sustain:if:able kiwi

rereading luke 10 in Dunedin

Sorry the blog has been a bit quiet. I’ve been down in Mosgiel, Dunedin, very well hosted by the Anglicans, speaking about mission and church and leadership.

It’s the 4th group of Anglicans I’ve worked with this year and you’d think I’d have it down pat by now. But I can’t help myself and after listening to the hopes and conversations of the group that invited me, I was up until past midnight the night before, re-framing the entire day.

I was using Luke 10:1-12. So I used (four) concepts within that Biblical text, of
– sending,
– going with no agenda,
– listening at the tables of our culture,
– naming the Kingdom
to frame my four sessions. Then within each session I followed a repeated cycle of
– God’s story;
– my story;
– your story.
This cycle allowed me to start each session with God’s story and then to explore how this has shaped my ministry as I have provided leadership. And then space for them to consider their story, and what God might be calling them to in their context.

I was pleased with the pattern. Much of the content remained, but it seemed to provide a frame that was coherent and allowed a fertile mix of Biblical and theological engagement, practical grounding and space to earth and apply.

They worked me hard (speaking for 8 hours). I was stuffed, and arrived at the airport only to find my flight delayed. Sigh. Two hours to rectify an engineering fault meant I missed being able to put my kids to bed. Stink.

PS I’m aware that there’s something funny with my comments. Sorry. They don’t have internet in Mosgiel and then with my flight delayed, I crawled into bed at midnight and …. yeah, yeah …

PSS One of the wierdest things was queueing for the toilet and meeting Aussie visitors who had first heard about me via my time with Craig Mitchell and the Uniting Synod in South Australia. A small world with very few degrees of separation.

PSSS I got asked some of the astutest questions I’ve been asked in a long time yesterday. This is when, for me, speaking becomes gift because it opened new doors and growth for me. Thanks people.