snippit re last blog

A friend (always spell heck as its not nice to call someone a fiend) sent me a summary of a regional prayer gathering shortly after i wrote the last blog bit - i felt it tied in nicely to what i was trying to convey.

"The first session focussed on repentance within the church. The question was asked ‘how can the Church intercede if it itself needs forgiveness?"

We're All Prisoners Here 'We Built These Walls With Blood And Fear'

We're All Prisoners Here - We built these walls with blood and fear.
Or so goes a line from a song my mates band have just produced. i dont know the context but i can 'wonder'. Im more into the bit that goes 'we need some liberty tonight'.

I work with some great guys in congregation contexts of church. I heard someone use a 'generalistation' for churches who have woken up to impacting communites beyond their separate sub cultures they have built /inherited. He said, 'yeah, like those emergent - without walls churches'.
So... it would seem that one church i work with is now emergent? Based on the fact that as their caretaker i spent 2 hours errecting a glossy banner outside saying CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS......... as soon as i finished, the postman came by and said ' lovely banner - when do the bulldozers move in?'.............. ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.(ive seen one such sign in previous years with a 'b' inserted in place of a W - could have been prophetic).
Anyway - ta mr posty - I guess it points just a little to how such a phrase and banner is for the church, and not for the lost who frankly, it means little to and is probably confusing, but HEY, if His banner over us is Love is now well established and we can have something else there to shape and form our intent.....go for it i say. But i would be very wary personally of putting anything up in public that is simply a statement of INTENT, as there is a huge ravine in between INTENT and REALITY.
In those up front pastor of a congregation days, on several occassions i could be heard to say....... What Jesus Intended - JESUS DID.

In fact, ive been with three congregations in the last week who have said with real positivity - 'We Are WOrking Out How TO Move Towards The Community'. I find that encouraging but i also find it so SO UTTERLY TERRIBLE IT RATTLES MY BACK TEETH. I have found that we can float this new idea around of 'moving towards community' and generally, in my personal view... NOT SPEND TIME IN SACK CLOTH AND ASHES IN REPENTANCE FOR HOW FOR MANY HUNDREDS OF YEARS OUR PLATONIC AND CONSTANTIAN DUALISM HAS ROBBED THOSE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IN OUR LOCALITIES>>>>> ROBBED THEM OF THE KINGDOM COME!! ROBBED MANY GENERATIONS OF FATHERS MOTHERS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. (and we may even rob a couple more while we work out if our stuctures can be utterly re shaped to serve Gods will in mission ..... or not)

It sounds to me like something interesting is happening, but with no more weight to it than that, but surely someone needs a slap?? Dont they?.....or at least they/we need to soak in grace fully aware of how OFF THE MARK we have functioned and how sinful our congregational selfishness has been. ITs gotta be a context to be aware of what we deserve, but what His grace will yet again see us through. Im just reminded of Nehemiah gathering all inhabitants of the new city in the square and before moving into launvh mode - signing up in recognition of where they had failed - doesnt this moment need marking? Recognition and Repentance?
"We are really working hard on ideas for outreach" i was told yesterday....to which i had to reply, 'thats just great - as long as you know YOU CAN ONLY REACH OUT TO SOMEWHERE YOU HAVE REMOVED YOURSELF FROM!!
Surely these new ideas must come with a weight of conviction from the holdy spirit - but what i sense is a nudge, maybe even a 'well weve really been around the houses inside the church with this strategy and that model - so lets try something outside - could be a good thing in the mix'. Where is the weight - Where is the Travail and the Mourning in response the the cry of the land yearning for the sons and daughters of our god to be revealed!!!!!

Church Without Walls..............we should be ashamed to have that as a publicity campaign - really ashamed (if you catch the non literal spirit of what im saying, that is - i really dont care about a sign - but i care about its implications or opportunites it could provoke). I really do pray for a bulldozing conviction from the holy spirit that will overcome strongholds/walls of practice, culture which has become spiritualised and anything which re inforces dualism (more spiritual here than out there - God is more here than out there etc)........... In Fact - i really dont care if the postman is dissapointed and the physical walls remain, cause those could come down and the walls in our minds and practices still hide us from the world on its knees.

Gosh...... bit of a meaty chunk.....must have felt provoked.

Im gonna keep saying it "CAST OFF ALL THAT HINDERS AND CONSTRAINS" both you personally for you and for the works of the advancing kingdom through you. Remember playing kiss chase in the school playground ? (hopefully it was a mixed sex school)- id like to say i was good looking enough to have joined in - but cant, Or another game called lergy....... now i got to play that for some reason - someone had 'IT' and we ran and in touching someone else, they then had IT whatever IT was, didnt seem a very nice thing to have. BUT - in a redeemed form of that..... Here Goes.... touch....... YOUR IT. (Gods only agents of the kingdom will of the Father)

gaz out