Calvert argues that the way forward for the church is to engage with the broken parts of our societies and in doing so show that Christianity is not simply about sterile dogma and truth issues but it is about living these dogmas out in a practical way so that we reconstruct the Kingdom not simply through grand words but through postive actions that change the hearts and lives of communities. Well that’s how I’ve interpreted his contribution.

The dogma of secularity can be and often is overtaken by the pragmatic approach of secularists and Christians alike, who seek to subvert those who want to promote stereotypes when it comes to faith based organisations. The picture of the bread and the wine on the street is a subversive and converting idea. Offering communion on the street was enacting out in a powerful way the truth that Christ is reconciling the world to himself.

I believe the church has always been in a unique position to be the changemaker in our local communities. Surely, that is what the church was established by Jesus to do. Calvert points out that secularism is the result of the “Death of God Theology” As many of you know this kind of thinking can find its roots back to the philosophy of Emmanuel Kant. He sees us humans as disengaged,estranged from one another without relationship, he sees us humans as unwilling to except any law but our own, certainly no external laws from an external and eternal God.

Kant has had an enormous influence in the way that the modern world sees itself. There is little doubt that his philosophy has influenced the thinking behind social science and our religious studies, especially here in Europe. It means that human beings think they can find the answer from within themselves. This kind of thinking is prone to believe that the individual will always seek to establish himself or herself over against community. It is very Darwinian, the strongest always survives. Yet the paradox is that people are drawn to community yet feel and think community will always rob them of their freedom and perhaps their survival.

Now the Gospel of Christ proclaims a belief that you can only be totally free when you are in community and engaging in communion. The one and the many need not be mutually exclusive. The teaching of Jesus highlighted in John’s gospel is all about unity. The one and the many in Christ. Paul further explores this idea in Corinthians 12 when he speaks of the freedom of the different parts of the body within the unity of the one body.

It is this teaching that is at the heart of a new emerging church that I can see developing and making interesting subversive inroads into our secular society of the 21st century. Robert Calvert alludes to the fact that Orthdox Christians are now working in partnership with Christians from more Independent style churches. For me the miracle is that many more of the Independent Charasmatic churches are engaging with the more traditional or mainline churches. I was speaking to an Indian pastor who was staying with me last month from a small Independent church in Chemmai, he confirmed to me that many of the mainline churches in India are being influenced by the Indpendents and vice versa. This coming together to engage in acts of charity are all to my mind signs of the Kingdom. Often from this flows an exchange of worship styles and also the breaking down of barriers and walls that Paul speaks of in Ephesians.

It is not only a partnership with other churches that can change communities, it is also partnerships with local governments and other charitable agencies. The church can be truly ’salt and light’ when we work alongside others of good heart who want to bring about justice in the world. I can only talk for the UK but I am encouraged by the number of statuatary agencies and Charitable Foundations that are open and willing to help fund work of a social nature that is carried out by fgaith communities.

Firgive me referencing my own congregation but it acts as an example of engaging with the secualar world. We run four social outreach programmes out of our congregation here in Bo’ness as well as our international development work. A greater proportion of our funding comes from what we might call secular agencies. The BBC Children In Need fund our “Bounce Higher Programme, this is a programme that seeks to connect with children and families and offer them support and encouragement at various points in their lives where they might be feeling a bit vulnerable. Our programme supporting elderly people who suffer from dementia is partial funded by the Social Work Department, and our Christian Counselling programme is run out of the local Medical Centre. Our youth programme has developed and grown and has a not insignificant role to play in the local High School. Finally our not for profit media company is engaging with all kinds of projects and commissions both Christian and secular, including developing n online emerging church programme.

All this makes me aware of the great opportunities that are available to churches and Christian communities who want to begin to engage with the issues of our day. We may not start with handing out tracts and singing gospel songs but the reality is that sooner or later the topics of forgiveness and injustice guilt and truthfulness raise their heads and in the context of authentic relationship the gospel can be explored and received. Yes the Christian church needs to critically engage with the secular world and be shining examples of integrity and resourceful creativity. I am convinced that we need to reflect more upon what it means to be free in Christ and live for each other in community. To love God and serve the world and to also serve God and love the world. It has been my experience that very often it is Gospel and Communion that breaks open Dogma and Diversity. Communion holds diversity in unity and I think that’s not a bad piece of dogma.

Check out Robert Calvert’s Article

Of course when in London it is also an opportunity to take in a show. We managed to get tickets to go and see “Phanton of the Opera” now I must confess that I’m not a great fan of Lloyd Weber’s music to me much of it all sounds the same and it has a touch of the production line about it. But hey who am I to critise, one of the staff was telling me the show has been running for over 23 years in the same theatre and is played to packed audiences most evenings. So I guess there is a huge audience for musicals.

As I looked around at the packed theatre it got me thinking how many of our churches would be packed like this on a daily basis seven days a week? I began to wonder is their a story of faith that would engage people to the same extent. Any ideas? What would you make a musical about to engage people with faith issues? I’ve just read in the paper recently that the Vatican are promoting a three hour musical centred around the life and times of the late Pope John Paul the second. the musical is entitled ‘ Don’t Be Afraid” it would appear this was a phrase John Paul used a lot to inspire those round him to live lives of faith.

So why the photo? Where is the Guard? Well having a look around the Palace I thought there was milage in the idea of a Phatom of the Palace. But don’t be afraid. If you look closely you’ll see the guard is still on his horse its the way the photo has been taken.

There is something about summer that makes us all feel just perhaps that little bit more optimistic. Is it the weather? Is it the fact that we get time off to go on holiday? Is it that we can get into the garden and enjoy a summer evening with friends? What ever it is I just know that most people like Summer.

For me one of the most inspiring phrases about summer comes from C.S. Lewis in Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan speaking to the children says: “. . . you are – as you use to call it in the Shadow Land – dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”

I think there is something quite liberating about the above phrase. I can still recall the amazing sentiments of joy bubbling up within me as a child knowing the school term was over and the holidays had begun. Walking away from school was a truly spiritual experience. For me it was like a huge cloud had been lifted. It was summer, time to play.

It was just fantastic getting ready for holidays as a child. It was so exciting in our family. The big case would get packed, my dad would have on his ‘sports clothes’ as he called them, a tweed jacket and cavalry twills. Then it would be off to Ireland for two weeks with the big case on his shoulder and us children following behind and my mother keeping us all together as we walked up the gangway.

Those were exciting times for a boy who lived in the city. The chance to ride a tractor, the opportunity to sit in a big milk lorry. I can still recall the smell of the milk lorry cabin with the torn leather seats and the petrol and oil mixing together in the atmosphere to create a smell that for me says ‘all is well’. Those were happy days without a care in the world. Can you just imagine how wonderful that feeling is for a child?

C.S. Lewis uses that experience of ‘end of term’ to help look forward with expectation to the time when we will find ourselves released from the term of this life and we will be facing eternity. Death then is nothing to fear, it simply is the gateway into the light and the peace of God’s presence. I think this phrase of Lewis’ reminds us that living for many of us is just existing in the Shadowlands, indeed that phrase describes all of us.

Deep down in our souls we know there is more something quite wonderful to look forward to even better than any Summer holiday. I’ve come to the conclusion Summer is almost like a foretaste of heaven. It gives us a chance to think in a different way about life. The cold wind of the winter is over and the fresh warmth of the Summer days beacons us to think positively about life and also about life after death.
So why not kick your shoes off this Summer and get ready to enjoy your holidays. Yeah the dream has ended – let us make this day the first morning of the rest of our lives. If God is for us who can be against us?

Finding ways to connect with people is at the heart of the Gospel and of course the biggest connection of all is when a man or a woman discover the presence of God all around them. The thing is when this happens its “a God incident” its not something we can generate it happens in God’s time. I also think it happens when the Church is practicing what it means to be an everyday church. The truth is the church has to be an everyday church because its all about people living their everyday lives. Too often we still think of church as the building as a set of programmesas an organised identity. Church is not really like that at all. I think its a lot more messy than we’d like to believe. Jesus in his parables iis continually surprising people who want things to fall into a neat solution. he tells stories and parables that stretch our ideas of fairness and justice. He tells stories that often put the people who ae on the outside of religion more at the centre of true religion than those who are at the centre of religious organisations. It might even be that some of the organisations and structures and trappings of past religious experience may have to wither on the vine to allow the new branches the new grapes to begin to grow.

I’m becoming more convinced that God is working where he has always been working in the hearts and lives of individual people drawing them together by his Spirit to fulful his purposes in the world. Those of us who are used to thinking of church being church in a set way, we need to change if we are going to be part of the church of the 21st century.

Look into our building these weeks when the young people are off school and you’d think it was building site. There are just so many bits and pieces lying around the place. I’m ever thankful for our long suffering church cleaner who takes is all in her stride. Its also a parable the people and relationships are there to bring glory to God. the building has to be made to fit round the needs of the people not the people fitting around the building. Now that is our problem. We have an old building no longer fit for an everyday church. So here is the question what does a building being used by an everyday church look like? Do we need one building, do we need many buildings, do we need to use more technology? What is the 21st century church building to look like? let me hear your comments

So get listening to my show its on air every day at 9.00am except Saturdays and Sundays. So if your reading this get listening to italker on air. I’ve a great show lined up for today.

Anyway we think it is another groundbreaking move that will allow people to follow worship live in nursing homes, public transport and even on the golf course and why not? When streaming live onto the iPad everything is available at the click of a button the golf course might be a bit far fetched but the bus and the nursing home is a real possibility

Recently we’ve been developing within our services the opportunity for worshippers to contribute to worship using the text facility on their phones. Its actually a fantastic way to let people contribute to the prayers of intercession. It is also an interesting way to engage with the congregation interactively through preaching from the text. Only the text is the text message that has appeared on the screen in the sanctuary.

I believe there is an interesting opportunity for ministers to begin to explore how we can best utilise technology. Changing worshippers from consumers to producers is what worship is all about. Its about thinking about what I bring to church not what I get from church. I’m sure we will have an intetresting debate on the issue. Some will think what I’m talking about is a gimmick, but its not its a real opportunity to empower the worshippers. Its about engaging liturgy into everyday life. Its actually very Orthodox to talk of liturgy in this way.

Neil tried out the technology last weekend, and he was able to sit in his car on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and watch the morning service live. This also means that if he had wanted he could have sent his contribution for prayer via the iphone and it would have appeared on the screen at the front of the church. He tells me to make it clear he was not drivng at the time.

For those of the congregation and friends who don’t have iphones or ipads I believe Neil also plans to try streaming services live onto Blackberries, Google Androids and Nokia phones in the not too distant future so watch this space.

One other thing most of you guys know that I’m a bit of a U2 fan well I think its about time we had a U2charist here in Scotland. This is a Communion Service that uses U2 songs as part of the worship and praise. I believe these worship events have been taking place now for a few years all around the world but from what I can gather non in Scotland. So I thought we could develop a really cool service using U2 tunes using iphones and ipads then podcast it on itunes.

So what do you guys think. I’ve come across a web page worth looking at which gives all kinds of hints and ideas to help organise such an event. Have a look at U2charist resources I’d love to hear what some of you think. We could perhaps start our next Sanctuary First with a U2Charist or should we aim to put on a bigger event in one of the Cathedrals? I waiting on a text or an email but at least a comment

This was one of the themes picked up by Archbishop John Sentamu as he issued a reminder at the closing worship service of “Edinburgh 2010” in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall. Alluding to the gospel account of Peter’s denial of Christ, Sentamu added: “Jesus today is on trial in the court of the world by our lips and lives. Jesus and his gospel are being judged.” Sentamu continued, “Human activity only begets human activity. The prophetic Word and the Spirit make us live.” His voice echoed with an evangelising passion that recalled preachers of the past who spoke in the same space. It was also reminicent of his recent visit to the CWW National Gathering in Edinburgh in 2008 when I had the privelege of introducing him to the 8,000 audience gathered at Ingliston. Archbishop Sentamu has been such an inspiration to many of us in Scotland and he was the ideal peron to bring the conference to a close.

PRAISE GATHERING 2010
All the good things were not just happening in Edinburgh, through in Glasgow, the Praise Gathering, under the leadership of Ian Watson was packing in thousands to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall over a three night stint. I had the privelege of attending on the Saturday evening. It turned out to be a fantastic evening. What I like about the Praise Gathering is it lterally does what it says on the tin. Its about praise to Almighty God, and its not about celebrities. in many ways it seeks to pick up the theme of Hope and Humility.

The Director and Conductor Ian Watson has been a wonderful friend to all of us involved with Church Without Walls events. Over the last few years in Aviemore. His inspirational leadership in worship was quite outstanding. Ian has put together an extensive programme of praise music, for the Praise Gathering, in doing so he seems to be able to find the balance between a participatory element to allow his audience to engage with praise themeselves allowing them to become producers of praise, while at the same time offering everyone the opportunity to become a consumer listening to an amazing 400 voice choir sing a variety of pieces ranging from traditional gospel to more contemporary songs.

For me the highlight of the evening was an arrangement of the well known hymn “How Great Thou Art.” How they did it I don’t know but they moved from a lyrical ballad to a rockous gospel sound in less than a minute, greatly assisted by Gamu.

Now I said there were no celebrities but there was one outstanding star! Once again for me the evening highlight was the young Glasgow singer Gamucharai Nhengu (aka Gamu). She is a seriously talented young woman. The truth is the she brought the whole Concert Hall to life. She has amazing stage presence and for someone so slight one wonders from where does the voice come? To hear Gamu sing again it would be worth any Glaswegian brave the elements and venture east and attend the next Praise Gathering which takes place in the Usher halls Edinburgh on Saturday 19 June.

We had some rain but for most of the time everyone enjoyed the opportunity to be out in the fresh air getting to know each other and eating some fantatstic burgers. big thank you to the Discipleship group for organising the event. Douglas and Andrew and Martha all did a wonderful job. i was especially pleased to see such a good cross section of the congregation involved.

So it appears like everyone is looking forward to the next one. When will it take place? Maybe next Sunday if the weather’s good we could have a barbie in the church garden. What do you think Lilias? a great way to elcome our visitors from India. i believe they arrive with us on Saturday.

Talking of which if your around in the Church garden you may see one or two flags flying. In reality they are prayer flags from Sanctuary First. If you want to know more about them you’ll need to check out www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk Sanctuary First is an exciting online worship experience which we at St Andrew’s Bo’ness are developing in partnership with other congregations around the Scotland. There are literally hundreds of prayers on the site and numerous videos that I’m sure could be used by various groups in different settings.

We’re looking at the present moment for more people to join with us in the partnership and put on the Sanctuary First service in their area. The venue needn’t be a church in fact it would be great if it was some place other than a church. We’re also hoping that eventually we’ll be able to connect with some congregations from around the globe.

Meanwhile we’ll keep pressing on and once again a huge thank to all who worked so hard last night to make Sanctuary First so special.

In comparion with the Lausanne Conference which will meet in Cape Town later in the year, where there will be an estimated 4,000 delegates this is a much smaller grouping of people, but I believe it can have a great influence on future world mission strategy, however such influence must be earned and not simply depend on the legacy of the first conference which met in Edinburgh in 1910.

The original concept for this conference was to to bring around 1500 people together to celebrate the historical significance of first Missionary Conference of 1910, but the conference planning has been beset by financial constraints and eventually a much smaller event has been organised. However size is not everything. Its more about quality and influence and passion and above all practice.

There are around 300 delegates from all over the globe meeting together to engage with the theme . ” Witnessing To Christ Today”. Many of those attending are pastors and church leaders and academics, all seeking to understand the changes and challenges that face the Christian Churches as we seek to take ‘ The Great Commission’ of Jesus into the 21st century.

The task is a challenging one and it was interesting to hear the perspective of different denominations during the response time to the first plenary session which was delivered by Dr Dana Robert. I’ll comment on these in another post. Professor Robert is co-director of the centre for global Christianity and mission at Boston University School of Theology. She had a theme question running through her paper asking the rhetorical question from the psalmist ‘How Long, How long ? ‘ I found myself wanting to listen to the U2 song, called

Click here to view the embedded video.

Professor `Robert was basing her thoughts on Revelation 7. 9 where John the Apostle describes the great gathering representing every tribe and nation. Reminding us that the early Christians were people of vision believing that the Gospel was for all peoples. The Revelation vision is all about celebrating God’s global mission. In her paper the Professor raised many interesting points highlighting the truth that the church can only enter into the “Full riches of Christ when the world church works together ‘. We have to be a people who speak, who act, who live, so that God’s glory can be praised. Here she was quoting, Orchard, who wrote a great deal about the correlation between Mission and Doxology. There was a plea in her paper to make sure that we didn’t let our theological difficulties stop us from working together to share the Gospel.

Robert, as well as giving us a critic of where the church has been in the past in relation to World Mission was also calling the world churches to engage in a global conversation, that allows us to concentrate on that which unites us rather than divides us. I think she is absolutely right.

There is I believe a common agenda developing among Christians featuring the core gospel values of peace, justice and reconciliation. These ideas are developing around social concerns including the needs of the poor. It is these biblical injunctives that are uniting the church across the world, regardless of so called theological divides.

Many now believe that proclamation and justice go hand in hand, this also includes “the whole world concept” highlighting a concern for the preservation of God’s creation. There is also a concensus growing among Christians that the technological and economic globalisation of our world has created new challenges and responsibilities for all of us as believers in the way we talk about world mission.

Professor Robert touched on all of the above issues, ending by reminding us all that we need to take the long view and believe the eschatological vision that one day there will be no more hungering or thirsting, because God will indeed be with us. Until that day we still may cry how long but it is a cry that surely reflects our hope rather than our dispair.

The great challenge of the 2010 Missionary Conference for all of us who claim to be Christians here in Scotland is to rediscover the power and passion of the Holy Spirit in our churches so that we may talk with conviction and commitment to the idea of the whole gospel being proclaimed to the whole world. For too long our visioon has been squashed by our own domestic challenges, especially those of us in the Church of Scotland. It is refreshing to once again have our eyes lifted beyond our domestic challenges to be inspired by the world church.