I am writing a sermon on Jesus' presentation at the temple and came across this amazingly rich piece of art work that I think draws down on the tension of the text from Luke 2: 22. It's a picture that certainly paints a 1000 words, redemption and sacrifice a baby born to die and the on looking accusing father staring deep into the watchers soul…
Way back when I was a theological student at Carey Baptist College – I was introduced to a great book by Alan Roxburgh – Reaching a New Generation. As it quiet at in the office at the moment and before the rush start for the New Year I have been taking mini retreats to read – This morning I just finished reading the first four chapters of Roxburgh new work – Missional Mapmaking, which is available to download over at Alleleon. For me chapter four has helped me make sense of a lot of what I see going on in my head and in the average Church at the moment, Roxburgh want to encourage in light of the changes we are facing a re –evaluation of leadership. Many forms of so called leadership are mechanistic, and reduce people to figures to be manipulated. Pastoral leadership has in many cases lost any pastoral functions at all as people's needs are overlooked in the name of herding and organising. Roxburgh uses the image of herding cats as a more fruitful and missional approach to leadership, while this is problematic and difficult I wish more people in pastoral ministry would consider it. Last week I had a conversation with a person fresh out of the UK who has been checking out churches here in Nelson – they visited some and found herding and organising over the top – in the end they have settled on an Anglican Church that looks more like a colony of cats that and army or Japanese Business – they feel welcomed and will probably stay there. For these people Roxburgh's image makes much more sense.
I respect Rob Bell, he is a good writer, a decent speaker and seems to be an all round nice guy – but I cannot stand NOOMA, his sermon series with naff background music and touching images… Someone has decided to spoof it over on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQO-aXM1Lo0
And may the God of stolen pens and lost golf balls bless you as you reflect ponder and laugh at this video
A web site was set up by the Poor Claire Community about their experiences with The Convent Documentary
http://www.poorclaresarundel.org/Pages/CONVENTDefault.aspx
On Sunday nights on the Living Channel here in NZ we have showing a reality TV show form the BBC, The Convent traces the experiences of four women who spend 40 days with a community of Poor Claire Nuns, in the UK. It's really refreshing to see a life of order and contemplation and spirituality painted in such a positive manner.
The four women who have been embraced by the community come with issues and the desire for insights but also form wildely different backgrounds. It's great viewing and very uplifting too.
Debi Ireland is 44 and lives in Scotland with her husband and their five-year-old son.
She works as a children's entertainer telling stories about overcoming fears, yet she has spent the past 39 years battling with the sense she is 'not good enough'.
Her parents split up when she was five. As she said goodbye to her mother in Australia to move to Britain with her father, her mother promised she would see her again in six weeks. She never appeared.
Debi assumed it was her own fault, and ever since has been haunted by guilt and low esteem.
She is hoping the convent will help her to overcome her fear that God will punish her and that she will return home as a new mum no longer wracked by rejection.
Iona Maclean is 25 and a singer/songwriter living in Chelsea, London. She is the only Christian in the group of volunteers.
A former 'party girl' she went through a phase of heavy drinking from which she believed she was saved by God.
Nevertheless, she still struggles with the temptations of the modern world, particularly her self-confessed weakness for the opposite sex.
She is seriously considering celibacy and thinks that the nuns might be able to advise her how to go about it.
Angela Dickson is 43, single, a former police officer, former pub landlord and a successful business development manager in Nottingham.
Her career has been her priority and she seems to have it all - a nice house, a second property abroad and a BMW convertible.
But recently she has come to ask what any of her material wealth is really worth. Twice divorced, she has no faith, no children, and feels time is running out.
She hopes that going into the convent will help her to discover if there is more to life – and more to her.
Victoria Bennett is 33. She lives and works as a poet in the Lake District.
Brought up an atheist, she completely rejects the idea of a patriarchal God and tries to live her life free of rules.
She has an open marriage and she feels everyone should be free to express their sensuality however they see fit.
But underneath it all Victoria struggles to reconcile her free spirit with a deep-rooted insecurity
