sustain:if:able kiwi

it finally clicked: Bible teens and forming disciples

I’m about to enter into a really busy little spell:

4 July – Salvation Army youth leaders annual camp, Christchurch
9 July – academic presentation, Auckland
15-18 July – conference paper, Melbourne
1 August – all-day seminar, Adelaide
3-7 August – conference speaker, Adelaide.

Which tends to breed a certain sense of anxiety. Because I’m always reading and because I’m creative by nature, I have never been able to roll out a stump speech, the same old tried and true. Which ups my preparation time and means that if things don’t click, I’m toast! And fairly expensive toast, for those who are paying to fly me places!

So it was with a huge sense of relief that I woke up this morning and knew that Saturday, my day with Salvation Army, had finally clicked.

I woke today thinking about the fact that Isaac was a Biblical teenager. And as I stirred in my dreams, it also occurred to me that so was Jesus. And that undoubtedly, teenagers were bystanders at the day of Pentecost. Suddenly I had some Biblical narrative which had a continuity and could be used to engage and frame the question I want to explore: what sort of communities are required to form contemporary disciples of Jesus who care about poverty?

Later in the morning, I left the cafe where I lock myself to avoid distractions. Major Biblical narratives had become linked with minor points and with some of my recent reading and with video clips and with interaction. I think it will fit in the 3.5 hours I’ve been allocated! A bit of keynote work to do, but a deep sense of relief ….

which only leaves 4 more ….

the downside of packaging

I recently blogged about the importance of the packaging. However, as Paul expresses it so poetically in 2 Corinthians 4, faith is always found in earthen vessels. In other words, the beauty of the message is always carried in fumbling human attempts.

So the downside of paying attention to the packaging, is the list I mentally compiled after a Sunday in the foyer.

In essence: Pastor, we need to pay attention to the following “earthen” packaging:
– warmer church please
– followup the dedication please
– make amends for a service mistake please
– address the confusion over after-church coffee please
– take more control of worship please
– take less control of worship please
– visit some newcomers possibly

All feedback gained at the door at Sunday. All good and important. All worthy of time and attention. It’s great that people care.

But can I be honest (Can I say this on my blog? What will my “church readers” think! Hopefully they’ll be reading the header, “all thoughts personal and provisional” :)!)

and say I don’t. That the list actually causes me to shrivel. It’s not that I don’t care about the idea and the person who gives it. It’s just that, well, the detail of that list drives me crazy.

To use the Pixar example, I’m more naturally wired to be part of the Pixar creative team than to be the person to run the organisation and do the quality control. Their is an organisational part of church life that drives me crazy. (Can I really say this on my blog? What will my “church readers” think! Hopefully they’ll be reading the header, “all thoughts personal and provisional” :)!)

And the more a church grows, the more that organisational thing intrudes. Every new initiative – community ministry or trust or collective or ministry flu pack – demands more organisational and detailed packaging.

So it’s one thing to value the packaging. And I do. It’s quite another to do something about it, let alone to get it right.