Giggling God

Good morning God,
I've been wondering just how different the Church would be if the smallest verse in the bible had been Jesus giggled instead of Jesus wept.
Now of course I know how important it is for us to know that you care for us, that you grieve for us, that you are capable of being moved to tears.. but I really do think that we would all be so much better off if our faith, and particularly our Church's were based on the knowledge that you meant what you said - that our joy will be complete - instead of that our suffering should be endless.

Sorry God - but you know what I mean - so much of Church life and teachings seems to be based on misery. We dwell on sickness and sin and dare to use these as a call to salvation. We almost always seem to forget to talk about the joy and delight of being made GOOD, or if we do, its as a sort of consolation prize for having to give up sinning! Never mind - we say - God loves you!

Dear God - please! Save another generation from the misery of modern Christianity! From the daunting lists of thou shalt nots and the endless rounds of confession and forgiveness.
This is not just about worship in Church on a Sunday (although that really DOES deserve laughter) This is about something far more fundamental - its about YOU and US and life in all its fullness.

How would it be if the Church was the one place where a person heard the real truth about themselves - that they are made GOOD - that they have the God given potential to become something so much more than an accountant, lawyer, clerk, cashier, dentist, minister etc etc.. You have made us all apprentice messiahs, star makers, world shifters, mountain breakers and miracle workers - the sisters and brothers of Christ.
What would happen if the Church was the place where the first thing that people heard was the real truth about life in all its fullness - that their life is an opportunity to laugh, to grow, to heal and to discover what it is to transcend mediocrity with divinity, to appreciate beauty through majesty and know, really know that there is more.. that fear can be defeated, that suffering is not the end, but can be overcome, that life is SO full, that you can't ever destroy it.

God giggled -
you've got to admit God, it would have re-written the history of the church if that verse had been the shortest verse in the bible.

Priests would have been dressed in anything BUT black, churches would have been designed to be full of light and colour, sound and dance. Laughter would have resounded at the heart of the Eucharist which really would have been CELEBRATED - a JOYOUS thanksgiving. We would have written prayers of encouragement instead of petition, prayers of delight instead of confession. You never know - we might even have sung Hymns with decent melodies!

What say you God - too radical - too impossible?
Are we too far gone now, too stuck with our misery, with our petitions and pleadings, our solemnity and suffering, our sins and our sorrows?
Is the best we can hope for the charismatic moments - Toronto blessings, outpourings of the Spirit when giggles interrupt sermons and disrupt services?

Surely not..

Giggling God, teach us how to recover the GOOD in the Good news of the gospel.

Lo - I am with you always

Good evening God,

Sorry to be so late, but as you know, I've been sleeping, and dreaming. Every time it looked like I might wake fully, I was given something to send me back to the land of visions and dreams in order to give my body a chance to rest, to heal and recover.

It's been a strange two days,drifting in and out of consciousness, not least because you have been so strongly present to me in both my waking and my sleeping. The Psalmist was right, there is nowhere we can go where you are not - even it seems, in the drug induced twilight zone of semi-conscious will.

It has made me marvel anew at the gifts of discernment, communication, presence and awareness. Even whilst 'asleep' I was able to discern the presence of those who cared for me. They were able to communicate with me. Their words and prayers penetrated the mists of sleep to find expression in my dreams. I was aware when there were people 'waiting' for me to rouse myself, and of the need to take whatever time it took. I always seemed to know the difference between what was 'real' and what was dream - the work of my imagination.

The amazing thing however was you. You were as real and as present to me in my dreams as you are in my waking moments. You are not changed by my state of mind - I am!

Waking and sleeping - You are always you.

So thank you, for the confidence and inspiration that this has given me, I shall sleep much easier knowing that it really is true - wherever I am, no matter how deeply I sleep, there really is nowhere I can go - where you are not.

Pioneers..Called or hired?

Good morning God,

Our Pioneer Mission Leaders project has me worrying about Esau, and Barnabas, and a whole host of other 'also rans' who appear in scripture. How did those who were essential to the plan of salvation and the proclamation of the gospel, but who are even now still perceived by many to be of secondary importance, feel about their role?
Did Barnabas resent not being Paul? Did John Mark leave because Paul did not think he was of the same calibre as a missionary as Titus or Timothy?
What will the creation of 'Pioneer Mission Leaders' do to the current understanding of Presbyteral and lay ministry for those with a passion for mission?

What's in a name?
Everything - for you call us - by name.

Ministry is not a job that people do, it is an expression of who they are before you. I do not do the job of a Presbyter, I AM a presbyter.
If the same is not true of those we are calling Pioneer Mission Leaders - then who would want them? If all we are looking for is hired hands, then we would do well to recall Christ's words and the comparison that he draws between the hired hand and the good shepherd.
This is the problem when we 'recruit' instead of 'call' people to discern ministry - lay or ordained.
We create the impression that we want people with particular skills willing to DO a particular job for which we will offer suitable remuneration. What we actually want is for people to discern the name you are calling them by, and be prepared to stand up if they hear it called.

Most of the Presbyters I have met and trained over the last ten years already believe that they are called to pioneer the proclamation of the gospel for this generation. They are rightly convinced that they are already engaged in Mission, and the church has already placed them in positions of leadership - so should they apply for the new posts?
Or should they stay in circuit ministry?

When they hear the word Presbyter they hear the words Pioneer Mission Leader', but presbyters are stationed, and pioneers are appointed - WHY? Why aren't at least 50% of these posts part of the stationing process?

Where does a presbyter best discern your call - in the stationing system with members of the Church, Circuit and District or in the job application process and an appointment panel?

Has the Church considered what will it do to a Presbyter's self-understanding, to their sense of call if they are not 'selected' or 'appointed'? Are they prepared to support those who will return to circuit ministry no longer believing that they are called to mission, to pioneer or to lead?

What's in a name?
Esau or Isaac?
Benjamin or Joseph
Barnabas or Paul?
John Mark or Timothy?
Presbyter or Pioneer?

It really shouldn't be the difference between being called or hired.

I think God, that we are stuck in an uncomfortable position - for a church that has always placed great store on discernment as an essential component of ministry, we are in danger of losing something very important by hiring rather than discerning our pioneer mission leaders.
Why not use our candidating process - open it to both lay and ordained - but require the same assent from local church, circuit, district and Conference?

Meanwhile - God - can you please shout at all our Presbyters who have a heart for mission to apply for these posts..
The Church needs to hear that most of its presbyters want to be free to pioneer mission and lead the proclamation of the gospel - its what we feel called by you to do.

Most of all God, teach our Church to call us by name - not by job title, and to call us yours, so that whatever it is we do in your service as part of this Church really is an expression of our relationship with you and our commitment to proclaim the name of the Lord.

Pioneer Mission Leaders..

Good morning God,

Is there really such a thing as 'general' Christianity?

I ask because I find myself increasingly wondering whether or not you approve of British Methodism's concerted attempt to do away with what once made it so distinctive. After all, it was you who gave us the desire to be far more interested in the growth of disciples than in the growth of our denomination, but it used to be that these things worked together for good - as we responded to our particular calling so we made disciples who wanted to grow in grace and holiness.

Methodists were evangelists because they wanted to share the doctrine of grace that you had revealed to them. They reached out to others because you gave them a passion for social justice combined with holiness and the knowledge that these things really could transform communities as well as individuals.

The resources which you gave us to further this work were spent in spreading scriptural holiness across the land - and - yes - combating the many heresies of the ages. It was sometimes every bit as important to declare what we did NOT believe in as well as what we did. And there was once a sense of purpose that was fed by the knowledge that we belonged to something that was bigger than we were, we were a part of your plan for salvation for the world.

We didn't need to beat the drum about who we were, but we were known for what we believed in, for what we held precious and what we were trying to achieve. We were different from the parish church, not just because of the shape of our buildings, but because of what we did - how we lived as mission minded gospel people.

There was no 'golden age' of Methodism I know, but there was a time when being a Methodist mean more than worshipping at a chapel rather than a church, it was a commitment to a way of life and to mission which is continuing to transform the world - except here in the UK.

I support the call for pioneer mission leaders, and believe that it will be Connexional Money well spent to recruit from amongst our numbers Pioneer Leaders who would (in a more modern way) repeat the work of the Wesley's and the Holy Club and reach out to the unchurched - and try to seed a whole new generation with the gospel of Grace..

But I am distressed to discover - once again - that there is no specific requirement for the Pioneer Mission Leaders we are currently advertising for to be Methodists.. it is expected that applicants will usually have been a member of the Methodist Church for at least two years, but the bottom line is that they simply need to be:

Able to embrace fully and advocate the ethos of the Methodist Church as expressed through Our Calling and Priorities for the Methodist Church

I KNOW that there are many many Methodists who are capable of being nurtured, trained and matured as Methodist Pioneer Mission Leaders. But I am not so confident that they will be given the opportunity to do so in a Church which does not seem to place greater value on the fact that they are Methodists! Will it be the case in this recruitment, as in the recruitment of the new Connexional team, only 2/5th of the Pioneer Mission Leaders will end up being active members of the Methodist Church?

And should it matter? This is the real question for me - should it matter - what are we responding to in this initiative - is this a valid response to our calling?

Help me out here God, after all, my love of the Methodist Church was a gift to me from you,

Should I be pleased or dismayed that we are not limiting the recruitment of future Methodist leadership to Methodists?

Have you stopped calling us - by name - as the people called Methodist?

It's all in the packaging

Good morning God,

I was not surprised to learn that the Bible is still the world best selling book - what did surprise me was the claim that it is also the most shoplifted book. It seems odd to think of someone stealing a bible - what do they do when they come to the 1o commandments and read 'You shall not steal'? Do they take it back?

Bookstores say that the most common reason people give if they are caught is that they believe the Bible ought to be free to whoever wants to read it - but those who steal it seldom take the cheap paper-back version, it's usually the leather bound, red-letter, gold leaf edition that goes missing.

The packaging doesn't change the message, each Bible still has only four gospels, but the appearance, the binding, the type-face, the cost, all seem to affect how people engage with it. It's just one more illustration of how we have been 'sold' false values. The more 'expensive' the product, the greater its value, and the more we should desire it - after all we are 'worth it' - aren't we?

But its all just packaging..

We know it, but seem helpless to resist it, in every area of life..

As part of their campaign to lure shoppers back, for example, many supermarkets are introducing a 'basics' range. This includes items like fresh fruit and veg which might not LOOK perfect, but which are just as nutritious. Carrots have kinks, marrows are curved, tomatoes have bulges, apples have marked skins.. the taste and the calories are the same as their more 'perfect' cousins. But even when we KNOW that there is no health or financial advantage to buying the more aesthetically pleasing product we insist that if it looks better, it must be better.

But its all just packaging

And what is true of bibles and carrots, is even more true of people and faith..

The truth of your love and grace may not be 'free' in its highly packaged form, but that doesn't mean it needs to be stolen. You give it away freely in its basic form, in the presence of the risen Christ, and in the friendship, love and grace that you offer.

God, keep me from ever selling out and trying to peddle a perfect faith for perfect people.. help me to help those who seek you, to find you in the content rather than the presentation of your gospel, in the way in which it is really lived out, with all its messiness, insecurities, challenge, doubts and vulnerabilities. Help me to shatter the myth of the white-nightie Jesus with his perfect people, and give me the courage and the confidence to proclaim the 'basic' truth - that each of us are made by you, unique, special, different and good - regardless of how we are packaged!

The Sound of Prayer

Good morning God,

I woke to a familiar sound today, even though the language was foreign, the voice unknown, there was no mistaking the sound of prayer. The muslim daughter of the woman in the bed opposite was saying her prayers, her mother joining in, as and how she was able.

They included me into this small intimate circle and so I was able to meet with you in the company of friends, understanding for the first time ever, what speaking in tongues really means.

As the daughter prayed, it was obvious when she was using old familiar words, gifted words from saints long since passed. These she wrapped around us like a winter blanket, their undulating cadences being like the folds of a cloth which she absentmindedly rearranged so that they fell comfortably, snugly around us. I could hear the words of the Lord's prayer as she prayed her morning prayers and the words of the psalms as she recited her morning Suras.

And when the familiar words had lulled us into warm, safe and secure spaces, she spoke from the heart - her words losing nothing of their rhythm, but now taking on an almost musical quality , a sweet lullaby for those she loved.

And you were there, and I heard and understood, her prayer for me, for her mother, for herself, for the hospital staff, and for the wider world. Her language universal, even though her vocabulary was foreign to me.

She called you Allah, and I heard it as Abba - and I swear they were the same, for you were with us. And your gift of tongues enabled me to utter my Amen, in the space you made sacred beside a hospital bed.

Thank you God.

Heartbeat

Good morning God,

I do like the words of the Psalmist - 'I will praise the Lord for I am wonderfully and fearfully made'. They have provided a real focus for my thoughts as I lie here strapped to a monitor which measures my life potential by the beat of my heart, a heart which is racing far too fast for the doctor's liking. I can't be too upset about it though, after all, the rapid pulse was the only hint we had of the dangerous clot in my lung.

The bed opposite me has held a young girl of 19. She was due to start college yesterday to study to be a forensic scientist. Her heartbeat however is far, far too slow. She had been able to hide her frail thin body from most prying eyes, but her heart knew the full story of her anorexia nervosa. From 22st. to 6st in a year.

One heart that beats too quickly, one heart that beats too slowly.

I long to live, she longs to die. For the last two days she has wept, begged and pleaded to be allowed to go home - and I have been powerless to share with her the extra beats of my heart.

I have too much, she has too little - and I want to know why God.

I want to know why you saved me, and how I can help to save her from herself and from a society which does not see how we are killing our young people by failing to teach them that they are wonderfully and fearfully made GOOD.

Would 'inviting Jesus into her heart' make it beat faster - or would it just give her something else to beat herself over the head with if she failed to live up to what she thinks are the expectations of the other Christians she meets. She doesn't need religion and a new set of thou shalt nots, she need a friend who can see her and tell her who she really is, a wonderfully, fearfully made - and easily broken - child of God - whose life should not be measured in stones or kilograms but in opportunities and heartbeats.

Tell me God, where are the friends of your friends? Where is the counter-cultural voice that speaks the truth not in piety but simplicity, loud enough so that it can be heard wherever young women and men sacrifice their lives to the media manufactured idols of our day?

This is not about young people in the Church - this is about young lives being lost, wasted, in the pursuit of false gods which will only tell them they are 'worth it' when they spend their money and their life trying to be what they are not.

They are worth life now - but they no longer believe it.

The young girl opposite cannot see herself with anything other than self-loathing. She is so disgusted with herself and so afraid that she will become 22st again if she eats normally that she would rather continue starving herself to death. She does not believe she will die, she does believe she will get fat - and belief is a powerful thing - people are prepared to die for their beliefs as well you know God.

so help me God,

give me the words to say to spark a new belief in her of her own intrinsic worth. Help me to share something of what makes me believe my life is worth fighting for so that she might begin to see and hear what it means to be wonderfully and fearfully made, by YOU.