by tashmcgill | Feb 25, 2005 | Spirituality
You Are Home To Me…It’s You That I’m Running To Lately
We create these sacred spaces. We call them colours and songs, poems and places.
They are hiding places, and celebration halls. Sometimes they are covered in flesh and speak in soft voices, when we need to hear something in the quiet.
Some nights, I put my sacred spaces in the CD player. Some nights I close my eyes and take myself on the road.. through windy northern bushlands, long sundrenched straights out of Waipu.
Sometimes the sacred spaces put skin on, and come to find you.
Tonight I spent the day harried and harrased, feeling every inch of my age and gravity. Questioning and doubting my instincts, my provocations. Thinking too big and wide for my own head to contain.. and so I felt myself cast out across the universe as if the one continous train of thought in my mind has exploded into infintismally small pieces. So small that all my intelligence has been lost and I was scrambling to put it back together.
Then I got home, and went online to find an email from a dear friend who I haven’t seen much of lately, simply brief greetings at church as we have meandered on our paths.
But he sent me some words, and created a sacred space for me, just a few moments worth, but enough to revitalise, reenergise and to bring back together some of the pieces of scattered self that have emerged in recent days. Thank you dear sweet friend. You are too wonderful, to have paid such attention to the small things that were missing.
by tashmcgill | Dec 30, 2004 | Church, emerging church, god ideas, Prayers, Spirituality, worship, youth ministry, Youth Work
A Dangerously Long Comment on Fallout from the “Emerging Church”…
Here is the genesis of my dialogue, plus some. From Steve’s site. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that I don’t think Steve himself is actually being attacked. And I think that Lynne’s fruit counts, and is valid.
The danger is.. that people get all caught up in it being one way or the other. There are a couple of very ‘Modern’ pastors at my church, who have read the Emerging books and now think that’s how we should do church.
Some thoughts on to Emerge or not Emerge.
Exegete the culture of your community. Who are the not-yet followers? Tell the story in their language, and celebrate the story in the language of your community. That’s what our explorations should be based upon.
We are storytellers. Employ whatever means you like to tell the story, there is no set way.. jsut know that for some people they will like to skip to the end, some like to read for themselves, some like the same story told the same way over and over. We have the freedom to do that, so long as we tell the right story, it doens’t have to be about telling the story right.
Well, doesn’t this one come close to home?
I think, read and observe, that proponents of the Emerging Church do carry this ideology close to their hearts. So it’s almost understandable how things quickly seem to become viscious and snide. It’s why the blogosphere is a great place to air ideas, but only if you have a thick hide. Much like print media, you have to accept that someone will always read and interpret in a contrary tone. So the suggestion of coffee is a good one, but the suggestion of an open forum is also excellent.. and inevitably the kind of exercise that will hopefully bring widespread productivity to these discussions.
As a relative new kid on the block in terms of ministry, theology and experience, it’s easy to feel like you don’t have anything relevant to add, but.. I am living and breathing in the generation that is meant to be delighting in their ’emerging’ nature, and I don’t really see a lot of it. My peers can talk about the ideology, but their practice of worship, community etc, remains unchanged. And I am a proponent of the Gospel, so I shall endeavour not to focus my energy on changing the way we do church, but working to ensure that however we do church, it’s relevant to our immediate context.
We are storytellers. Employ whatever means you like to tell the story, there is no set way.. jsut know that for some people they will like to skip to the end, some like to read for themselves, some like the same story told the same way over and over. We have the freedom to do that, so long as we tell the right story, it doens’t have to be about telling the story right.
In a congregation that does experiment from time to time, I count more failures in our experiments than successes. That is a lot to do with my weaknesses, for sure. But I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that a lot of so-called ’emerging’ practice isn’t simply not relevant or connective with the people I am ministering too. It’s relevant to me. But then, so is a major rock’n’roll concert. Here am I, caught in a parallel. Sometimes I like church to be like a rock’n’roll show too.
I work as part of the team organising a youth gathering that’s highly evangelical. Here’s what I’ve learned that’s still true about youth culture..
- big is beautiful, in fact sometimes size really does count.
- sometimes celebrating small is easier in the context of a large gathering.
- hype is sometimes just fun, and that’s ok.
- stages that look great don’t have to dominate the landscape of the message.
- Stages that look great make sense to kids.
- it’s an uplifting experience for kids to see a God who is working, real and relevant in the lives of their peers across the country.
- Arty kids and sporty kids, extroverts and introverts can all find expression and a sense of belonging in a big kick-ass event.
In the five years between adolescence and young adulthood.. what are we really expecting to change?
My environment is a challenging one, because things are openly critiqued, vigorously so. Not much is done just for the sake of it. But it’s an open critique that has a good motive underneath it. We are responsible for ministering to, leading and opening up doors for longtime, middle-aged, newbie and no-yet followers of Jesus, and the way we tell the story must bear all of those things in mind. So we experiment, but we try and do it with wisdom.
I, for my part, respect the fact and the manner with which our national leader is engaging and endeavoring to dialogue on these issues. It seems wiser and safer to me than others who seem to delight in picking up the books, and immediately wanting to leap into implementing new worship styles. It speaks to me of being all things to all men, and a willingness to put the needs of others ahead of self. After all… there are many ways in which I can connect with God, but I care much more about how my sisters, my neighbour and my friends will connect with His Story. That is the overwhelming, pressing urge on my heart.
When emerging fits for them, that’s great. And when they go to Hillsong and love it, that’s great. And wherever they find the truth of the Gospel, that’s the answer to my prayers and the cry of the Kingdom.
For the sake of the Kingdom, we need to, and I implore all.. to humble ourselves enough to admit, we all need God to lead us and speak to us through one another.
In the States recently, I saw a lot of creativity for creativity’s sake that was more about artisitic expression, than about relevant spiritual engagement. It was as off-putting, stale and inauthentic as some of the more theologically inaccurate mega-congregations I could attend in Auckland or Sydney. And it was at one of the flagship Emerging Churches. Which throws up lots of questions for me in regards to what Emerging Church really does look like, feel like, sound like. In terms of production values, and performance intensity, speaking with some of the practitioners there revealed remarkably similar values to a Hillsong, or large-scale ‘Modernist Icon’ church.
Some of the congregations that we read about, happily denote that the success story of what they are doing is the numbers of faithful who are retaining ther faith, staying in Christian community, being discipled. But Both-And tension is so vital here, because as a youth worker I have a responsibility to communicate the importance and relevance of the Gospel for us and others, and if we do not value the numerical growth as well as spiritual growth of our ministries we are in trouble. In the ministries I have participated in, people leaving, or people sitting and not participating or engaging with the mission are signs of trouble. Celebrate the raspberries, and remember to plant lots of them.
I am in a ministry context that is experimenting with some different approaches to worship, communication and community. Some things work well and become meaningful, many do not. I am a keen experimenter, but I count more failures than successes with my work. Why? Because I read and think and talk.. and it suggests that there are ways my congregation ought to be engaging, or would like to engage.. the reality is that they don’t. When we create and invite them into those spaces and experiences.. more often than not, it doesn’t carry meaning when part of our services. It’s the same over a small but significant number of congregations that I have participated in and/or observed on a micro-level.
But we have some great sports teams. Touch teams that participate in community tournaments, smaller community groups going to the beach together, adventure sports together and more recently.. lawn bowls for young adults. It has all the elements we emerging ones love.. embracing nature, community, participation, the old and the new, it’s embracing and inviting, it’s evangelical by way of relationship.
So whilst church with candles, symbols, prayers, words, images, darkness and light works really well for me, I also have to accept that the majority of these supposedly ‘post-modern’ young adults who all connect really well with the ideology in their heads.. actually prefer the practice of community that looks more like Hillsong, or CLC or CCC. It’s simple, and understandable. It’s accessible to the masses.
Swing to the other side of the pendulum. So much of our emerging energy seems to get spent up on healing and restoring those who didn’t do mainstream church well, those who didn’t fit. Read the blogs, the books, listen to the seminars. There are a lot of church folk out there who just are looking for a way of doing church that suits them. It will always be that way, but I don’t think we will ever have an entire generation that will pick up the post-modern flag and wave it on a hilltop. And there are some people who need to stop preaching that message. And it shouldn’t ever be that way, because all of this debate comes dangerously close to pulling us away from the task at hand..
Lord, hear the cry of your Children
We are weak, we are limited in understanding
Grant us your eyes to see and ears to hear
For the sake of the Kingdom, may we strip ourselves away
For the sake of Your name, may there be nothing left
For the sake of those who do not yet know Your Love
Make us humble at the feet of our brothers and sisters
Teach us to learn from those around us
Teach us to walk in Your ways
Refocus our eyes, change our lens
Cleanse from us the sin of pride
In a world where there are many Right Ways
Simply help us to avoid the Wrong Ways.
In a world where there are many Voices
Help us to listen wisely, and to speak more so.
For the sake of the long-time, middle-aged, newbie and not-yet
For the sake of Us, the Followers
Tell us again the Story of finding and feeding sheep.
Find us, feed us again.
by tashmcgill | Dec 28, 2004 | Prayers, Spirituality
A Christmas Prayer
Lord as we celebrate Your birth
May we live knowing
Jesus, You are our Hope
Jesus, You are our Peace
May we share with all those around us
Family, friends and strangers that
Jesus, You are our Joy
Jesus, You are Love
Great God of love and light.
We remember the star that shone
to first lead people to your Son.
Lead us now, by the light of your love, that
we also may follow you to new life in Him.
Teach us and show us how to live in love
In a world that is filled with violence.
May we be just, truthful and willing to love
All those that we meet along the way.
Those that are filled with sorrow
May they know joy & be comforted
Those that are hungry
May they be fed & be satisfied
Those that are lonely
May they know love & find community
Those that are angry
May they find peace & restoration
May we love freely
And know God with Us
May we give joyfully
And know God with Us
May we receive with wonder
And know God with Us
As we celebrate Your entry into
The human timeline by birth
Messy, complicated, mysterious
May You enter into our lives again
Glory be to God
Amen
by tashmcgill | Nov 29, 2004 | Spirituality
I’m Coming Back To This One More Time
Stolen from an old Advent post of Steve’s…these are some good questions to ask..
Am I content with who I am becoming?
I still haven’t figured that out. If I knew what the end result would be, I’d be too concerned with how I figured it out. I’m content with the process I’m in, and with what I am experiencing here.
Am I becoming less religious and more spiritual? (remember the value of context here, please)
I think I prefer this question in the mode of ‘Are my religious practices meaningful?’. And yes, they are. My religious practices are far more related to nature and creative experiences. Late night candles being lit for far off friends. Prayers that are painted and written to answer specific needs. Yes.
Do my family and friends recognize the authenticity of my spirituality?
Most of the time. You should ask them.
Am I generous?
Yes. Mostly. What am I generous with is the question that needs to be asked. With time, but not patience. With experimentation, but not with unnecessary frivolity. With romance and laughter, but not with small talk.
Do I have a quiet centre to my life?
No. I’m looking for one. That will be my whole life journey, but I suspect if I found it, I’d spend the rest of my life feeling off balance.
Have I defined my unique ministry?
No. I’m looking for one. That will be my whole life journey, but I suspect if I found it, I’d spend the rest of my life feeling off balance. I’m content to let the voice of God in the wind direct my ministry path.
Is my prayer life improving?
It’s changing it’s flavour and stance.
Have I maintained a genuine awe of God?
It changes daily.
Is my lifestyle distinctive?
Yes, in good and bad ways. It’s indistinct where it ought to be too.
Is my “spiritual feeding” the right diet for me?
This needs work. I don’t want to be an overactive theologian.
Is obedience in small matters built into my reflexes?
I’ll examine and get back to you.
Is there enough celebration in my life?
I’m adding it constantly, but I think that I’ve recognised the need for it, in my community as well as in my own life.
Answer them for yourself.. maybe post the most interesting answer as a comment..
Being Real.. The Humble Cry Out For An Authentic Life
I’ve never blogged by request.. that is, simply blogged on what someone else has suggested before, but here we go.
The actual thought was on being real in the midst of a crowd, without being swayed in a direction that’s untrue to who you are.
My initial reaction is that the courage to do this is the same as the courage that enables you to go to a movie alone, stand comfortably in a foyer waiting for whomever you’re meeting, to drink coffee content in your own company.
It’s knowing yourself enough to know that you can survive the initial surprise of sharing your thoughts with yourself, and thinking enough of your own opinion to be willing to stand with it, or for it.
Maybe our propensity to be persuaded by the crowd, is more of an unwillingness to think for ourselves.. or to reveal what we really think. I have discovered how easy it can be to go with the flow, critiquing it all the way.
But really.. maybe it just comes down to leaping off the place we are at least certain of, even if unimpressed with it.. and hoping that you really can fly all the way.
I’m listening to the ‘Only Little Boy In New York’ as I type. Being alone in New York, isn’t the same as being lonely. And being alone in your opinion, or your stand isn’t lonely either. Being alone at the altar, being alone in doing the right thing… being the only one in the crowd who honours appropriately.. that’s not lonely.. it’s brave and beautiful.
by tashmcgill | Sep 2, 2003 | Spirituality, Youth Work
There Ain’t No Finding Answers At The Bottom Of A Green Glass Bottle
“I wish I knew what to do.
I wish that I knew how to make the church relevant.
I wish that churches were more willing to defy than to seek approval.”
i have come to this place to dream
to lay out in sun light
to drink wine
ponder life and all the meaning
that no longer exists.
i chased it down
and through meadows.
my cobblestones of sweat
my tears the pathways of venice.
i did not find you in the old places,
Wisdom.. even when i looked for you.
by tashmcgill | May 15, 2002 | Spirituality
geese fly in a ‘v’ formation because of the aerodynamic boost it gives to the whole flock.
We need to not let the sun go down on our anger.. and resolve to love love love one another. this is from 1 john 4.
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
-this bit is fairly simply – we cannot truly love others outside of knowing the love of the Father. everything else pales in comparison.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[2] into the world that we might live through him.
that was the greatness and is the greatness of God’s love, a perfect life laid down so that 6 billion imperfect lives could be lived and saved.
10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[3] our sins.
love is not what we do, but what has been done for us, therefore our love is determined by what we do, say, treat others.
11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
do you want to truly see God? John tells us that the closest thing we can see to God is when we love one another in the same manner that He loved us, because then his character is demonstrated again and again.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
this verse affirms that we can have faith in God, and that his transforming work is done through the Spirit. God is trustworthy and steadfast. We can rely on his Love unlike the love of people. We should strive for our love to be like that of the Father.
17God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
As believers we are called to follow and learn Christ’s example, and to transformed into his likeness. as we have learned in the last few verses, God’s likeness on earth is Love.
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God’s love is so perfect that we can draw all our strength from it. we need not fear the rejection of man, nor seek his praise. all these things are stripped away in the glory and truth of God’s love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
again, a simple instruction for how we are to live and conduct ourselves.
remember John 15. every good thing goes through pruning to become better, stronger and healthier. and the better, stronger, healthier the vine, the sweeter, riper and more luscious the fruit…. and we ALL want to be luscious fruit, right?
geese fly in a ‘v’ formation because of the aerodynamic boost it gives to the whole flock. but the geese at the front have to work harder than the geese at the back. so they do two things = 1. they take turns being at the front, sharing the load. and 2. they honk. really loud and really consistent to encourage one another to keep flying. it enables them to cover many more miles than if they tried it alone.
HONK. HOnk HONK. honk HOnk. let us encourage you, and share your load.
keep going = HONK Honk Honk.
