The new conspirators

Today's title is taken from a book I referred to the other day and have just finished reading. In it, Tom Sine spells out (in quite stark terms) the major challenges facing the world and the church, and prods and provokes us to find new ways of expressing the reality of 'another world that is already here'. He does this chiefly through the telling of stories, relating how individuals and communities around the world are responding to these challenges. The stories are often provocative and inspiring - but of course the question is (and the purpose of the book is to prompt this question): what does this look like for us, where we are? How can we choose to live as God's people, citizens of a different kingdom?

This in turn raises for me a couple of other reflections. Firstly, although I am very encouraged by and interested in the new forms of church life which are springing up, I also believe there is a continuing role for the 'established' or 'institutional church'. One story Sine relates is of a radical mission-focused congregation in California. At the end of the brief synopsis, he notes that 'in 2006, 30% of this new church's income was invested in local and global mission' - which is pretty impressive. However, the preceding sentence explains some of the background to this: 'The congregation rents a worship space from an established church so that it can limit the amount of income spent on their own needs'. To be fair, Sine isn't knocking 'established church' - but the message which often comes across is that church as we know it needs a decent burial.

This connectedness between old and new struck me recently in conversation with a friend, who was saying (very graciously) that church didn't really work for him any more. Instead, he and his family met together with other friends for Sunday lunch, with conversation and prayer flowing out of that. Which is great - there's a lot to be said for it. But the person concerned was converted and nurtured in faith in a big church. And I suspect that many of the relationships he now has with other Christians were formed within the context of an 'established' church community. Again, to be fair, he wasn't knocking church, simply speaking about his experience. But the reality is that so much that is new has its roots in what is older and wouldn't exist without it.

The second reflection brings us back to a previous post: the importance of calling. One things Sine's book makes clear is that there is no one way of doing this, either for individuals or churches. It really is a matter of discerning what God is calling us to. Which sounds like a big deal, but I think begins simply with asking the question of God: do you want me to be doing anything different? Do I need to change what I'm doing in some way? There's a lot to be said for praying 'this is what seems right - Lord, show me if it's not'. What's our role to be in the work of God's kingdom?

Last Saturday I bumped into someone who was part of the Guildhall Alpha group that I led a few years back. We see each from time to time and always chat. I knew that he'd been attending a church and was delighted to hear that he's recently been baptised. It's been a long journey for him (with some fairly major trauma along the way). And many people have been involved in that journey with him. But it's great to think that our little Alpha group had a part to play in it too.

A bit of a long post today - but that's it for a while now. Away this weekend and then off on retreat next week. I'll be back online next Friday, all being well.