Wild on the inside

Together with 4000 other 50-somethings I went to the Hammersmith Apollo on Friday night to listen to Paul Rodgers (vocalist with Free & Bad Company). It was a bit like a worship event as we all sang along to 'All Right Now', 'Shooting Star' and the inevitable (2nd) encore 'The Hunter'. I looked around at all those old people waving their hands in the air, playing air guitar and shaking their heads (it looked a lot different when we had shoulder-length hair!) and I couldn't help but think how old they all looked (compared to me of course). Then I realised that I look just as old on the outside too. All of us had been transported back in time to when we were twenty and had long hair, small waists, large flairs and outrageous dreams.

Old(ish), staid and conforming on the outside we may be, but we're still wild on the inside! My question is how do we find the courage to dream again. Is there still time for us to change the world as we believed we could in the 70s? Or have we become anaesthetised by prosperity, family duties and work pressures that we can no longer dream outrageous dreams.

Still wild on the inside? Let it loose!!

VentureFX
I've just spent two exciting days at the first selection conference for Venture FX Pioneers. Venture FX is a new program set up by the Methodist Church to encourage new forms of Church that meet the spiritual needs of young adults. It has been fascinating to meet a group of young(er) Christian leaders who are totally committed to making Jesus real in their cultures. It's so exciting to hear people getting really passionate about the vision that God has laid on their hearts. It's also great to see that they have such servant hearts - authenticity and integrity were words I heard a lot.

I also see in them the same frustration about traditional church that I've wrestled with for over thirty years. Not so much anger as sadness that the church which has such riches to share seems to find it so difficult to adapt to changing cultures. At the same time there's a longing that the church will recognise and validate their calling to do mission things in new ways.

I'm delighted that Venture FX is happening and that we're putting considerable resources into supporting these guys for the long-haul as they work out what incarnational mission looks like in their generation. Watch this space!!!!

It's a bit like . . . .

How would you describe church to someone who knew nothing of church? You inevitably start with 'its a bit like . . .'. But what is church like? In the first century, Wayne Meeks (First Urban Christians) suggests it's a bit like an extended household, it's a bit like a jewish synagogue, it's a bit like a voluntary association or club, it's a bit like a school of philosophy. All those phrase would have meant something to a first century person. In the end church isn't any of those - it's more! However, 'it's a bit like' gave a point of contact to encourage new people to join in.

When the word church has negative connotations for almost everyone outside it, perhaps we need to rethink 'it's a bit like . . .' for the 21st century.

So what is church 'a bit like'? A rock concert? (I wish!!) A pub or cafe?

I met a lady called Deidre in San Francisco a few years ago, she used to belong to a reading circle but didn't enjoy it because the members were so bitchy. A friend invited her to a 'reading circle' where they only read one book. She attended and found out that the people in the group loved one another and shared their lives in a deep way. Through their love she became a Christian. They called it a cell group, but it was a bit like a reading circle and contact was made!

What could your church be 'a bit like'?

What works in worship?
Do you ever come home from church thinking that the preacher gave a lot of very articulate answers to questions no-one was asking? Do you find taht as frustratting as I do?

I've become fascinated by the Jesus approach to teaching - tell lots of stories that made people think. Stories with lots of possible explanations. It's amazing how hard people had to work to get Jesus to explain himself. Ask him a question and he'd mostly answer it right back with another question. It was only the small core of close disciples and those who really pushed him that got clear answers.

It's more important to wrestle with the Bible yourself than be totally passive while someone else tells you what they think about it.

So how do we do worship that makes us go home wrestling with the truth instead of being mad at the preacher? Start where people are and help them to wrestle with the answers! Easy isn't it!!

Woodstock 40 years on
I looked at all the souvenir albums, but I've got all the tracks anyway! I was only 14 when it happened, but the whole spirit of Woodstock impacted me like so many others. I've vivid memories of watching the movie at a University film club (back when I had hair, flares and a 28in waist).

Thinking through the big themes of woodstock is a startling reminder of how our teenage aspirations have turned out. The music is as good as ever, though it's fascinating how much folk and country there is in a 'rock' festival - it took a few years befoere rock really developed into the stuff I listen to most today.

The anti-vietnam thread running through it gives a real feeling of deja-vu - replace Vietnam with Iraq/Afghanistan and you wonder if anything has changed. Peace seems as far away as ever.

The whole free -love thing (more Haight-Ashbury than Woodstock, but still very much in the air!) leaves me feeling slightly sad - if I can put it in a cliched way -how did free love degenerate into cheap sex and expensive divorce? Is the freedom of the sexual revolution too high a price to pay for our children? What's the balance between free & love? At it's best, love demonstrates amazing commitment and is willing to pay a high price to win a high reward.

I think our generation is more honest about relationships than previous ones - that must be good. Are we as willing to put in the effort to build something good - I'm not so sure!

40 years! dig out the flares, find a wig, suck in the beer gut, dust off the air guitar and celebrate. Who's for a mudbath?