.” My friends, we are the partners. We are partners in the gospel. IGod is calling us to partner these other Christians in the town and help with the harvest. Launch into the deep. Or, as in the Engrish picture “Carefully fall into the river.”
church without walls and the end of the one- man- band
Checking out the Northumbria Community, we try to live by this rule.
Summary of the Rule of the Northumbria Community -
A Way for LivingThis is the Rule we embrace. This is the Rule we will keep: we say YES to AVAILABILITY; we say YES to VULNERABILITY.
We are called to be AVAILABLE to God and to others:
Firstly to be available to God in the cell of our own heart when we can be turned towards Him, and seek His face;
then to be available to others in a call to exercise hospitality, recognising that in welcoming others we honour and welcome the Christ Himself;
then to be available to others through participation in His care and concern for them, by praying and interceding for their situations in the power of the Holy Spirit;
then to be available for participation in mission of various kinds according to the calling and initiatives of the Spirit.We are called to intentional, deliberate VULNERABILITY:
We embrace the vulnerability of being teachable expressed in:
a discipline of prayer;
in exposure to Scripture;
a willingness to be accountable to others in ordering our ways and our heart in order to effect change.We embrace the responsibility of taking the heretical imperative:
by speaking out when necessary or asking awkward questions that will often upset the status quo;
by making relationships the priority, and not reputation.We embrace the challenge to live as church without walls, living openly amongst unbelievers and other believers in a way that the life of God in ours can be seen, challenged or questioned. This will involve us building friendships outside our Christian ghettos or club-mentality, not with ulterior evangelistic motives, but because we genuinely care.
The Door is open
“A wide door has been open to me and with it are many adversaries.” 1 Corinthians 16:9God is always giving us opportunities to move forward in life. It is God’s desire that you grow and reach your full potential. Anytime you take a step forward, the enemy will try to bring opposition and adversity against you. But God promises that through Him, you can overcome any opposition the enemy brings your way.When you step out in faith and the opposition comes, stand your ground and keep doing what you know to do. Keep on praying. Keep reading and speaking the Word. Keep going to church. Keep walking in love and forgiveness, and keep your heart tender. When the enemy sees that you are more determined than he is, he’ll back down and you will move forward to new levels of victory! Stay focused and full of joy no matter what comes against you. As you do, you will overcome opposition and discover the champion in you!
People are more important than projects
Here’s the shining faces of the team at Karvina just before heading up to Krakow for the return flight img_6628.jpg
Hi guys! So nice to be home in dear old Ireland. Hot showers! Hairdryers! Potato bread! Just arrived back last night/ early morning with a rather jaded mission team from the Beskydys (Czech Republic). We have to check Lucy at Casualty tomorrow, when she wakes up…. she has a suspected fracture (to the left foot) and Vanessa will apparently have headaches for the next three months following her serious concussion. Is this what Jesus meant when he said that the enemy comes to steal, kill and to destroy? Sometimes, I must admit, it seems a little paranoid and childish to talk like that. Other times -like when you’re on a mission trip and doing your serious best to counter the enemy plans- it seems very real. I’ve been re-reading the gospel of Mark and the sheer multplicity of Jesus’ encounters with the devil and with the demon-possessed sounds more like something out of Harry Potter, than the way my (conventional) church background would have me believe.
Anyway, we had an amazing time with a bunch of forty teenagers high up the mountains, introducing them to bluegrass and introducing ourselves to the delights of Czech cooking. No electricity but plenty of buzz. And the title phrase of this post came to me as a kind of insight into the way church (I mean the body of Christ) operates…. not through schemes, plans, theologies, institutions…. not through any kind of projects at all. I was a bit sad about that, being good at projects.
But only ever through people. After all, people ARE the project, if you want to put it like that, according to the end of Matthew 28. And in the course of this adventure that we call life, people are on the frontline.
So, guys, pray for Vanessa and Lucy and also for all the young people who have come to Christ over the last few weeks. I sense that I must never focus on plans but only the Lord. Maybe like that difference between church as FAMILY and church as BUSINESS?
Internet Shopping 2: SPRITUAL THERAPY
Cutie picture apropos of nothing….but here’s another liberal helping of superlative bloggery
Congratulations to Cranach Blog for receiving the Riversmeeting God’s Golfball Award for thinking outside the box.
And a few hon mentions:
