sustain:if:able kiwi

UK adventures 8 – striking toward the end

And so the adventure, like all adventures, comes to an end. As you read this, I’m either about to be, or probably actually, stuck in a metal tube at 30,000 feet. It is a tube that will encase me for around 25 hours. 🙁

I face the possibility of a Qantas strike in Sydney, with baggage handlers set to down tools around the time I am in transit. We will see …

It’s been a fabulous trip … reconnecting with friends like the Edsons, the Dranes, Pete Ward, John Swinton, Stuart Murray-Williams; returning to some familiar places like Durham; finding new research partners in the Ecclesiology and Ethnography network; exploring and renewing at Lindisfarne; talking mission; experiencing the beauty around Cliff College.

Thanks to all those who’ve made it possible – my family who’ve let me go, those who’ve hosted me and drank with me and engaged with me, my own Uniting College who encourages study leave and research.

Boarding passes please ….

UK Adventures 7 – mission research with Cliff College

Yesterday I had a great afternoon/evening with the Master of Mission students. I rolled out what for me was some new stuff, providing a global ie non-Western frame on new forms of church. It was a good chance to develop something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but lacked the time. A mix of storytelling and history, it seemed to provide a lot of energy and stimulus and move the emerging/fresh expressions conversation into some really animated mission type discussion.

Today I am with the PhD students. I have been asked to reflect with them at two levels. First to provide some of my recent research and second to reflect with them on the research journey ie the processes by which it all emerges. For me, this quote captures my approach

“I am an inquisitive and chaotic traveller … I have not attempted to devise or discover a systematic method … My only excuse is that I was guided not by an theory of art but merely by curiousity.” (Alberto Manguel, Reading Pictures: What We Think About When We Look at Art, ix.)

I only have 2 sessions, so I am having to select from some of my recent work (some published, some in process, some conference papers that need some time to write up), which I have sorted under four headings. It ended up being quite a list. For those who are interested (more…)

UK adventures 6 – cliff college, emerging and fresh?

I’m at the lovely Cliff College. The views are fabulous and there are some lovely trees to hug. I’m here for two things.

First, to input into their Master of Mission programme, in particular their Emerging Church stream. Which has produced a fairly healthy twitter stream of folk debating how to define emerging church cf fresh expressions. Obviously quite a contested field in this part of the world!

I have gone with a world/God/church formulation; which provides a way to frame the Gibbs and Bolger definition –

communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures (Emerging Churches, 33).

I am then taking a mission perspective on that, using the six paradigms of mission in David Bosch’s Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (American Society of Missiology Series). I will animate that with six mission stories, ways that the world/God/church formulation has been made concrete in history. Which I hope will generate some real mission thinking around “emerging.”

The second reason I am here is to help kick of their new PhD in Missiology. This sounds an exciting development, a professional research degree in mission and to their first cohort, I’ll be offering them some of my recent research. More on that tomorrow. For now, I must pop outside once again and enjoy sun, views, trees. With a cup of tea!

UK adventures 5 – loving Lindisfarne

quick internet connection to simply say I’m loving Lindisfarne.

loving the spaciousness, the history, the birds, the chance to rest and relax. appreciating the times to pray and to ponder, to read and to renew.

i’ve read Celtic Christianity through a missional lens, hugged St Cuthberts cross, cleared my laptop desktop and written a short story.

there is much to ponder here, about God and God’s purposes in me, my life, and history.

Updated: Pictures and reflections still to come 🙂

UK adventures 4 – fingering the margins in Lindisfarne

Today I take the train north, to spend the weekend on Holy Island, Lindisfarne. Founded AD 635, so soaked in history. A base for mission in North of England, so soaked in missiology. Site for producing the illuminated Gospels known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, so soaked in creative Biblical engagement. Linked with Saint Cuthbert, which is also the name of my father, so a place to reflect on my heritage. A island on the edge between land and sea, cut of by tide twice a day. A chance to soak in a marginal place.

I am there until Monday.

A time to pause.

To pay attention to God’s voice in myself and in creation.

Uk adventures 3 – Durham familiar

Monday I navigated my way from Manchester to Durham. I’m thousands of miles from home, yet there is some welcome familiarity – back in a place I was a year ago, back among networks: Pete Ward who examined my PhD, John Swinton who shaped my PhD methodology, Paul Fiddes whom I’ve met through Baptist worlds.

So there’s a welcome familiarity in knowing where to turn when leaving a train station, where to find coffee and wifi, catchup to be had.

I’m in Durham for the Ecclesiology and Ethnography network.

The what?

Yep, well, to quote Neil Ormerod in The Routledge Companion to the Christian Church, there is a “major divide in ecclesiology, between those who study … an idealist Platonic form in some noetic heaven, and those who study it more as a realist Aristotelian form, grounded in the empirical data of historical ecclesial communities.”

My interest, and the interest of the Ecclesiology and Ethnography network, is the latter. What actually happens in church? Research as ethnography, as talking to real people in real places?

UK adventures 2 – answering the emigrants letter

I spent quite a bit of creative time today at the Manchester Art Gallery parked in front of James Collinson’s Answering Emigrant’s Letter.

The map on the desk is South Australia, and the painting is a snapshot of a UK family writing to a family members who’ve emigrated.

I love that the boy is writing the letter, not the parents. So many migrant dreams are invested in hopes for their children.

I was fascinated by the two sources of heat and light – the fire and the light through the window. It is like the family is caught between them both. The comfort of a winter fire, of staying indoors, of being safe and warm. Yet the lure of the light, of heading outdoors, of taking a risk. It’s a fascinating polarity, and a call to discipleship for me.

Will I stay safe? Or take a risk, step toward an unknown?

uk adventures 1

The Adelaide-UK flight was the normal blurred, airplane food, cattle class experience that it usually is. Adelaide to Singapore allowed me time to complete a film review (Red Dog. The next Castle? Certainly some fascinating portrayals of Australian white identity.)

I also got a first complete draft of my Durham paper for the Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference done. Always a relief to have some words, in this case 3,700 words and a first attempt to bring some shape to an emerging church 10 years on project.

Arrived at Manchester about 10:30 am and am been splendidly hosted by the Edsons.

Friday afternoon I navigated myself around Manchester city centre, checking out a video installation at the Cornerhouse (Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and independent film), seeing the contemporary Stations of the Art at the Hidden Gem, visiting the John Ryland library, including seeing the oldest known New Testament fragment. Then real Manchester, dodging raindrops between the two cathedrals – Manchester Cathedral and the Arndale Centre.

An unexpected bonus was being able to catch up with the Dranes. We tried not to talk shop – their November visit to Adelaide. Although to tell the truth, being jet-lagged, I’m not at all sure what we talked about Friday evening.

John and Olive were in Manchester to teach on the mission shaped ministry course. Which meant another unexpected bonus, to watch a UK mission shaped ministry course in action, as a participant, rather than as a leader/speaker/host/worship curator. I got to experience being welcomed, to see a room set out and to watch sessions in action. An excellent experience, an encouragement that we in Adelaide are on the right track, are getting the balance between input and discussion about right.

And some ongoing general questions about msm, about how helpful the course is if you don’t have an actual fresh expressions context, about the place of lay education in mission, about the way that fresh expressions is being used. More to process and ponder in this regard.

leaving on a jet plane

Hi. I’m heading off today for the UK, particularly Manchester, Durham, Lindisfarne. It is study leave, a mix of research, presentation and spiritual retreat. The details are here. What this means is that this blog might be a bit intermittent, as I am having to rely on the wifi of another …

in what ways does my blog suck?

A friend took me aside on Monday to tell me my blog sucked.

I told him I was more concerned with content than with style.

He responded that he was worried that people might never get to my content, because of the style.

So, it’s time for some reader input. In what ways do you think my blog might suck? Stylistically, what 3 things would you, my long suffering readers change? Content-wise, what should I blog more about? And what should I blog less about?

The comment floor is yours …..

sustain:if:able theology at Camp Coorong

Team Taylor are looking forward to a rich weekend here

It is part of About face, a ministry of the Uniting Church, which offers people the opportunity for intensive experiences for building faith and friendship cross-culturally. We’re looking forward to an indigenous welcome and cultural teaching, a 42 mile trip, camp fire, basket weaving, cultural and historical teaching.

Last time I went to the Coorong, it led to a change of name for my blog. It wrote of this experience:

Suddenly our guide bent down and started digging. In a few minutes, he offered us fresh water. In the middle of these desolate sand dunes, there was water. A bit further on, he showed us the piles of cockles, and the eating place of the Ngarrindjeri people, who have been the traditional custodians of these sand dunes for over 6,000 years.

I stood there astounded. Put me in that place, amid those barren sand dunes and I would die. Yet other humans have learnt to live within this environment.

I pondered the implications for spirituality.

And then started to chart a “sustain:if:able” spirituality

• It would honour the faith of ancestors, glad that historical resources have proven lifegiving in the past.
• It would be sensitive to contemporary culture, acknowledging that this is our environment and needs to be read respectfully and lived in sustainably.
• It would make formation and discipleship of the next generation a priority.
• It would network widely and broadly, aware that only in collective knowledge can one small part make sense of a wider whole.

(For more, go here). I’m not sure what will happen this time, but we are looking forward to a rich weekend together as new migrants to Australia ….

changing a space: putting relationships back into theology and education

Change. It just keeps happening. Some good. Some bad. Always dislocating.

Part of my long weekend in Auckland was being at Laidlaw College. I used to work for the Christchurch branch of Laidlaw, so the Auckland campus was often visited.

Walking in the front door on Friday, the change was obvious –

– the foyer was now a cafe. Walls painted, tables of various sizes set up, good coffee going. Students talking to students, staff interacting, visitors welcomed.

From the foyer you can turn left to the library, straight to the classrooms, go up stairs to the office areas or right to reception and finance. So its a major thoroughfare, that with some vision, a bit of paint and some plumbing, has changed, in a really good way, the feel and values of the place.

The signals were instant – that this place is about relationships.

mother of God icon: one coat turns it to crap

This is my second icon- Mary, mother of God. (My first, a pioneer icon, is here). I’ve been working on it for about 3 months. A lot of evenings, a lot of weekends. It’s been relaxing and enjoying.

I chose it because of the way Jesus is snuggled into Mary. I love the intimacy and humanity of that moment. As I painted, it felt more and more like the arm of Mary was making a gesture of embrace, inviting me to join the intimacy, to appreciate the humanity and warmth.

Over the weekend I applied the gold halo and finished the final etching. Which meant it was done and so last nite I applied a coat of clear varnish to help protect it.

I don’t know what happened, but it turned to crap. The gold halo is now all tarnished brown, rather than gold and shiny. The varnish has formed bubbles and looks all pock marked. The final finishing coat, after months of work. Sorry mother of God, but you look how I feel. Crap!

(updated) quite the media man: an ABC day

Updated: for those interested I said no to ABC radio. And yes to ABC TV in my capacity as Flinders University lecturer. The result is here, with my 20 secs worth from 4:05-4:24. (Mostly shots of my office and books)

As I got off the plane from Melbourne yesterday, my phone rang. It was ABC TV, the 7:30 report wanting an interview, a wider perspective on a local and topical church issue.

After discussion with my various “bosses” my answer was yes and so today the cameras arrived and set up in my office. Lighting check. Sound check. A range of questions. A bit of coaching (weave the question into the answer). Some background type shots of me answering email.

And they were gone and who knows what might be sliced and diced for the viewing public (on Friday).

Three hours later, another phone call. ABC radio, wanting me to be part of panel (Sunday evening) discussing another topical issue.  Still tossing this one around, as it’s a even “hotter” than the first.

And at some point there is my day job (marking!!)