sustain:if:able kiwi

Newsflash

The Taylor household is in uproar. The dog is dancing on the table. The guinea pig has just had kittens.

Drum roll … I have been mentioned FOUR yes, FOUR, times on Jordon Coopers blog. Jordon is a wonderful man who could now an internet friend for life. Off to change my blogroll!

a bubble prayer

John Drane lead prayers at Opawa on Sunday. He blew bubbles – fragile, beautiful – and invited people to call out things they wanted prayer for. First response was from the right hand side:

a new start and new life for our church.

and a stream of bubbles drifted through the Opawa air.
Amen.

No stories allowed

In most churches only one person tells the story,
and they have been trained not to tell their story.

– Quote from food for thought that really appealed

food for thought

I ran out first “creative conversation” here in Christchurch last nite. In Auckland we called these missional dinners.

Recipe
some random friends
an interesting guest (in this case Olive Drane)
food
wine
a facilitated conversation; I ask a question and away we got.

Last nite we dined out very richly on this;
Safe spaces :: “One of the things I have come to appreciate is that people today are searching for safe spaces in which to deal with the experiences that make up their own story of life.” What could these safe spaces look like?

traffic

There’s a lot of traffic at my old site. I think I might have stumbled into an evangelical canon here ….

The excitement seems to be over my quote – The danger is that the emerging church is a re-run of evangelicalism, but with powerpoint, which I made here, and the response is; “This movement has to be stopped!”. I don’t think they like it but I am not yet sure.

[grid blog :: ritual]

grid blogging is a voluntary commitment to blog on a shared theme. ashley was the originator of the concept, and has suggested ritual for january 15.

Here is a story of a Life Ritual
‘”I have a ritual,’ she said, pointing to her earings. Having graduated and working in a very difficult situation she decided to leave work and take a mundane job to pay the bills. It was a job she didn’t enjoy but was totally powerless to change. During this time her best friend developed terminal cancer. This was a difficult time, visiting, watching the pain of husband and young family. The best friend talked, insisting that she take control to change things. She inspired to take a Masters degree which in turn has lead to this present new job, a commissioning agent for a successful publishing company.

After my best friends death, the husband gave me a pair of very special diamond earings he had bought for her. I treasure these. Every time I face the challenge of comissioning a new book or meeting a new client, I wear these earings. I draw inspiration from my friend’s dedication to life being lived to the full. My friend still inspires me on a daily basis to excel and so I intentionally wear these beautiful earings as a spiritual committment to work to my full potential. By this I am honouring her memory, encouraging her family to press on and I trust inspiring you.”

In turn I am offering you her inspiration. Today create a new ritual for yourself. Chose a piece of jewellery. It may already have deep significance for you. It does not need to be expensive. What counts is your intentionality as you put it on to commit to exploring your spiritual potential to the full.

:: Excerpt from Olive Drane’s forthcoming book Life Rituals by BRF. In it Olive looks across the breadth of life from the everyday patterns that give rhythm and meaning to the once in a life time experiences whether ecstatic or devastating.

Coffee whore

I have been in Christchurch just over a week. Already I have 3 different coffee cards in my wallet, from 3 different cafes. And I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

Part of earthing for me is finding a good local cafe. In Auckland we had Ultra; retro and friendly, and from that emerged storytelling nites.

Where is my “ultra” in Christchurch – accessible, good, relational and a place from which to start public creative missional events?

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. (I had hoped it would be a bit more flash before I welcomed you. However, I am so sick of my comments not working on the old blog that I have moving anyhow.)

Again, welcome. My blog is like my new house in Christchurch. Still not unpacked properly, but please feel comfortable. Please, have a seat. Wine, beer, soft drink. How are you?

Idea for Church#1

A lot of Kiwis like to spend Sunday morning over the newspaper, with good coffee in their hands. (Is this just Kiwis, or are there similar patterns elsewhere?).

So, church=
->lots of newspapers, muffins, coffee, cafe tables
->open for about 2 hours on a Sunday am
->a number of stations set up that relate to sections of the newspaper. As people read a section, then they have the opportunity to go to the relevant station, where various responses – confession, intercession, praise – are offered.
->a regular liturgy of coffee, in which God is thanked for her gifts
->followed by a 20 minute interview with 2 people, in which the weeks events are reflected on from a Kingdom perspective. So various articulate, witty people get to help all us poor newspaper readers make sense of the news. They would have to be both well read, yet quick on their feet, because the newspaper is setting the agenda.
->a small, regular, set liturgy ends this.

What do you think? Church? Spiritual? Sustaining? Sustainable?

New soils

I walked my new garden in the cool of the morning. The weeds and plants are different here. In new soil, in new environments, different things grow.

I walked on excited, expectant. What will God grow in me, through me, with me, in this new environment.

Deeper question: So how important is environment to one’s spirituality?

PS. I loved the comment made by Stephen Garner; Your presence there also changes the environment into something new – a place of new possibilities sourced in you being there at that time.