e~mergent kiwi

expresso

cafe church
every Tuesday, 8-9:15 pm
@Opawa Baptist

Recipe: being led by the Spirit

used digestion: sunday evening church service

1. Find ingredients (toothpicks, polystrene pieces; coloured paper).
2. Build boat of your choice; using polystrene for the base; paper for the sail; and toothpicks for a mast.
3. Place boat in water and gently blow, committing your future dreams to God.

This took about an hour of creative preparation (i.e playing) on Sunday afternoon; altering mast lengths, trying paper, then wood, then polystrene. The thing that I most enjoyed was seeing people build on the idea. I suggested a simple boat.Yet people made rafts and catamarans and multiple rigs. It is so neat to see a group take worship further and beyond what I was worship curator dreamed or imagined.

recommend: fat freddys drop

after initial dislike, "based on a true story," by fat freddy drop, is growing on me. i still think they are better live, but that is a reflection of how good they are live, rather than the album.

art internship

Our first ever Opawa art intern started this week. Shannon McMillan is from the US and is here at Opawa with us for the winter (her summer).

She is involved in setting up creative prayer in our new 24/7 prayer room, using creative art in services, reading in the area of arts and Christianity and in developing her own creativity. Today we talked about reclaiming hymns books for intercessory prayer and she went off to make a sail cloth praise wall for use in worship.

Art internships are a new area for me, and for Opawa church. I am not sure how it will all work out, but I am glad to be a part of.

emerging church hui

All the Taylor family are away at the emerging church hui (indigenous word of gathering). Back Thursday. Looking forward to speaking with the family around, rather than alone. Lynne is leading worship and a workshop.

nor'west festival

a week of Spirit~ed reflection ended with Saturday's creativity workshops;
kitemaking and flying; metalwork expressing what it means for us to be Spirit-filled; washed down with coffee.

many more photos (all taken by Lynne) here

ouch :)

At the door of our Sunday morning congregation, as my hand is shaken. "I pray for you every day pastor. I pray that God would deepen your teaching ministry among us, so that we can hear the Word."

Ouch. So amidst all the change, there is (inevitable) unease.
Ouch. Isn't this the use of prayer as a Trojan horse to deliver a message to a person, not to God?

Random stuff

: just read marko's blog and sort of missing the Nashville emergent convention
: as I type, I'm looking after the kids and Lynne is at church where there's a creativity workshop going on as part of our norwest pentecost festival. There's been a week of teaching, live music, cafe coffee, movies and two creativity projects. It's been a lot of work, with a few nervous moments wondering if anyone would turn up to a new concept, but overall a great week.

what dreams may come

arrived today ... View image: 48K

Note for all Opawa people - come on down to church Saturday 21st (morning best) and learn how to make your own ....

blogging the author

Being a writer who both blogs and publishes has lots of tensions.
: If I write stuff and it's months before it's published, has my thinking moved on?
: If I write stuff on my blog, will people rip it off before it is published?
: If I write stuff on my blog, will people read the book and think, "Oh, read that before"?
: If I write stuff on my blog, will people comment and nuance and enhance my thinking? This is great, but will they then sue the book/publisher/me for how their thoughts have shaped my thoughts.
Such are some of the tensions of being caught between two medium.

At the same time, I'm currently experiencing some real joy being between two mediums. I set up a separate out of bounds church book blog. It's a bit tricky because I can't totally separate the two. After all, the emergentkiwi is the author of The out of bounds church? book. But I didn't want this blog becoming choked by my book stuff, or seeming like an info-mercial. And I wanted a book blog rather than a book website, because a quick surf showed me book websites with forums that are broken, with information that is out of date and with very little author presence.

So I responded to a review yesterday and this comment appeared; PS- I love that I get to interact with the author of a book I've read! The ability to discuss it makes the book even more exciting. It's a thrill for them. And its also a thrill for me because it sharpens my writing and thinking, if there is a next time.

Now perhaps, this is just because I'm a "little" author and have only a "little" bit of feedback. (And yes, I still have not responded yet to all the emails and comments I have received.) Who knows. That's the future. For today, I'm enjoying the way that a book blog allows a book to become more of a conversation.

Returning to old memories

Tonite I speak to the cell group leaders at Avonhead Baptist Church on the topic: Growing Together. They very graciously allowed me to move the date so I could go to Melbourne.

It feels sort of weird. Firstly, because the Nor-West festival teaching continues. I deliberately wanted a team of teachers. This speaking engagement ensured that would happen; me on Tuesday; Bob Robinson on Wednesday; Lynne on Thursday and Jason hosting each night to give continuity. So I am achieving what I aimed to do, but it is still wierd.

Secondly because the church I am speaking at is the church that sent me to train at seminary. They sent me to learn/grow and now I return to speak.

Thirdly, I am being asked to speak by the Small Groups Pastor, Stephen Jeon. He and his family used to be on team with us at Graceway. Stephen was an intern with us, working on trying to build a ministy with Korean migrants, and integrate them into an alternative.worship community . I learnt an aweful lot from Stephen and Hannah Jeon and their Korean friends.

So there are a fair few memories swirling around me today, as I work through some thoughts from my out of bounds book on Jesus, meals and community, and build on it further by trying to integrate with Myers, Search to Belong.

of fuller, theology and story

Note to self: Further to here
“Narrative theology” is not the same thing as “telling affecting stories.” The narrative dimension of theological truth may involve many different things, but it still involves questions of truth that engage more than simply the heart-rending experiences of the aggrieved. Whatever we say about theological truth, we need to connect those claims with the truth that the church has received over the centuries, with Scripture, in a way that constitutes a satisfactorily reasonable argument.

Link

less flames, more fire

Pentecost 2004, things got pretty heated around Opawa, as we lit a 2 ft pumice rock soaked in meths.

Pentecost 2005 had less flames, but perhaps more fire. We:
: baptised Andrew Wilson
: launched a 24/7 prayer room
: commissioned expresso, a new cafe congregation, to go live Tuesday 31 May.
: gave the kids chalk and let them chalk flames and kites all over the concrete outside the church. It made a great site as people left the building, sort of like our worship leading us into the community.
: listened to a digeridoo and heard Acts 2 read in 6 different languages. The best part of worship was giving the kids bubbles to blow (the wind of the Spirit), and seeing our intermediate boys cascading bubbles down on the congregation from the balcony.

This week Pentecost continues. The Nor-West festival offers teaching, live music and an outdoor art project (if you're trying to get your head around what this looks like, go here.)

I looked up an old hymnbook this week. There were 143 hymns about Jesus; 29 about the Creator; 18 about the Spirit. The nor-west festival week of teaching and music and creative expression is simply our attempt to honour this "forgotten" member of the Trinity.

Melbourne

Well, Melbournians certainly know how to work a person hard.

I got off the plane on Wednesday night and went straight to my book launch. Over about 90 minutes, I offered some thoughts from my out of bounds book on spiritual tourism, peg and ethical communities, plus a few new comments on how the emerging church re-weaves forward with integrity toward our roots in Scripture and tradition.

Up early to a breakfast with Forge interns, then straight into a day with about 80 church ministers, tag team teaching with Al Roxburgh. It was intensely tiring – new people, new context, new speaking partners. I never find it easy speaking to new groups, but I think I’m getting better.

Friday I spoke again, doing a 90 minute workshop around the topic of transitioning church in times of cultural change and some implications for environments and leadership. Our move to Opawa was certainly a jumping off point for some rich conversations. Friday I also caught up with a range of people, including Darren Rowse, and then finally got to spend some time with my wonderful hosts.

I flew back today glad of new friends, glad of attentive listeners who offered some rich conversations and warmed by the hospitality of Phil and Dan McCreeden.

expresso dress rehearsal

Blog followers know that I've been working away, with a team, on a cafe-congregation, called expresso. Last nite we had a sort of dress rehearsal, and invited some people to join us, worship with us, and then evaluate with us.

It was a neat night - warm and thoughtful - were the 2 descriptors I would use.

The feedback was positive, and so with a few minor alterations and a deep breath we are taking the plunge ... espresso - cafe church; Tuesday, 8 pm, 31 May, the couches in the foyer of Opawa Baptist Church.

nor west festival: metal work

Email from the artist who will be guiding the Saturday, 21 May, morning metal work:
A few thoughts: In addition to the corrugated iron it could be fun to have some other materials that we could attach-to or juxtapose beside the iron.

shellac (is good to work with. You can buy the flakes and dissolve them
overnight in meths). I can source this if you want.

It's sounding like a LOT of fun.

out of bounds in melbourne

I'm in Melbourne this week; Wednesday evening there is an out of bounds book launch, 7.30pm, 81 High St, Preston. I am doing 5 short bursts around 5 different missional metaphors.

Thanks to Phil's energy and Forge's enthusiasm.

Thursday I meet with Forge interns for breakfast. Later that day, and into Friday, I am at Unfreeze 2; working with Churches of Christ denomination, doing some tag team stuff with Al Roxburgh and a seminar titled "Trips to the Edge of the Ecclesiological Envelope. Stories of planting and transforming conversations."

I fly back Saturday, in time for the Pentecost NorWest Festival.

gurus and mentors

This week has been a bit upheaving. This week one of my gurus asked me to speak with them at a conference. I've read the gurus books. I've listened to the guru speak. I've been profoundly challenged by their ideas. And now the guru wants me to share the mic. That's quite destablising.

I've watched someone choose a mentor this week. They are an immensely talented person, and by a random set of co-incidences, they have chosen an immensely talented person. I can see them becoming a leader like the person they have named.

I wonder if I need to see guru's and mentor's in a new light. I've often seen them as people to aspire to. But I wonder rather, if guru's and mentor's call something out of us. Deep within ourselves our creativity resonnates with their creativity, our leadership with their leadership. The aspiration is not in fact us wanting to be like them, but our gift mix being called forth. I wonder if reflecting on the people who inspire us might actually help us name what God is doing in us as leaders.

quiz night

We had a quiz nite at church last nite. Teams of 5; 8 teams in total. We met for fish and chip tea, and then got into the "quiz" nite - trivia, famous faces, places, TV themes, music. It was a great nite, just being together, laughing, relaxing, building community.

Observations.
1. I had been vidoed that day by a Baptist crew and asked the question "Why is Opawa attracting young adults?" It was neat to look around and see so many young adults, and so many kids, probably over half who have joined in the last 6 months and think, "yes, this is a changing church."

2. Great to turn up to something at Opawa that I had nothing to do with, in organising or planning. Our development pastor has a brief to "build community" and this was his gig.

3. Quiz nites are quite popular in NZ culture and I didn't ever think I'd see a quiz nite at Opawa Baptist.

Oh, our team won!

Nor-west people festival
a pentecost celebration

thinking + music + movie + coffee + creative expression

10:30 am Saturday 14 May -10:30 am Sunday 15 May
[ [ 24 hours of prayer ] ]

Tuesday 17-Thursday 19 May: 7:30-8:45 pm +
[ [ Biblical teaching on God as Spirit + art and coffee options ] ]

Friday 20 May: from 7:30 pm
[ [ Café, Live music (Derek Lind) and (late) movie ] ]

Saturday 21 May - must book
Creative project. Cost: $10/ session (materials, lunch)
[ [ 9:30-1pm: Painting / metal work ] ]
[ [ 12-3 pm: Kite making / flying ] ]

Opawa Baptist Church, 285 Wilsons Road, Ph 379 7680
… ………………………………………….
Creative project: Either book by phone [379 7680] or return card to Opawa Baptist Church, cnr Hastings and Wilson, Opawa: On Saturday 21 May;
___________________________ (name) would like to attend: Painting/metal work, 9:30-1pm (incl lunch); Kite making and flying 12-3 pm (incl lunch)

first ever nz emerging church course?

Friday and Saturday, 23-24 September, I'm teaching what I think will be New Zealand's first ever course on the emerging church, set within the context of cultural change and discipleship.

I will specific examples of current emerging trends; including online religion, Christian festivals, spiritual direction, social justice - and explore how they are affected by culture and what it means for discipleship today.

Anyhow, the reason I post this is ... have you read any good books on on-line religion, cos I have a bit of hole in this area of my bibliography?

motorcycle diaries at film church

Tonite we're watching Motorcycle Diaries at Gospel and film class . (Plot summary here.)

Since one of the aims of the course is to identify ways in which film may be utilised as a point of engagement for the gospel within contemporary society, and since the assessment includes a piece of work on how a Christian church could use and interact with the medium of film in communicating the Christian message, I've put together the following questions for a "popcorn" discussion.

[9 Q's on Motorcyle Diaries for Film Church]

1. The trip through Central America occurred in 1952. How old where you at this time? What do you know of the events of this period of time?

2. What was the main theme in this film? What did you take away from it?

3. What was the most powerful scene in the film for you?

4. Consider the genre of road trip movies. They are a common movie theme; Thelma and Louise, Bonnie and Clyde, Mulholland Drive, Kings of the Road etc. How does "road trip" genre help you read this movie?

5. “Accented cinema” is defined by Hamid Naficy as follows; If the dominant cinema is considered universal and without accent, the films that diasporic and exilic subjects make are accented. [...] [T]he accent emanates not so much from the accented speech of the … characters as from the displacement of the filmmakers. What strikes you as you listen to the “accented” cinema that is Motorcycle Diaries?

6. Theologically, this movie sheds some interesting light on the theme of the Incarnation. Luke’s gospel is shaped by the “travel narrative”, for in Luke 9:51, Jesus “sets his face toward Jerusalem,” yet it takes until Luke 19 for Jesus to get there. In Philippians 2:5-11, we see a “kenotic” Christology, in which Christ empties himself, becomes poor and humble. In the movie, Ernesto’s swim across the river on his birthday, can be seen as a “kenotic” movement, to cross the gap, choosing to live amongst the poor and marginalised. What strikes you about the Incarnation of Christ as you watch the movie?

7. This is a movie about the transformation of two young idealistic men. Describe the evolution in the two main character’s from beginning to end. How did they change? What of yourself can you see through these characters?

8. Has an engagement with people’s real life ever changed your perspectives on life?

9. Like the movie, many of us have experienced a “loss of innocence”, a time when we faced the reality of human suffering and injustice. How has watching this film opened your eyes? How has it changed you?

Note 1: thanks to brian for the initial spark.

Note 2: Anyone at Opawa want to actually help me kick this off in real-time, ie monthly film and discussion?

- 14 were the number of Opawa people who enrolled to do a small group leaders training course
- 5 were the number of sofas brought, as part of making the church foyer more of an inviting place to hang

I should go away more often. Things happen when I leave and I like that.

can't comment

if anyone is having trouble posting comments on the blog, please email me;
steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz

roger - i have sorted the problem with your comment and "posted" it for you ... last week i had unwittingly blacklisted the letter "m"; so any word starting with "m" was considered out of bounds!:) sorry.

Why can’t we dream?

Written at LAX airport: Friday 29th April

In Douglas Coupland’s book, Polaroids from the Dead, is a wonderful story of a skeleton who visits a dying city. There is no water, the buildings are decaying and the artists and creative’s are dying. The skeleton visits and cries, over and over, “Your city is dying because you have no vision of the afterlife.”

I often use the story in my classes, to reference the fact that firstly, even in modernity a spirituality exists and secondly, the power of dreaming, imagining, to release new life, a prophetic imagination.

If we have lost the power to dream, are we in fact enmeshed in a dying and decaying city? Has modernity so corroded our souls, have our insecurities so overwhelmed our creatives, that the skeleton now cries alone.

Or, is it rather that exile is a time consuming process? It took years of grieving before a new way of living, a new spirituality of synagogue and Mid-rash could emerge. Is it too early to dream? Are we still in a time to grieving?