e~mergent kiwi

saving the army

Up to Hamner today, to engage with the Salvation Army South Island "officers" around mission and leadership. I'm taking a friend from church, whom I don't see enough of, and hoping to have a really good yarn on the way up. Then tomorrow, I am hoping to have a good long relaxing soak in the Hamner hot pools and a forest walk, but this might change things.

balancing one and many

It's been a really hard week. Personal stuff in my life. Personal stuff in people's lives.

I work part-time for the church. I juggle preaching, creating mission spaces on the margins, managing a fairly complicated process in a 96 year old church, leading a team (all who are also part-time and all who are also juggling lives).

"Delegate" they cry, but you can't really delegate a crisis.

So the margins get shaved. Less time for me. Less time for family. Less time for a sermon. It was a week in which Sunday morning got the minimum. I would simply preach.

Suddenly it is Sunday. I look at people as they arrive. I face the consequences of my week and of my decisions. Do these people deserve my minimum? So many faces, so much complexity. How to word a child dedication amid child crisis? How to speak of joy amid pain? When all I have brought is my minimal offering.

Today, I have no idea how to be pastoral, how to balance the one and the many, how to speak with the clarity that the week demands.

last lecture EVER?

"Dad, today could be your last lecture EVER at Bible College of New Zealand," my daughter announced from the back of the car. She had put two and two together, the fact that I am on study leave in the coming semester (July 08-Dec 08) with the redundancy/reapplication process that all academic BCNZ staff are going through.

My other daughter, on hearing the news, said that she would be able to help financially by going out to work in 4 years time.

My family is a great family to be part of during turbulent times.

some new friends

I made some new friends today. It was a day off, after a particularly busy weekend -- leadership coaching in Auckland on Friday -> then Hamilton on Saturday -> return flight delayed by snow -> hence unexpected overnight, courtesy of Air New Zealand, in Wellington (which allowed us to catch up with my talented brother and sister-in-law) -> dash trying to catch another flight in order to present to lead the Sunday morning church service with perhaps 40 visitors present -> Sunday evening Soak service.

So the local 2nd hand book store called. Then later in the sun, on the back porch, over a cup of tea, I introduced my new friends to the better part of the emergentkiwi partnership.

In case your interested, here are my new friends ... (which ends with the questions; How do you nourish your creativity? And what disciplines do you practise that invite the voice of the other to your table?

- Wolfgang Pannenberg and his book, Faith and reality because he's a fine 20th century German theologian and I'm about to do series of Kingdom signs, so would value his intellectual stretch.
- Church in the world, a compilation of statements of social justice by the Catholic church in New Zealand between 1979-1997, because I am fascinated by how other Kiwi Christians live their faith in society today.
- Early Christian Fathers because they did theology as a minority church in a disbelieving world and were often mixing pulpit with writing, and such voices enrich me.
- The Lives of the Desert Fathers because I consider much contemporary neo-monasticism is simply puffery, chosing only the best bits from monasticism, so I want to listen to the first monastics (and start a retro-monasticistic movement!)
- Raymond Brown and John Meier, Antioch and Rome because I am fascinated by the social world in which church is constructed. I think that missionalDNA can never be stripped from context, because environments profoundly shape a life lived.
- Kelsey, The Uses of Scripture in Recent Theology because I doing some research work on how Baptists engage the Bible and this offers a dialogical partner in method.
- Margery Sykes, The Bible Reading Fellowship story because I am fascinated by the narratives of people who start movements, especially those that involve the re:formation of spiritual practices.
- Eduard Schwiezer, The Good News according to Matthew because one of the joys of my life is the opportunity, through preaching, to keep engaged with the Biblical text and I need another commentary on Matthew.
- Sarah Quigley, Write because I've got a sabbatical coming up and this book offers some "creative writing exercises" which I suspect will nourish my soul and hone my craft.
- and a birthday present for a friend, which is a surprise so I'm not telling.

Total price, $100(NZ), or $75US. So those are my new (preloved) friends. Books - from different times and places and traditions and cultures - are one way of inviting the voice of the other, the voice of the unexpected to our tables.

And it's one way I nourish my creativity. How about you? How do you nourish your creativity? And what disciplines do you practise that invite the voice of the other to your table?

welcome to

any wee scotties, i.e church leaders throughout Scotland.

I am lead to believe that my blog was named as a e-news resource by the Mission and Discipleship Council, an ecumenical grouping resourcing church leaders throughout Scotland.

So welcome. The Taylor family have very fond memories of our 3 month sojourn in Scotland in 2001, while I was on study leave, working on my PhD, eating butties and admiring the rugged Coastlines of Aberdeenshire.

giving me a shake

I've just been made redundant. From my BCNZ role. As of the end of this year.

Along with all BCNZ academic staff, who are then invited to reapply for jobs over the next month.

I work 2 days week at BCNZ and 3 days week at Opawa and we as a family are pretty settled. So this news is giving my roots a good old shake. As part of the BCNZ process I am invited to articulate my long term career plans. Here is what I wrote:

Long term, I want to be part of a missional think tank, that provides formation of leaders and offers research, teaching and consultancy in Western missiology. To that dream I bring being a published author, with a PhD and some academic publications, a leadership track record of planting emerging churches and as a change agent pastor in established churches, along with experience in denominational consultancy.

I thought I'd put it here, because I'm facing partial unemployment.

flight of the emerging

Kiwi duo Flight of the Concords 1st album has debuted at No. 3 in US charts. Best ever preformance by a Kiwi band, including Crowded House. I love Flight of Concords. Got the DVD for my most recent birthday.

Note to self: re-release my Out of Bounds Church book? as an album. Call it Flight of the Emerging. Fuse with Youtube comedy show titled NZOOMA, of struggling New Zealand author, living in Christchurch New Zealand, trying to make it in New York, battling emergentTM franchise club owners and trendy missional public. Find myself some Rob Bell glasses and add a Dan Kimball comb over (more to comb than Paggitt or TSK though!). Hoping like hell that everyone who reads this note to self has a good sense of humour.

beyond bands and beyond stations

I've been thinking about worship this week. I'm feeling stuck in a loop that goes like this:

Most contemporary church worship I experience simply invites me to sing songs. Up the band comes, away they play and down I sit. I'm tired of this limited vista.

Most alt.worship I experience invites me into stations. Out comes the art, in comes the creativity and down I sit. I'm tired of the individuality of it all. Me in my small experience.

At least when you sing, it's corporate. At least when you sing, it invites you out of your head and into your intuition and emotion.

So here's the question that's bugging me: what are ways that we might connect with God that are corporate and non-rational, that are NOT sung worship?

Updated: Here's the current list ... please add more in comments

Saying The Lord's Prayer
Chanting
Passing the peace
Sharing communion together

1 + 1 + 1 = ?

Fact 1: In the rush to the airport last Saturday, to catch a flight back to my home in Christchurch, my overnite bag was left in a friends car in Auckland. It included my alarm clock.

Fact 2: While waiting for the bag to be returned, I decided to use the alarm on my cell phone.

Fact 3: I received a text on my cell phone while at a gathering on Wednesday night. To avoid disturbing the gathering, I simply turned down the sound on my cell phone.

Fact 4: Needing to rise at 5:30 am today to catch a plane to Wellington to speak ...

I missed my flight. Ahhhh. First time ever. My cell phone alarm went off, but of course, because the sound was off, I was not wake.

Until 6:20 am, by which time the flight was boarding. Ahhhh.

Thankfully, in the strangeness of life, Air New Zealand had a flight at 10:30 am at a Smart Saver rate for only $82.

A few phone calls.
A run.
A relaxed breakfast.
A bit of email.
A cup of coffee after arriving early at the airport,
and I had a most excellent afternoon with about 50 church leaders. A highlight was meeting Jono. Jono emailed me out of the blue last August, as follows:
Hi Steve,

Have been following your blog along now for about 2 years and have a question for you. No pressure! :)

I am doing a contemplative service and at one of the stations (using the beatitudes) I am trying to show righteousness in a creative way and am struggling. The ideas I have either limit the idea of righteousness too much or just seem a bit cliche. So, the question, have you ever tried to display righteousness and how did you do it?

Thanks Steve, any ideas will be appreciated.

To which I replied: Hi Jono,

any help?

So it was great to meet Jono face to face and for him to affirm that in New Zealand, Baptist gatherings like Sharpening the Middle are quite inspirational for Presbyterians. (Note that Jono's story does not mean that I will provide free worship consultancy to any and all punters who email me! It was simply that in the grace of God, Jono caught me in a creative moment :))

resurrection door kicker

Jesus, door kicker, strides out the tomb
hinges swinging
door banging
in Spirit's breeze

Jesus, walks our world,
loving on sandy beach, gathering on grassy knoll,
calling "Followers, to me"

If you walk away, will we follow?

Church,
inside 4 walls,
contains, confines,
holds, hoards
doctrine?

Or

Church,
jogging through city street,
laughing, listening,
stretching through house and home,

Til Kingdom come

easter workloads

Fascinating Easter workload reflection from here.

Until this year I had thought that the intensity of Holy Week came from the business involved, but this year has made we wonder in a positive way.

So far I feel very little different than previous years - which perhaps indicates that the intensity comes from the experience rather than the work-load

Easter simply wipes me out and the week after is really hard work. This year we paused our Easter Journey, yet I am still wasted. Is it just church leaders? Does Easter take an emotional toll on worship participants?

easter atonement theologies

thursday
is for friends,
honestly. OK, honestly betraying, honestly bad praying, honestly
take, eat,
this is my body
(atonement in community)

friday,
is for Passover,
liberation rescues us
crossing seascape, crossing sandscape
Kingdom coming
(atonement as liberator)

saturday
is for pain,
honestly. In, Darfur and in child abuse, God why have you
abandoned me, him, them
gone God
while innocents die
(atonement as crucified God)

let him who has no sin cast the first stone

a tear ran down my cheek last week. it was a tear that developed from a splinter that I found in my own eye.

(If you want to make this poem your own, feel free to add your initials or your response in the comments).

is is worth it?

every now and again, when I am dog tired in an aeroplane flying home from a speaking gig I wonder if it is worth it. An email today indicated, well ....

yes.

The course I did last year with Steve - "Missional Church Leadership," enabled me to 'envision' Nyte lyfe [a new multi-ethnic evening service called Nyte Lyfe where we are aiming to provide a safe place [in the poorest community in our city] for the growing amount of people who are gathering on the borders of the church to engage with God] and so now we are just entering the 'engaging' stage – the first service is this Sunday (please feel free to pray for this if so led)

processing grief

(Some details blurred to ensure anonymity) I don't normally have deep plane conversations. Yesterday was different. As I flew back from Auckland to Christchurch we started talking.

He was returning to New Zealand, to the house where his wife had died 2 decades ago. It was the day of a significant birthday. Party preparation was in full swing until the phone call came. Death by coronary.

And his world fell apart. For years he had travelled the world, stuck in his grief. Today he was returning. It was time to pack up the house and move on. It was time to live again. And so we talked: of grief and pain and death and God, of life and journey and the power of listening.

It was a sacred hour and I longed to mark it in some way. It's difficult to mark sacramentality in an aeroplane.

So I mark this blog entry in respect for all who grieve: new acquaintances who are rebuilding lives, good friends who are watching a mother being consumed by cancer, my pain over the demise of a project I invested 9 years of my life into, the parishioner who today will lose their arm in surgery, the failing health of loved parents.

What rituals have you found to mark and process your grief?

If you want to share respect or name your processes of grief, feel free to leave your initials, or the initials of those you are grieving with.

welcome to my spot

It was my 40th birthday on Friday nite. I wanted to cook food for my friends. I wanted it to be at "my spot", which is the rundown rumpty old holiday house/bach were I go to hibernate. I wanted to invite the people who have invested and given my life meaning. I wanted to have a storytelling, of life lived.

It was a fairly major logistical exercise: our holiday house is not equipped for 2 guests, let alone 40. The kitchen is too small (think no stove and no bench space. The toilet is compostable (think overflow issues). So the logistical exercise included outdoor barbeque, all salads pre-prepared at home and driven out, all guests invited to bring their own outdoor chair, but port-a-loo toilet provided.

And what a night. Flounder grilled on barbeque. Vegetables grilled with rosemary. Marinade meat for the non-vegetarians. 45 adults and 15 kids. Black Seeds great new album in the background. Standing outdoors with the huge horizons of Lake Ellesmere. Kids racing around. Storytelling from birth, through my early work days in Roxburgh, via training to be a pastor, Auckland life and now to Opawa. Laughter. Honesty. Cake. I thank God for the richness of my life and relationships.

you rang?

The phone went at 1 am this morning. When you're a minister and the phone goes in the middle of the night, the heart tends to race. Car accident? Death bed emergency?

In a deep sleep, I jumped out of bed. Confused, I opened the door. Unfortunately it was the wardrobe. Difficult to get into and certainly no phone in there.

I found the proper door and just as I got to the phone, it stopped.

Perhaps they would try my cell phone. A frantic search found it, but no call.

By now my wife was by my side. "Our phone can track missed calls," she said. So I rang the missed call.

"Hi, your phone has just rung this phone and I'm returning the missed call," I said sleepily.

"Are you Kentucky Fried Chicken," a voice that I did not recognise said.

"No," I replied, "I'm not Kentucky Fried Chicken"

"Oh, sorry, I must have phoned the wrong number."

Slowly I trudged back to bed. No parishioner injured in a car accident after all. No death side pastoral visit needed. Simply a midnight soul searching for a greasy takeway.

enjoying today

the album by Matt Shepherd. Matt is a Kiwi, and the album includes the lovely vocals of other friends I've met along my life journey, including Mark Barnard and Raylene Bradfield and it's nice to have them in my room today. Titled Still small voice, it is a fusion of electronica and ambient, that works well as a soundscape, both for corporate worship and for individual pleasure.

dub and Christian worship (again)

one of my christmas presents was tickets to Salmonella Dub and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and we went on friday night. a very rich night.

i was struck by the mix of crowd. definitely not a normal dub crowd i thought, as i noted the grey hair and more conservative dress style. but it worked. as i sat and listened to violins mixed with bass beats, traditional Maori instruments mixed with electonica, i thought of Opawa on Sunday morning. why can't we mix classical music with dub?

back in 2006 I wrote a post, bemoaning the lack of dub music in Christian worship. that heart ache remains. dub is my natural voice. i long to love God "in my own language" (to use the words from Acts 2, the crowds experience of Pentecost).

walk on into 2008

Just back from a wonderful 12 days holiday: beach time, family time, exploring New Zealand time, reading time, reflecting time. While I don't do New Years resolutions, walk on is a theme that has emerged from one of the lectionary readings I pondered while on holiday: Philipians 3:1-14. So I wrote this in my personal journal today.

"Walk on and away from some of the hard place relationships of 2007. Walk on and away from a focus on doing and toward my being in Christ. Walk on "by means of the Spirit" (Philippians 3:3), trusting in God to be in the midst of my gaps and where there is distance in the cracks of life. Walk on building on all the good at Opawa Baptist. Walk on pushing the envelope, taking risks, seeking to offer innovative leadership in all the spheres of my life."

my dad the mystic

I'm really proud of my Dad. I asked you to pray a few weeks ago because my dad, who has multiple sclerosis, fell on New years eve and broken his hip. He was operated on for a hip replacement and is making a good recovery. People at Opawa have just been tremendous, so many in the church have visited the hospital.

Dad has made a good progress, aided by the fact that, in consultation with the occupational therapy staff, they made the decision that they would not try to get him walking again. Over the last year he has been increasingly unstable on his legs and the decision was greeted with relief. So Dad came home yesterday and I took lunch around for him and mum.

As I left Dad told me that he prayed for me every day. "I can't walk, but at least I can still pray" he said.

I hope I age as spiritually and as generously as my dad.

life's a beach?

With summer, comes the beach. Which got me thinking about Jesus and beaches. What did Jesus do at the beach? What would Jesus say if he met you at a beach this summer? Which lead to a summer Sunday church series.

With a postcard (each an image from Jewish beach)

and a poem:
Waves slap
Sparkle on shore as disciples work, Called
to follow (Luke 5:1-11, January 6)

Rocks tattoo
Surge, dropping debris to shore, Admission
to peace and prayer. (Acts 27:33-28:10, January 27)

boxing day tears

Snowy, our family rabbit died on Boxing Day. Never thought I would cry for a rabbit, but he was beautiful, placid and a great friend for the family. We buried him in the rain and I watched our children process grief in very different ways.

2007 Christmas benediction

Rejoice, for God's Light has come for the whole world. Go now, bringing the joy of God's love with you to all that you meet. Go in peace and may God's glorious peace always go with you.

balancing life at the end of 2007

Two serious questions Steve. How do you do manage such a hectic schedule (i.e. family, church, teaching, own time etc)? Secondly, Why do you do it?? A comment made by Mark in relation to this post.

First a story. I moved to Christchurch at the start of 2004, to be senior/change agent pastor at Opawa Baptist 3 days/week and Lecturer in Practical Theology at Bible College of New Zealand 2 days/week. We were just about done with my 3rd interview with the Opawa Call Committee, when a Baptist Union consultant, who had walked the church through the Call process, said he had two questions.

The first was for me: Was I just using Opawa Baptist as a stepping stone to an academic career? The second was for Opawa: Steve Taylor had some competencies around emerging church. So would they share him? Those questions provide a frame for my current stage of life: grounded in the local church, yet shared.

This year I have had 21 speaking engagements outside Christchurch (on top of regular preaching amid a 5 congregational model and lecturing at BCNZ). That's one speaking engagement a fortnight, and includes academic papers, preaching, coaching, conference and keynote speaking. So to the question - why do I do it? Firstly because I'm asked. It doesn't mean I say yes to everything. I often ask questions to clarify audience and expectations and check it is in my "zone" - church and mission (I made one wrong call this year). Second because it's good for the local church. It sends constant signals to Opawa that they exist with a Kingdom view, not only for their own sake, but for the sake of the world. I'm also committed to team, and that I think that needs to be modelled by both absence as well as presence. Thirdly because most times I learn and am enriched. Fourthly, because feedback seems to suggest that it is useful. I gauge that feedback in a number of ways - feel in the room, questions asked, talks over coffee, thankyou letters.

So how do you do manage such a hectic schedule? Firstly, all invites get passed by my wife and she helps me decide. Secondly, I work for BCNZ Wednesday and Thursday, and Opawa Tuesday and Friday and somehow that division of days gives me a framework to juggle invites and map out my schedule. Thirdly, Monday is day off and I very, very rarely, do anything on that day. Fourthly, I use the time in the air to journal and think. Last week on the way to Auckland I got my preaching plan for the first half of 2008 nailed. There is something about being uninterrupted at 30,000 feet which I find incredibly helpful. Fifthly, when I'm present, I try to be fully present. (And the flipside, when I'm gone, I'm gone). I try to practise Incarnation, to be fully looking for God among whoever I am with, be it in a church or a lecture room or a speaking place. Sixthly, I treat myself and the family. Most groups pay something and that goes toward a family book buying session at Borders, a CD, a painting, a dinner out etc - stuff that will enrich me for what has been given out. I talk lots with my kids about what I do and why. I pass on feedback to them. At times I have said no to things based on their input. Seventhly, I moved into this season having completed a PhD. The bibliography named near 550 books I had "read." So part of this season of my life includes drawing down and integrating that type of input. That's simply a seasonal thing. I am due for a sabbatical in second half of next year and that will be a micro-season in which I get to fill up some wells left a bit neglected, for example writing wells and reading wells.

Can I sustain this? Do I want to sustain this? I don't know. Perhaps not long term. Essentially I have 3 roles: pastor, lecturer, speaker/thinker/writer. At some time down the track one of these might go. In the meantime, it is a very fertile mix. I am a better pastor because I think (as lecturer) and reflect (by being asked to speak), a better lecturer because I pastor and speak, a better speaker because I am grounded in a congregation. It's a pretty unique mix. Even in missional circles, most books are not written by current practitioners. So I am keen to hold the mix as long as possible.

Hope that helps Mark.

last flight out

I spent the day in Auckland at the request of the New Zealand Baptist family of churches, with a group of about 10 others, talking about leadership. It ended up being a frank and free-ranging discussion about what it would mean to take leadership development much more seriously in our Baptist context. We roamed all over the place: seminaries, training churches, internship schemes.

I talked a bit about my missional church leadership coaching courses, the Allelon Mission in Western Culture Project and the Opawa new forms of leadership scholarship (applications still open for 2008) and what that might mean.

Best of all, it was my last flight for the year. Yeah. A day closer to summer holidays. Yeah and yeah.

signs of stress

In top of the Christmas rush and Bible College marking and Advent services, the Taylor family are moving house in a few days. I think the stress is beginning to show.

Last night one of the 92 year olds in the church died. Funeral planning was booked with the family for 11 am this morning. When I went looking for the car keys, they were gone. I searched high and low, and then texted my wife in a panic. Only to find that for some (stressed-related?) reason she had my keys in her handbag.

Tonight both our girls were performing at an end of year concert. My wife wrapped the ticket beside my (now found) keys, with strict instructions regarding start time. I arrived at the venue, only to find that for some (stress-related?) reason, the ticket was gone and I (still) have absolutely no idea where it went.

living with integrity amid a world of boxes

This post has nothing to do with any recent speaking experiences I've been part of, but arose from an email conversation with a friend

We live in a world of boxes. The boxes are labelled by humans with words like conservative and liberal.

The question is not what others think I am. Nor what boxes they might wish to place me in.

The question is who God thinks I am. And how have I communicated that relationship with authenticity and integrity.

where is God in our world today?

email just in about an upcoming Christian event: "and most importantly we are amped about spending extended time in the presence of our amazing God."

Can I spend extended time in the presence of God without going? What does this say about returning home, that I will be going back to a lesser place with less time to spend with God?

Or am I being grumpy and pedantic? Do words really matter?

Where is God most likely to be in our world today anyhow?

hello strange house

I sent Lynne out to a party last night and got to put the kids to bed. I realised this morning that it was the first time I had enjoyed an evening at home alone in 13 days straight. That was made up of Sunday evening services, 6 nights at wider Baptist family events, Parihaka evening, 2 church meetings, some one-on-one growth coaching and pre-marriage preparation. (And to claim this evening alone I still had to say no to 2 commitments.)

My current lifestyle makes me less than fully human. The introvert in me needs space alone. The rooted garden lover needs a home. The father of children needs the routine of bedtime baths.

Lynne and I were wondering yesterday about creating travel free months - blocking out months in the year when I simply refuse speaking invites as a way of preserving my humanity.

copyright request

It is really nice when people ask. Really nice. I wonder if it's actually part of the way I operate, that verbal recognition is important to me. Anyhow, so there are 2 email's overnight from the US, asking to use some of my stuff. The first is from an Episcopalian Canon Missioner requesting to use some of my powerpoint images in their work. And the second from a seminary requesting a blog post I wrote back in 2004 on Trinity and Mission for an online course: "Contemporary Culture in Missiological Perspective". The blog post was from 2004 and was titled: trinity and mission.

Which made me click back to the post. It's so 2004, but (IMHO) it is still a bit of honey. Here's the conclusion: Thus talk about church and mission needs to be grounded in our understandings of God as Trinity. A "missional church" is not new, but a recovering of very ancient understandings, in which we live, we create, we emerge, as an outflow of the shared love of God. We seek to express fluid, whole-bodied, dynamic love. We honour the unity with other expressions of church, we applaud diversity, we celebrate uniquely grounded differences.

For full post go here. (Another "dusty" post includes Trinity as children's talk using Rublev's icon).

parihaka day

Today is November 5. Many Kiwi's will be letting off gunpowder in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day.

The Taylor family will be remembering Parikaha Day, the deeds of November 5, 1881, when New Zealand soldiers invaded the village of Parihaka, in Taranaki, and were met by peaceful non-violent resistance. The village was destroyed, women raped and leaders imprisoned, in stark contrast to the ethos of Parihaka, which sought to live in harmony with land and humanity.

There's an open invite for church folk to join us, bringing a dessert. (I preached on it a few Sunday's ago, because it seemed to me that Parihaka was an exampe of the call of the prophet Micah to love mercy, seek justice and walk humbly before God). We will show an excerpt from the TV program The New Zealand Wars, read the history of Parihaka Day, light candles in memory of those who suffered and accept a feather of peace as a commitment to follow the One who said "Blessed are the peacemakers."

I wonder what would happen in New Zealand if the entire Christian population boycotted Guy Fawkes Day and instead remembered Parihaka Day? Would that be a counter-cultural act that might stand against the whiff of Guy Fawkes gunpowder and elevate the importance of peaceful non-violence?

Updated:
Here is the relevant bit of the sermon I preached, download. And here is the worship aftermath, candles lit in memory of Parihaka.

david beckham and a faith amid celebrity culture

These are notes to guide a recent radio spot, reflecting on what it means to be Christian in today's celebrity culture.

Good morning listeners. According to the radio yesterday, David Beckham was a sell-out.

David Beckham is that English soccer guy, now living in Hollywood. And his soccer team, LA Galaxy are going to play an Aussie soccer team, Sydney FC and then a few days later, a Kiwi team, the Phoenix.

Tickets for the Aussie soccer game had gone on sale this week and tickets were sold out. Within a week. Sold out. 83,000 people, selling out $100 a ticket, to see David Beckham.

Now these are not football fans. Nor are these homesick Englishman, desperate for a win after losing the rugby World Cup.

Most of these 83,000 people are paying 100 bucks to see "brand Beckham." Not a footballer. But a celebrity. Famous for his fashion sense and hair style, famous for his marriage to pop star Posh Spice.

A friend of mine, Scottish Baptist pastor, John Drane, has recently written a book titled Celebrity Culture. How do Christians live in our celebrity world? What is a radio viewpoint when Beckham sells out?

My friend, John Drane, argues that our celebrity culture is actually a fantastic window for Christians and the gospel. But only if we'll step outside our narrow Christian boxes. Why?

Well firstly, because celebrities, like David Beckham, remind us that in our world today, truth is now relational and personal. We buy tickets to Telstra stadium not because thousands of people are interested in the game of soccer, but because of the life and times of a person, brand Beckham.

Which is surely what Jesus was meaning when the said "I am the way, the truth and the life." That we find truth through the life and times of a personal relationship with God.

So Christianity needs to move away from abstract waffly ideas about God, and get back to the truth of meeting a person, up-close and personal, called Jesus. And that we as Christians need to get better and more confident about being up-close and personal, talking about our relationship with a person called Jesus.

And secondly, and related, we Christians need to get more honest. It's time for us stop trying to be holier than thou, goody 2 shoes.

Which is why I love the Bible. I do'’t find holier than thou, goody 2 shoes when I read Peter or the prophets or David. I find real people, struggling with doubt and fear and tough decisions and in livingn in messy human relationships.

Which is fascinating when we consider that at the heart of our celebrity culture, people are just like that. We love it when our celebrities become human, real people just like us. So we’re in this culture that allows celebrities to be honest.

Which we need to do as Christians. Because it's for honest people, struggling but still seeking Jesus, upclose and personal, as the way, the truth and the life. That's my viewpoint.

God the furniture restorer

Which for me becomes an image of what God's like. God is in the recycling and restoration business. God never starts fresh, with a blank slate. Because people just aren't like that. In reality, all people are damaged by years of sin and misery and self-harm. And God never says to human beings, "Stuff it. You're useless. I'm going to destroy you and start again."

Instead God recycles and restores. Walks the demolition yards of our city every day. Takes what looks less than perfect, like junk, from the demolition yard. Strips it back. Finds the grain. Works it creatively. God the restorer and recycler.

This was a bit from my Sunday sermon, on the prophet Micah. Those interested in these images of God might also want to engage with a reflection I did on God the hairdresser.

for sale: is their a kingdom in the housing market?

We're in the process of buying and selling houses. We will make money on the properties we sell, because the property market has risen. We will need to put more money into a new house, because the market has risen. In other words, we're making a good looking paper profit, which needs to be set alongside our mortgage commitments which will stay the same.

I am interested in what blog readers have done, or heard done, in terms of applying the Kingdom to sale and purchase of real estate. (And I'd most like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation, as I am a bit tired of armchair theoreticians at the moment.)

Do we give some of the paper profit to God? And in doing so potentially increase our mortgage?

why my filing system makes me a truly valuable employee

My desk tends to end up covered in piles of paper. While these are, IMHO, filed in order, known best to myself, the outsider could be mistaken in suggesting a slightly disorganised life.

In July, one of my employers offered me an inflation adjusted payrise. I was informed of this by letter, and invited to accept this generous offer by signing and returning the said paperwork. Apparently the letter informed me that upon reciept of my signature, the pay rise would be implemented.

Such a piece of paper seemed a minor detail at the time, as I was just back from a 3 week teaching journey, and there were things like family and church and lecturing to attend to. The letter was duly filed in the "to action pile". During the next weeks (OK, months actually), other things have occupied my attention. Important things IMHO, like family and church and lecturing.

Needless to say that my excellent filing system has served me well, as more and more paper has been quietly filed in my "to action pile."

Today a window of time allows me to attend to this pile. To my delight, my filing system has worked and the said bit of paper has been recovered, signed and sent.

Some might consider this filing system evidence of a disorganised mind. But the perceptive will merely note that the paper was always safely filed. Further, it was able to be retrieved when needed, which is surely the test of any filing system. Thirdly, my filing system has saved the employer nearly 4.5 months of a pay increase. Surely this should enable me to win the "truly valuable employee" of the year award.

(But please God, may I not have to sign for this award before receiving it, Amen).

a flying visit

It felt wierd to be flying in, and out, of Auckland all in one day. Wonderfully hosted by David Jeans, the Head of St Johns, who I discovered has a very sharp missional brain.

I spoke for 90 minutes to the students training for Anglican ministry at St Johns. (Big shout out to Spanky Moore who tag teamed with me and was great). There was then an open lunch, and informal interaction with staff and students about mission, worship, denominations. Then an hour with David, as I have some schemes hatching that I wanted to run past him (more details might follow in the months to come), and we also talked about me being back at St Johns for 3 days in February 2008, to give a longer and more extended kick of the missional tires of contemporary models of mission including emerging church and licensed shared ministry.

The best bit was renewing acquaintances with people like the librarians, Jacky Sewell, Andrew McDonald, and clergy conference participants that were at Auckland and Waikato.

Then back to Christchurch to do some growth coaching and pre-marriage counselling with a local couple from the community. (I note my need to mention this because someone said I sounded more like a manager than a pastor and I got defensive :)).

bounce back sp*m

I'm currently being killed by bounce back sp*m: the kind where someone has copied my email address into their spam and so when it hits a dead email address, bounces back to me as a delivery failure. I got over 600 of these while I was out for a 3 hour dinner date last nite. I am told by my ISP provider that there is nothing they can do. I am seriously considering changing my email address. Any other options out there?

a redwall feast

It's school holidays here, so the Taylor family has been grabbing some precious days out at our family bach/holiday house. Last nite we had our first ever family Redwall feast.

As a way of sharing time with one of my children, earlier this year I started reading aloud to her from a book in the Brian Jacques Redwall series. It's been a chapter a time, most likely on my Mond-day off, snuggling together to read and imagine. We were due to finish it while on holiday, so to honour this milestone, I suggested that together the two of us make a Redwall feast.

A quick search of the internet last week found a website dedicated to Redwall food recipes. Our family holiday house is quite primitive, so after careful selection, we settled on a few recipes and ordered in supplies! Special table mats were constructed and together the family enjoyed skilly and duff, meadow cream and October ale (you gotta read the books to appreciate the menu!). A good nite together and hopefully some good family memories to tuck away.

And it made me marvel again at the gift of the internet: a fanzine website that can faciliate a sharing across countries. Now back to the holiday.

marking

All my various teaching commitments have caught up on me. I currently am marking
: 10 essays about missional church leadership (done)
: 16 masters essays on critical missional issues in relation to emerging church (half done)
: 40 masters pieces of work on living the Biblical text in a postmodern context (half done)
: 60 pieces of work on being kiwi, being christian.

That's 126 pieces of work. When you consider that the masters related work comes in the 3000 word range, that's a lot of marking.

Each piece of work represents blood and sweat. There is nothing worse than getting an assignment back with a simple mark scrawled on it. So my personal commitment is to write 5-10 comments, engaging with the blood and sweat. That's currently a lot of comments.

Best thing about marking is realising that students are making connections and joining dots. Second best thing is when I learn something. Worst thing is a student who has put the work in, but hasn't answered the question (haven't come across this in relation to the above - yet!).

other priorities

I realise that debate on this blog has been hissing and fizzing away. Nevertheless, I have deemed other priorities far more important: 17 years of marriage needed to be celebrated in style with 3 day break in beautiful Queenstown.

a lemon a day keeps the teacher at bay

I walked out of class today to find a bag of lemons in my pigeon hole, a gift from a caring student, who had noted a lecturer with a head cold (and sore ears). A student who could have gained top marks if only it was a pastoral care class!

waikato anglicans

I am back on the airplane again, flying up to be with the Anglicans in Waikato. I have been asked to speak around themes of leadership and mission, titled Learning to create a community of faith in a culture of change. Here is my schedule;

Tuesday 14th

1:30pm: Workshop, Leader as Change Agent

It is very ecumenical and hospitable of the Anglicans to invite a Baptist. I had a great time with the Anglicans in Auckland in July, and May in Christchurch. I always gain a lot from these types of encounters, so am looking forward to it. Plus I get to re-connect with the most historic of the Prodigal Kiwi's.

However, amid all this excitement is the realisation that this will be my 5th major speaking engagement in the last 6 weeks. That's a fairly heavy schedule when I also have two day jobs as pastor and as lecturer, along with a family life to nurture.

a day that turned pear shaped

I have been away from Sunday, part of leading and speaking at a conference in Auckland, storytelling around new mission expressions. About 70 people gathering around 8 mission stories. Lots of learning, lots of relationship building between different parts of God's body.

Around that gathering I have also been hosting Al Roxburgh and the first conversations around the Allelon Mission in Western Culture project as it might apply to New Zealand. So last night included a meal, with various church leaders here in New Zealand, informally, as we wondered aloud (and got an overwhelming affirmation), with regard to New Zealand.

Today I was due to fly back to Christchurch for the first lecture of a new class for the Semester, Being Kiwi, Being Christian. At the hotel, I opened my laptop bag this morning to begin my lecture preparation and realised that in the rush of my speaking yesterday, I had left behind my powercord for my laptop.

Sinking feeling ... quick cancelling of taxi ... rushing back to conference venue ... searching ... finding ... great sigh of relief ... off to airport.

Only to find my flight delayed... great sinking feeling, as I realise I am going to be missing my first class ... Lynne said she could collect my bags, so I run off the plane ... rush from the airport by taxi (never again, it was RIDICULOUSLY expensive) ... frantically print off my notes ... charging into the classroom.

Thankfully the 35 students were very gracious about the class starting late and it was a good start.

I am now due in town, to do a recording for a community radio station, talking about life and faith in Aotearoa New Zealand. Very much looking forward to collapsing at home and being able to simply laugh about being on the other side of a pear-shaped day.

the bishop and the baptist

This is Steve Taylor last week trying to convince Graham Cray to read the book he's holding. It's mine (Out of Bounds Church?) and it's free and I've even signed it and I'm still trying to convince him! :)

No seriously, this is the closest I've ever been to a bishop and Graham Cray is one cool dude. I asked him what he did to relax and he told me he listened to rock music on his iPOD. He's sharp. He's key in Fresh Expressions in the UK. He listens well. He's a great gift to the church.

of airports and airplanes

It is always hit and miss how much work I get done on planes, but the last 24 hours of journey home have been unusually productive.

Between Portland and San Francisco I completed a film review (of Shrek 3), which I needed to have done as part of my monthly writing contract with Touchstone magazine.

At San Francisco I drafted two proposals which an interested publisher had requested. One was around turning my year long missional church coaching package into a written resource. (Watch this space).

The other was some thoughts around how to get some of my creative and communal worship ideas shaped up in ways that might be more available and accessible. A sort of "missional lectionary" with themes, thought pieces, prayers, poems, takehome resources. (Again, watch this space).

Between Auckland and Christchurch I drafted another film review (of Once, showing Auckland on Friday 27th), which I can perhaps tuck away for next month.

Then it was into the arms of my family. Yah!

you'll never walk alone

Today I return home. I travel from a northern hemisphere to a southern hemisphere, from summer to winter. To Christchurch. A city I left 18 days ago. To home and family and church.

I travel, but not alone. I travel with the prodigal kiwi. I travel with rich memories from the last few weeks with Anglicans and a class at Fuller Seminary and international partnerships around the Allelon Mission in Western Culture project. I travel with awareness of many saints who have travelled before with missional intentionality. I travel in the name of the sending One, conforted that he sends me and he is intending to come after me.

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

arrived safely

My wheels touched down in the good old US of A a few hours ago. It is very strange how sitting in a seat for 12 hours can leave one feeling so knackered. I have brought groceries, gone for a run, cooked myself a meal and caught a movie (Waitress - recommended). All those good "keep on moving, keep on moving" things that help one earth and body clocks readjust.

Go vicars

My time with the Auckland Anglicans finished today. It was excellent and I hope to post some resources for them in the next day or so.

The day finished with workgroups discussing questions like what is the difference between a "come to us" church and a "go them church"? The workgroups reported back and then I was asked for the last words. This is what I said:

- We shouldn't be afraid of statistics, because they keep us honest.
- In a Go church, the vicar gives the benediction not from the front, but from the door, then leads the congregation out into mission.
-Imagine what a different diocese Auckland would be if every parish set a goal of planting just one "fresh expression of church" over the next 10 years.

the words of ministry

words
w
o
r
d
s
that slither under fences
tiptoe down side alleys

words
w
o
r
d
s
verbal
causing faces to flower
angling, unexpected into new insight
and
conversation
faith and
filled

words
written, font 12 point Helvetica

found,
spotted, picked up
caressed in joyful surprise

to draw words,
of hopeful connection

words
written, font 12 point Helvetica
found
to draw words
of anger, derision, accusation: liberal, gospel betrayer

words, words, words,
white deafens for marginal spaces
enlarged

words, words, words
black defines for fear of freedom
type cast
in typewritten type

words
lock them up
pin them down
defend them in diatribe
dance around a pinhole

or

scatter as stars
cross blog
up paper
down radio wave

for white, never black

words of prophecy

I very rarely tell someone "God says." Too much abuse has followed those two simple words. But a misused history should not mean we throw out the baby with the bathwater.

To work against abuse, I always remind people that what I am about to say is what I am hearing, but I have been known to hear wrong. Anyhow, twice in the last month I have suggested "God says.." What I have found humourous is that both have been in relation to motor cars.

God says "You are a V8. You have a lot of get up and go. When a V8 runs rough, you don't park it up in the garage. You might be running rough, but it's not the time to park up."

God says "In the past, you have lived your Christian faith in 3rd and 4th gear. In the last few years you have put your foot on the clutch. Be encouraged, that means you're still moving. But it's now time to find the right gear for the slope ahead and to take your feet off the clutch."

a spirituality of time wasting

time slides
through the fingers
of my morning

grains of minutes
poured into my latte bowl

an hour of time
wasted
thanks be to God

a moment to savour

This has been a really intense semester for me; kicking off 2 new courses, a trip to Australia in the middle, working with 2 denominations in New Zealand around missional church issues.

I always knew it was going to be busy. My last class has just finished and I've survived and I face a much easier second semester, which I hope will include some time to write including:
- a paper on missional church-missional agencies
- a co-authored paper on female Christ figures in contemporary film
- a paper using mission history to evaluate the emerging church movement
- a paper on reading local narratives.

But for today, it's a moment to savour ...

so how do lectionary readings work?

Today Opawa church is meeting. Part of the agenda includes some long term building plans. Another part includes voting on 2 new Board members. Both will make excellent leaders. Both are new to the church and under the age of 30.

It can be a risk, in a long established church, going through change, to bring the names of new and young leaders, and the Board have agonised over this.

So this morning, I open my Bible to the Lectionary reading for today. The readings are placed in our church newsletter and we invite all the church to read with us. The reading is 1 Samuel 16, the annointing of David. Look at verse 11: "There is still the youngest."

Which made me laugh. Here we are considering new, and young, leaders. We have chosen a date some months ago, quite arbitarily. And now we have a Bible text that instructs the annointing of new, and young leadership. It is almost manipulative to read this Bible text, yet it is the Lectionary reading for the day.

How on earth does that work? How on earth can the Scriptures speak so clearly to our life as a church?

Update: Congratulations to Lucy Taylor and Lawrence Wood, who were voted on as new Board members last nite. I honour them and their families for being willing to take a risk and place their leadership development in the hands of Opawa church members.

coming back to earth

Sorry the blog has been a bit quiet. I've been in Aussie for 8 days, so internet access was a bit hit and miss.

And I never know what to blog when I am away speaking. I like to connect and talk with people. But how much do I blog about what is actually said? How much of what belongs in the room, in that unique environment, should stay in the room? I often post the bare details prior because some people who read this blog like to pray for me (Although I still remember posting such details once and getting this really rude comment in response about how I was obviously a bit up myself. Arrggh the joy of lurkers:)!).

Anyhow, overall, I had a great time and felt very well hosted and appreciated. The feedback from various punters in Adelaide was most helpful in terms of helping my communication.

For those who came up asking for more information on various resources:
the soundtrack meditation of Saint Brendan comes from here - 7meg; Bodge plants a seed is here; the images of 40 are available here; Richard Pierce, Conversion in the New Testament; Alan Jamieson, A churchless faith.

Finally, here is my host being nice: "steve was great to work with and very selfless in his service to us. I said to the synod on the saturday that we appreciated hearing from someone with a southern hemisphere accent and someone who could 'practice what they teach'. I thought it was great that steve was able to mess with people's preconceptions of mission and church by not fitting any of the local categories for such things. his Opawa journey connected very well with what many folk here are facing. through his stories, metaphors, insights and analysis he was able to communicate at a whole range of levels. the evidence was that people from across the spectrum commented on how they had been encourage and challenged... thanks steve for your generosity of spirit and great leadership over the week."

a most interesting adelaide day

The Adelaide part of my trip kicked off today. I was surprised, and enriched, by the diversity of people in the room. Resources that I (can remember) mentioning during the Leadership and the emerging church seminar in various conversations included:

- Richard Pierce, Conversion in the New Testament

- Alan Jamieson, A churchless faith

Really appreciating people's hospitality and interest.

may in melbourne

I'm fried. Caught up with Mark Pierson on Friday nite, after teaching for 4.5 hours on Emerging Church blockcourse at Bible College of New Zealand. Staying with Phil and Dan McCredden, which is always fun, dodging dog slobber, dodging "the lodger" farts and Kiwi jokes.

Saturday, spoke 4 times at Unfreeze 3. Seemed to go OK; then caught up with Al and Deb Hirsch for Thai. Al spent the night looking cute and sweating his currie! Then spoke 3 times on Sunday at Doncaster Church of Christ.

The sweetest thing happened at Doncaster. They are using the Opawa Red Seat idea. I shared about this last time I spoke at Unfreeze two years ago and it is amazing to see an idea take root in another community, with another accent.

Off to see Andrew Menzies tomorrow then having lunch with Forge. Fried. Fried. Fried.

do they speak English also?

These are my Australian details. A lot of work over the last week, preparing materials and organising myself. I am really looking forward to it and to see what conversations emerge around what I do.

MELBOURNE
Saturday 5 May
Morning "Take no sandals (a missional leader); Unfreezing imagination (a missional church); Practices for the table (a missional spirituality); When the Kingdom of God is near, is that far? (a missional intentionality)." A conversation between life, mission and Scripture, all in grounded life among a 96-year old church.

Afternoon - On the couch: Panel on church and missional change

Afternoon - Spirituality2go. A workshop on resourcing Christ followers outside gathered church"

Sunday 6 May
9 am;5 pm - Finding our story in Elijah's story. Preaching at Doncaster Church of Christ

ADELAIDE
Tuesday 8 May
10.00 am - 3.00 pm "Leadership in The Emerging Church" - seminar for ministers and lay leaders
7.00 - 9.30 pm "Alternative Worship" session at Parkin-Wesley

Wednesday 9 May
12.15 - 1.00 pm Chapel Service at Parkin-Wesley
2.15 - 3.30 pm Colloquium on "The Emerging Church" at Parkin-Wesley
7.30 - 9.30 pm "Alternative Worship" session at Parkin-Wesley (repeat of Tues. evening)

Thursday 10 May
6.30 - 9.00 pm [re]generate pub conversation about fostering new and fringe faith communities.

Saturday 12 May
9.00 am -12.45 pm Keynote Speaker at Presbytery meeting.

new zealand music month

Today is 1 May, the launch of New Zealand music month. Some of the church staff came dressed appropriately.

A quick poll of "favourite New Zealand musician" at the staff morning tea revealed, in no particular order the following:
: Tim Finn
: Shihad
: Salmonella Dub
: Martin Setchell (Christchurch Town Hall organist)
: Roy Phillips (formerly of the Shadows)
: Brooke Fraser

So; who's your favourite New Zealand musician/band?

so tell me how singing worship works

Dear worshipper, you who stand beside me, arms thrust into the air,

Please help me. I am lost.

You see, I love live music. But I don't get singing. I listen to lots of music, most of the time I work. But very rarely do I stop my work and do nothing but sing.

I love Salmonella Dab. I love U2. When I go to their concerts, I do sing. But that is a by-product of entering into an experience. And they are good. And no matter how good they are, I could not imagine singing their songs, the same songs, week after week.

So I stand beside you, quite mystified. I feel strange, doing corporate, sung worship in church. Why do church's sing?

For a long time I have stood beside you. For a long time now I have been feeling less than Christian. For a long time now I have looked around large groups of people singing and thinking "If I love Jesus, and they love Jesus, why am I bored. Why do I feel manipulated when lots of people sing the same thing?"

So dear "into-singing-worshipper", I need some help. Can you explain to me: Why does sung worship work for you? How does it connect you with God? What do you do when the lyrics don't match your experience? Why the pressure for the songs to be always new and up-date? How does excellence and musical quality work for you?

When people make put down comments about Baptist churches "your worship songs are old-fashioned"; "your music is not as good as it could be"; "you don't know many new songs", "you lack the freedom of the Spirit (to all sing the same hip, new song?) -- what are people really saying?

I'm not complaining. I simply want to understand. Help me please,

the spirituality of preaching

On writing:
"I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. The thing you had to force yourself to do--the actual act of writing--turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed to tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward."

"But I also tell them that sometimes when my writer friends are working, they feel better and more alive than they do at any other time. And sometimes when they are writing well, they feel that they are living up to something. It is as if the right words, the true words, are already inside them, and they just want to help them get out." From Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (New York: Anchor Books, 1994). (Hat tip Simon Holt).

This is so true. It's the same with preaching. I type most of the stuff I say aloud word for word. It's a discipline that has enabled the preparation to become a craft, an act of spiritual practice. I read and ponder. I drink coffee with people and listen. I come to Friday and I stare at a blank screen and I have no idea what I will say. I start writing. I am often amazed at what I articulate. At times I hate being a pastor and Christian leader, hate the pressures and the expectations, hate the exposure that comes from being articulate. Yet I would be a lesser person if I did not speak and write, because my inner world would be less clear, my spirituality more muddied. So do I pastor because I am selfish? Or do I pastor because the church really is gift and in my task of becoming more fully human I need it's redemption?

on Saturday God wept

God cried
a icy tear rolled down

i sat in my grey room
trapped

all colour
reds, whites,
greens and blues
leached

depressed
lonely

dark skies out my window
earth weeping

On Saturday God cried
with all those,
who lost sons
with all those,
trapped in their grey room

If this poem means something to you, or you would like to pray it with someone, feel free to leave your initials in the comments.

updated: why am I a vegetarian?

Should all Christians be vegetarian? Yes.

Will meat eaters get to heaven? Yes.

Over the weekend I was asked by two different people why I am a vegetarian. Last nite I went to a vegetarian cooking evening, to learn about tomato tarts, pumpkin and kumara balls, tortilla stack. It seems an appropriate time to narrate my conversion, which occured in 2001. The following processes were significant.

A Bible conversation: When I was 20, I led a team of Christian young people to Nicaragua. We deliberately chose to partner with group from Universities in Australasia. One of the group, not a Christian, was astounded to discover that I, a Christian, ate meat. He pointed out to me that the Garden of Eden was meat-free. I still savour the irony, me a Christian, getting a Bible lesson from a non-Christian. Since then I have been forced to consider the reality of Isaiah's vision of lion and lamb together. I am currently writing a paper on animal spiriuality in light of theology of creation and sacramentality.

An essay on population growth in my first year of university: I learnt that humans have protein needs that can be met by both beans and beef. But you can grow lots and lots of beans in the space it would take a graze a cow. In other words, if humans ate more beans and less beef, than more humans would have their protein needs met. In a world of hunger, I became increasingly uneasy about my meat consumption.

A conversation with a dietician and my family: I did not want my change of eating habits to negatively impact upon a young and growing family. A dietician told us that one meat meal a week, supported by good amounts of vegetables, provides a balanced diet. So if all the Taylor family ate less meat and increased the amount of beans, nuts, spinach eaten during 6 days, then I could go totally vegetarian, without disrupting our growing children, who could still enjoy meat if they wanted.

An emerging spirituality issue: I was becoming increasingly aware that many in the emerging culture were vegetarian, and that good, contextual, missiology would want to consider Paul's words "to the Jew I become a Jew, to the vegetarian, I become a vegetarian."

So I went vegetarian. One of the upsides for me has been a far greater link between my everyday life and my spirituality. My Christian faith feels more entwined with my lifestyle and I am made constantly aware of the justice issues around human consumption every time I eat. I need that.

The second upside is a much more interesting diet, as our family have discovered beans, lentils, chick peas, couscous. Anyone for tortilla stack, tomato tarts, pumpkin and kumara balls?

A downside is that I tend to forget to tell people I am vegetarian when they invite me for dinner. This has lead to some embarrassing moments for all concerned.

Update: support, with some expansion of the argument, from here. And then here (I particularly liked the point about the consumption of meat in Jesus times being for economic neccessity, in contrast to the extravagance of today.)

missional church and New Zealand

Update: I am exhausted but excited. Excellent day with the Anglicans and serious interest in 3 Dioceses in possibilities around the missional church leadership coaching course being offered in their patch.

The upshot of the Baptist group is a definite commitment to hold a gathering,(Tentative date is July 29-31, 2007), called something like sharpening the edge as an attempt to say "what is God's mission in New Zealand today" and "what are the lessons we can learn from grassroots missional experiments?" We hope that asking these questions might make us all learners and sharpen both the edges and the existing church in it's change processes.

The gathering will be Baptist in energy but open to all. It is going to deliberately include non-baptist mission stories.

The hope is an event that become an ongoing conversation. So the event will be based around practioners telling stories and a listening panel of wise heads reflecting feedback on the practioner stories. This listening panel will then stay on for some hours after the event, and further to reflect together on what they heard and the sharp questions raised. All will (dreaming big here) be recorded and podcasted. Thus we will end up with grounded community mission narratives and good missiological reflection. This will generate mission questions, from the lived experience of NZ, which should generate further and ongoing intentional conversations.

More details to follow but if you are interested in a genuine learning conversation about mission in New Zealand today, then pencil in 29-31 July. More details will follow on the blog, or flip me your contact details.

Original blog entry:
I have a most interesting 2 days ahead. Firstly a day in Wellington leading a retreat with the Anglican Ministry Educators Network, who want to know more about emerging church/fresh expressions. Then onto Auckland for half a Thursday to gather with a Baptist group who are wondering about some sort of national New Zealand Baptist missional church gathering. I will be fascinated to work, and walk, between two denominational systems and compare interest, skills and capacities.

questions for an absent friend

On this your 23rd birthday:

where are you?
are you wiser?
is your view of God's Kingdom larger?
does your car go?
does your music sustain your life-gift?

valentines day spirituality

A number of people have noted the significance of the Opawa Baptist Church annual meeting being on Wednesday 14th February. It will be Valentines Day and all over Christchurch city retailers will be lurking, keen to remove hard earned cash from guilt-ridden and last minute planners.

Here are my top 5 romantic tips for Wednesday 14th February
1. Start the evening before with a special chocolate placed on top of the pillow.
2. In the morning, slip your own, hand-made Valentines Day card, with your own hand-written words of appreciation, under the pillow.
3. Ring your loved one at unexpected times throughout the day.
4. Become a year long romantic by taking out your diary and writing "buy red roses" on the 14th day of every month for the rest of 2007. You will get much more rose for your dollar.
5. Finally, full of romantic cheer, proceed to the Church annual meeting to enjoy live love songs, coffee and dessert, and a celebration of God's activity past and present at Opawa Baptist Church and a message for us all from a secret admirer.

The Opawa Baptist annual meeting is free and open to anyone in the church. If you want coffee and dessert, you need a ticket, costing $5, available from the Board or church office.

angels are biblical

Lynne and I have a trust called Angelwings, from which we run various projects.

I received a letter today, making a whole range of nasty accusations, including the fact that this trust was "new age." Unfortunately the person did not leave a return address. (I am not sure whether this is deliberate or an oversight).

So I would just like to clarify, because this address-less person does claim to read my website, that the reason we chose the name "angel wings" was nothing spooky or sinister or for any new age reason, but simply because in the Bible, angels bring messages and blessings from God and we set up the trust praying that we (Lynne and I) might be agents of blessing from God. And that the trust simply provides census data to help church's with their planning for mission, to provide an umbrella for my various speaking things and to allow us to develop research interests and Christian resources.

Sorry to disappoint, but "angel wings" neither intends, nor plans, anything sinister or "new age".

my students love me

the 2006 exiting class at my seminary BCNZ just rolled in with this ...

what a spot-on gift --- 21st century, chill-out, Lemon Jelly, Nitin Sawhney, Chicane --- makes me wish I'd been far more generous to them in my marking :)

And it certainly sets a high bar for every other year! :)

inspiration in 2006

5 most inspirational books of 2006

Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church – the theology helped us reshape our Digestion congregation, and allowed us to move to church as both resourcing, and learning from, the 24/7 doing of faith.

Cultural Transformation and Religious Practice – an real intellectual workout, but a must read for anyone who wants to think seriously about the processes of cultural change and the gospel.

Saint Johns Bible – this sits on my workplace coffee table as a reminder that the Bible is a coloured text, and deserves our visual excellence.

Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross – provided fresh insights for me on the place of story and storytelling in how we approach the communication of Scripture.

Kingdom ethics – invalable resource in mixing Biblical text and contemporary context as the Sermon on the Mount dominated the teaching in our Sunday morning congregation.

5 most inspirational films of 2006

Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada – for it's exploration of the possibilities of justice and redemption in the gritty places of human relationships

Over the Hedge – a thought provoking commentary on consumption and the environment

U2 Vertigo DVD – stunning example of worship leading and became a regular used classroom resource on the place of DJing in communication.

Firefly series – became a weekly day-off highlight. I love the humour, the moral dilemmas, the interplay of the characters, while the place of Shepherd constantly raised questions of spirituality.

Crash – the power of grace amid the complexity of racism and human life in the urban context.

the blog year gone

Most commented on posts in 2006
1. 7 things I learnt from Bono about worship leading
2. My God questions
3. Dub spirituality and worship
4. There is no such thing as emerging church
5. Flamed for Spirit as love

5 blog hopes for 2007.
1. To find a better way of balancing a gift economy with the pressures of life
2. To form a good robust panel discussion are each "my God question"
3. To have less spam
4. To have a great set of emerging church postcards and make them available as hard copy through lulu.
5. To develop an interactive on-line community around the missional reader project.

overseas travel in 2007

I have a group in the US who have asked me to speak in the Los Angeles area either May 19, 20 OR June 2, 3. All expenses are paid but it is a long way to go and a lot of personal energy for one gig. Are there any other groups around the Pacific Coast-area who could use me either side of these dates?

In terms of my other overseas travel plans in 2007; I am
- in Melbourne with Churches of Christ May 5, 6;
- in Auckland with the Anglicans July 3-5;
- in Los Angeles July 9-13 at Fuller Theological Seminary (pencil booked), then Seattle 16-19 July.

Contact me if I am in your area and you think I could help your emerging and missional church conversations around any of those dates. I can consult and converse and speak.

5 things

Pernell has tagged me: 5 things you probably don't know about me.

1. My brother Mark died at birth. I never met him and I've missed him more and more in the last few years. I find that a bit wierd.

2. I used to love marmalade as a kid. I used to spread marmalade on every one of my pieces of toast and school lunch sandwiches. Then suddenly one day I hated marmalade and didn't touch it for years.

3. My favourite books growing up were Biggles books. As a kid I was intrigued by the fact that Biggles never seemed to go to the toilet.

4. I stand responsible for my younger brother badly burning his feet. I managed to con him into running across the smouldering ashes of a bonfire. Half way across he just started screaming.

5. My favourite movie is Jesus of Montreal. I love the musical score and the urban landscapes.

And I tag Tash McGill, Laura Drane, Darren Wright, Steve Garner, Fernando Gros.

10 day celebration

Last nite was the first time in 10 days that just the 4 members of the Taylor family have sat alone around the table to eat our evening meal. I cooked a delicious vegetarian creation: nacho chips sprinked with cheese as a base, cooked vegetables layed on top (including peas fresh from the garden), topped with an avocado, tomato and spring onion mix. There was a lot of laughter as we remembered all the diverse things we've been doing in the last 10 days - theatre rehearsals, an overseas visit, international friends staying.

on the jet plane

I flight up to Auckland in a few hours to do a live radio slot. Feel free to drop in and listen.

Then up early on Monday to fly to Sydney for a 3 day conference: Faith in a hyphen, exploring one of the key issues facing Christian faith and contemporary society, that of how to respond to issues of cultural and religious diversity.

I am delivering a paper Faithful Other or Guilty Other?, exploring themes of migration in relation to Jacob's journey in Genesis 28:10-18. I am trying to read the Bible from a post-colonial perspective, using a range of literature, including the diaries of Captain Cook and Te Horeta (Maori who observed Cook's arrival). If you're interested you can read it here.

Hoping to catch up with Matthew Stone also. Back home late Wednesday nite, when I play host to Al Roxburgh and Andrew Menzies, as we begin to discuss the Allelon Mission to Western Culture Project and how it might shape up in Australasia.

It promises to be a stimulating week. I am praying this prayer, our Benediction for the 4 weeks of Advent at Opawa.

God,
please find me faithful in helping others
to celebrate the birth of your Son this Christmas,
Amen

hello hello it's a beautiful day: U2 in new zealand

It's difficult to find the words to describe our U2 concert experience. Thanks to friends (who we will owe until Kingdom come!), we managed to score a backstage tour, complete with walk on stage.

We then got dropped in the elipse at about 7 pm. A bit of focused movement and we ended up about 4 rows from the front. Quite close really.

Some highlights would include:
: Unexpectedly meeting friends as we sheltered from the rain under the stand – Andrew, Danielle, Steve, Kate, Bron ...
: "Aotearoa right in front of you;" the lyrics of Beautiful Day personalised for a New Zealand crowd.
: The koru designs during One Tree Hill. Again that sense that this band are willing to work to make this concert unique for this audience.

: Bono taking off his sunglasses when singing One Tree Hill. He normally takes them off for his father on Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own. So Greg Carroll is honoured and again, this sense that for this rock star, people matter.
: The balloons. Many in the elipse had been given green, orange, white balloons with instructions to release them when the house lights go up during Where the Streets Have no Name. Being part of a rain of balloons being thrown toward the front was magic.

Nothing's perfect, so lowlights would be
: Watching Bono trying to get rid of his limpet-like fan as soon as the spotlight went off them during Mysterious Ways. The point of Mysterious Ways is to dance, dance, dance, not cling, cling, cling!
: The punch in the back. OK, I was moving toward the front, but a punch! It put a whole new spin on Love and peace or else.

Thanks Tony and Jan and U2 for creating lifelong memories.

hello hello i'm learning Gaelic

Hello hello. It's the U2 concert this week. So this week the blog will be U2 focused. For a start, here is an ancient post: back in April 2003.

From dawn to dusk: compilation CD of U2 spirituality
13 U2 songs intrinsic to my spirituality. With some Biblical interfaces I find provocative. No room for anything off Boy or Zooropa. It's a reader-response compilation, ie what I the listener think of, not necessarily what the author might intend lyrically.

Streets have no name, Joshua Tree
- Genesis 1:1

Gloria, Under a Blood Red Sky
- Genesis 1:27

When you look at the world, All that you can't leave behind
- www.nzherald.co.nz

October, October
- Isaiah

Wake up Dead man, Pop
- Lamentations

One, Achtung Baby
- Jeremiah 31:31-34

Grace, All that you can't leave behind
- John 1:14

Promenade, Unforgettable fire
- Colossians 1:20 (Message)

Still haven't found, Joshua Tree
- Philippians 3:7

40, War
- Romans 8:19

Pride (In the name of Love), Rattle and Hum
- Matthew 22:39

Sunday Bloody Sunday, Under a Blood Red Sky
- Isaiah 65:17

Yahweh, Vertigo
- Revelation 21:1

spirituality of my bean plants

My beans plants have just appeared. I planted them 3 weeks ago. Normally bean plants appear in 2 weeks. Quite a number of the seeds in the packet had been damaged. Combined damaged with delayed seeds and I had almost re-planted the garden, only to be rebuked by the rapid appe