jonnybaker

good samaritans?

i preached this morning at st mary's ealing (which i do about once a term). unusually i was asked if there was something i had in mind rather than there being a series or lectionary text chosen to work from. i was very taken with a chapter in bible blindspots (more about that in another post) by nestor miguez called samaritans and empire. that together with previous ponderings led me to work up a talk i called 'good samaritans?' i developed it as a reflection from photine, the woman at the well in john 4 - i have used that name as that is what she is known as in the orthodox tradition. when i suggested it i had no idea what would be happening in the world and church this week but it somehow felt pertinent. i don't often write sermons out but i did for this one and have added some scripture references into it for those who are curious to explore further. i am not especially giuven to posting sermons here but thought i would this time round.

if you like the gist and want to read further then you might like these three articles/chapters:

samaritans and empire by nestor miguez in the book bible blindspots;
prayer of the sent away by ryan dueck in the book unsettling the word
unmasking state theology by gerald o west also in the book unsettling the word

anyway here's the talk/monologue

Good Samaritans?

Readings: 1 Kings 12:1-24; Luke 9:51-56; Luke 10:25-37

[Today I am going to present a reflection on the readings as today’s sermon by presenting you an imaginative reading from the woman at the well or Samaritan woman. I hope this has something to say into our world today and indeed our church. I won’t draw any conclusions - you can draw those for yourselves.]

Hi! My name is Photine though you probably know me as ‘the woman at the well’. You probably already worked out that the whole encounter between me and Jesus shouldn’t have happened. There was a lot of animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Jews despised us and so 99.9% would walk around going the long route rather than actually have to go through and God forbid meet a Samaritan! Jesus was different - he decided to meet those whom others avoided and despised. As I say we met at Jacob’s well and I have never forgotten it. Jesus and his friends stayed with us for two days after that which was amazing and we talked and talked. I am not sure you realise quite how incredible what Jesus did was.

The disciples were a bit slower to catch on to put it mildly. Even after they had spent those two days with us in our village (John 4:40) a few months later they still wanted fire to rain down from heaven in judgement on us Samaritans (Luke 9:51-56). I was shocked and at least disappointed when I heard that story many years later - they should have known better.

I am getting ahead of myself - let me rewind. A bit of history will probably help. You may be familiar with it but don’t worry if not. When our people were freed from slavery in Egypt we were in twelve tribes (of Israel). When we entered the promised land eventually the land was distributed between the tribes. We all settled and worked out how to live in the land - thanks be to the God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. God is good. After Joshua it was a a bit chaotic really and leadership sort of moved round the tribes - the Judges were from many tribes - Gideon from Manasseh, Samson from Dan, Deborah from Naphtali (we think).… Then of course against the advice of the prophet Samuel, we demanded a King. Saul, David and then Solomon who were all from the tribe of Judah, ruled as Kings from Jerusalem. There are explicit instructions in the law about how kings should rule (Deut 17:14-20). But they pretty much ignored the parts about accumulating wealth and about not lording it over the people. By the time of Solomon he was running an expansive building programme including the temple, with a huge labour force made up of indigenous peoples or foreigners as we thought of them and Israelites (though notably not including people from their tribe of Judah!) (2 Chronicles 2:1-2). He was a real slave driver and that became his reputation. The prophet Nathan counselled against building a temple (1 Chron 17:3) but  that was ignored. Empires and colonial powers can’t resist that city-temple combination - conveniently God legitimates their extractive policies and exploitation of the people. The rich city elites get richer and the peasants get poorer. It’s what Samuel said - ‘the king will take’! (1 Samuel 8:10-18)

I think that is what created the tension that led to a split. Under Solomon, Jeroboam rebelled and took the 10 tribes in the North and Solomon was left with the tribe of Judah and most of the Levite priests too - Jerusalem was the place of the temple. His son Rehoboam who you heard about in the reading succeeded him as King.

They say history turns on key moments. Rehoboam had a real opportunity for peace and uniting Israel as one, for a reset if you like. But instead he ignored the elders who advised this was an opportunity for uniting the people together as one. Instead he listened to the young who no doubt were enjoying their wealth and privilege, the fruits of exploitation. They liked the status quo. So Rehoboam turned the screw, and said he intended to be more of a slave driver than his father Solomon. It’s what empires do - sacrifice whatever or whoever gets in their way. Well you can imagine how that went down - rebellion, violence and resistance. From then on we were  separate. They had their Kings we had ours. Sometimes we fought, sometimes there was peace.

Jerusalem was in the area of land that the tribe of Judah took from the Canaanites. We loved that city but after Rehoboam couldn’t really go there any more. That’s how we ended up with our own sacred site and built a temple at Mount Gerazim - it’s a special place of course because it’s where the blessings were read back in the day with Moses - yes from that mountain! Looking back maybe for us who were being written out of the story that sign of God’s favour was why we chose it?! It was King Omri who decided we also need a capital city of our own. He bought a hill and built a city named Samaria from which you can see the Mount Gerazim (1 Kings 16:24). Well the tribe of Judah (and the priests) did not like that at all. Chronicles pretty much writes the Northern Kingdom out of the records - have you ever noticed that?! Guess who wrote that version of history! Not us. As I tell you this I have tears in my eyes - we are the same family - we are all one people, blood brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t have been that way.

Who are God’s people? It’s a pretty basic question. Is God a tribal God or the God of all the world, of all peoples? When God spoke to our father Abraham he said that all nations would be blessed through him. We (Israel) were always meant to bless all peoples. Since the spilt gradually the Judahites (now known as Jews) claimed God’s favour was just for them - they were God’s people - forget the rest of us - the blessing of God on all of Israel collapsed. It’s ironic that we were meant to bless all peoples but what emerged was an ever decreasing defended group claiming they were God’s chosen people and that God was only with them and not with others. In both the Northern Kingdom which over time became known as Samaria and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) people turned away from God. And we reaped the fruit of our ways which was what was said in the law all along - wild beasts, famine, war and ultimately exile (Leviticus 26). There were some good kings but the overall pattern was not. No one ever believed it would happen but in the North we were taken captive by Assyria.  and in the South some years later Babylon. Samaria was over run by the king of Assyria and he sent people from 5 nations round about to live there (2 Kings 17:24). And of course they brought their religious practices with them. The King of Assyria did send back a priest to teach the ways of the Lord. That has been used to beat us ever since - the 5 nations things, prostituting ourselves to other pagan gods. The author of the book of Kings says ’To this day they persist in their former practices.’ (2 Kings 17:34) which is bit rich to be honest. But that is what we had to live with - accusations of heresy, idolatry.

The return from exile as recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah is another screw turned really for us Samaritans and other Israelites which is now canonised. Anyone undocumented was in trouble - you had to prove your ancestry i.e. really were one of the chosen people meaning you were a priest or from Judah or Benjamin and elite at that!  And those who married foreigners were publicly named and shamed and in some cases beaten. The women and children just sent away. It’s unbelievable really. Of course many of them ended up with us in the North. It’s purity gone mad - imperial politics acting in the name of God - what kind of God would do that? One who hates foreigners?

I hope you get my drift - it’s important to fill the back story. We talked long into the night with Jesus about all of this when he stayed those two days. Jesus is so incredible. He came to Samaria, he spoke with me and when I shared about our sacred site he didn’t mind. He suggested it was about something beyond that - Spirit and Truth (John 4). And what amuses me no end is that everyone who reads the account in John’s gospel thinks I have had lots of husbands but when Jesus said I had 5 husbands - I knew he was talking about that central reason we were hated or what the accusations were - the 5 nations we had supposedly got into bed with! He was letting me know he got all that and it didn’t matter - he had not come to judge. He didn’t judge us but helped us all find the living water he talked about while remaining worshippers as Samaritans - it was extraordinary. The disciples did not know where to look over those two days! But like Hagar I knew he was the God who sees - he saw me, he saw us.

And it didn’t end there with Jesus - his story of the Samaritan who helped the beaten up man when the Levite and pharisee didn’t was brilliant and shocking at the same time - you can imagine how that went down with the powers that be! After he had ascended and the Spirit came we caught wind that it was to come in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth - yes Samaria - thanks be to God!

I remember wondering whether our name ‘Samaritan’ which was seen as a curse really by the Jews when I met Jesus, could ever be seen differently. But Jesus flipped the script or had a good go. What does the word mean in your time I wonder? Do you use that word for good? Is it possible that there are good Samaritans?!

I relay this to you in the future as followers, disciples of Jesus, my sisters and brothers. I imagine these kinds of issues are long gone in the body of Jesus:
defending purity;
claiming God as being for one chosen group and not another;
calling other followers heretics or unbiblical;
domination, oppression and forced labour that comes with empire;
colonial settler expansion and land grabs in the name of Jesus;
expelling undocumented workers.
I am sure these must be a thing of the past I mean when it comes to the church, Christianity.
Jesus is such good news.

off grid christianity interview

i was interviewed recently by martin purnell for the podcast off grid christianity. we last spoke in about 1998 when i had recorded the album backbone, a sad angry protest album about palestine. at the time martin was working with crossrhythms. we don't particularly discuss that situation but unsurprisngly i have been pondering some of those songs and feeling that same sense of overwhelming sadness. 

the interview catches up over those years discussing music, alternative worship, pioneering, church leaving as something it might be normal to do after a while and so forth.

it feels slightly weird to say come and have a listen to me wittering on in conversation for an hour but if that appeals then here is the link!

trickster in the bible

in a previous post there are lots of african names for god in the invocation. i stumbled across a new one today - the great trickster! i was following a trail in a footnote that mentioned an article called tricksters in the bible by carole fontaine which of course caught my attention. if you know me, you'll know i love the trickster myths and character. anyway i managed to track it down to an episcopal church magazine called witness in 1998. wonderfully it is online in an archive here. the article is by carole fontaine who i don't know much about but like immediately! i have taken the liberty of lifting out that article so you can take a look here but i found the whole magazine pretty interesting with articles by the likes of walter wink.

"When the power-brokers simply will not listen, when the center forgets the margin — well then, a trick may be in order."

theology brewed in an african pot

it's the beginning of term. a new year is always both crazy busy but hugely energising. at cms in oxford we have around 100 pioneers doing some training with us at undergrad, post grad and doctoral levels. it's such a joy and privilege meeting them and encouraging them in who they are, their sense of vocation, their learning and practice. i teach a couple of modules at undergrad level. one is an introduction to practical theology and reflective practice. we had the first day of that yesterday where amongst other things we discussed theology as a quest, as faith seeking understanding, as conversation about god, as something for everyone and not justan elite educated crew, as something lived, as something contextual and local and intercultural, as something global and not just western and so on. one of the ideas we came back to was theological homelessness (scroll through this edition of anvil and you'll find an article by me and cathy ross on it). 

as you would expect, for every module there is a reading list. one of the books on that is theology brewed in an african pot by agbonkhianmeghe e orobator and an essay option is 'what does theology look like brewed in the pot of your community?' which i think is a fun title (i am not so sure students think it's fun writing essays mind!). i have always loved learning from other cultures and contexts and putting my western learned sense of things in conversation with that - it's a gift cms has given me. it's such a relief to find that wesrern theology (ies?) are a local theology rather than universal and will be enriched in conversation with other theologies. i'll never forget john mbiti sharing names of god he had collected from his travels in africa and he had over 300 names. orabator has various prayers and liturgies in the book, one of which is inspired by john mbiti. it's called an african invocation of divine names and i found it online here and am taking the liberty of posting it below (largely because i have learned over the years of blogging that links eventually don't work!). what does theology look like brewed in the pot of your community i wonder?

Ancient deity,
Unbreakable stone,
Consoler and comforter providing salvation,
Grandfather who alone is the great one,
Watcher of everything who is not surprised by anything,
Piler of rocks into towering mountains,
Divider of night and day,
Response: We praise You!

Sun too bright for our gaze,
Eye of the sun,
Artist-in-chief,
Drummer of life,
Owner of our head,
Large and deep pot,
My feathered one,
Mother of people,
Response: Bless us!

Great nursing mother,
Great eye,
Great rainbow,
Great personal guardian spirit,
Unsurpassed great spirit,
Great source of being,
Great mantle which covers us,
Great leopard with its own forest,
Great healer of eternal life,
Great water-giver,
Great well,
Greatest of friends,
Great spider, the all-wise one,
Response: Enlighten us!

Controller of destiny in the universe,
All-powerful, never defeated,
Father of laughter,
King without blemish,
Possessor of whiteness,
Whiteness without patterns,
Caller-forth of the branching trees,
Unique great one to whom one can take petitions and requests for counsel,
Response: Hear us!

The first who always existed and will never die,
The only one bull in the world,
The one who sees both the inside and the outside,
The one we meet everywhere,
The one who is in all ages, everywhere and at all times,
The one who turns things upside down,
The one who has power to destroy completely,
The one who makes the sun set,
The one who gave everything on this earth and can take everything away,
Response: Guide us!

Axe that fears no thistle,
Hoe that fears no soil,
Ram of majestic sinews and majestic carriage,
Hero who never flees before the enemy,
Big boundless hut,
Victor over death,
Response: Protect us!

Compiled from John Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion (London: Heinemann, 1975); Robert E. Hood, Must God Remain Greek? Afro Cultures and God-Talk (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990); Joseph Healey and Donald Sybertz, Towards an African Narrative Theology (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1996), and other sources.

Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator - Theology Brewed in an African Pot

i am adding this as a worship trick - yes i'll be getting those going again sporadically.

lay pioneering and thriving in mission

lay pioneering and thriving in mission is a new grove booklet by james butler. it's the result of reaearch in focus groups with a range of lay pioneers. it's very well done and super interesting what surfaces. it's hopeful and a reminder that pioeering arose as a result of a lay movement of the spirit in the world. he explres some of the challenges and inevitably this leads to some discussion on the relationship with local churches. for me it confirms some of my hunches and ponderings about the way church is constructed and how it simply does not work for huge numbers of people. so perpetuating the idea that if we do it better or do more of them the church will grow may well be a bit delusional. or may be one among many things that might be worth experimenting with. or at least it will work for a natural fringe only. lay pioneers are world facing and inhabiting the neighbourhood or parish differently. with a little bit of imagination it's not hard to see how wonderful that is and how it is good news and the yeast of the kingdom. anyway all that is to say have a read - grove booklets are about 8000 words usually and very accessible. i explore some of my own thoughts on reimagining church in the chapter 'leap over the wall or perish' in imagining mission with john taylor - this reminded me of that, which is still one of my favourite chapters of things i have ever written. have a read. and thank you james butler.

latest anvil on indigenous theologies

the latest issue of anvil journal is really wonderful - exploring the emancipation of indigenous theologies in light of the rise of world christianity (and it's free). i read it on the ferry on my phone on the way back from the netherlands last week and found i wanted to read all of it! i have so enjoyed various things related to indigenous spirituality, community, theology over the last few years - visiting maori and reading hui comes home in NZ; braiding sweet grass; first nations version of the new testament; rescuing the gospel from the cowboys by richard twiss etc... so it was a joy to be able to host some articles and conversation in the cms journal. big thanks to everyone who contributed. i also really liked the book reviews this time round - they all sound interesting. do read jay matenga's article. I thought that was particularly helpful at a time when the c of e could do well to stay in for the difficult conversations. i took some quotes from that and the editorial and put them with photos i took when i was in new zealand. see my word - indigenous

leadership as friendship

at cms there is a library and new books are on display. one caught my eye a few weeks ago - ecclesial leadership as friendship by chloe lynch which i took home to have a look through. ever since i have been wanting to write a review and not found the time! so this isn't a review - more an enthusing.

i should say first up that it's an academic book, it's a work of practical theology that is amazingly thorough, well researched and written. it's not popular level if you know what i mean. she uses walter brueggenann's prophetic imagination (which is one of my favourite books ever and one that changed my life) as a framework for the book. this in itself is wonderful - i intuitively did something similar many years ago for an essay on my MA.

she offers a critique of leadership in the church as it is - i completely welcome that. she particularly lays into the managerial culture and language, but interestingly looks at other ways of framing leadership such as servant and suggests they fall short. incarnational mission and ministry is central for her which i love and agree with (i have returned the book by the way so can't check exactly how she puts it). she then offers leadership as friendship as a model or way of thinking through church leadership. i think it is a very original piece and i warm to the notion a lot. i read steve summer's book on friendship years ago where he explores the idea of church as a community of friends and the eucharist as a meal with friends. i loved that and it felt to me that this builds on that - she does reference steve in passing but i was surprised that link wasn't built on further. i am very drawn to ignatian spirituality and at the heart of that is the idea of friendship with god as at the heart of faith. if you put all these things together friendship becomes a really interesting way of reflecting on following in the way of christ together. 

the big question i have is to do with power. is it possible to be in a leadership role and maintain friendship? it's a good aspiration. chloe does address that but i wanted more. steve summers does explore that in more depth in his book - his angle is whether friendships can work across different social strata. 

evangelicals are in crisis i think when it comes to leadership and they are not alone - how many more cases of controlling, abusive leadership are going to come out? so it might seem weird to suggest friendship when it also feels like you can't trust people in leadership. but i think the problems are in large part to the way the cultures of churches are set up whether an overly clerical paradigm or an overly super hero paradigm where you don't question the leader (or whatever the big evangelical church leader paradigm might be). the problems too are to do with the heart being deceitful of course. but positing friendship as a paradigm for being a community opens up a different kind of culture. it's easier in a small community which to be honest i have always preferred and been part of. and it does open up some questions too.

at cms in theological education we try to create that sort of a culture with our team and with students and pioneers who have trained with us. i have wondered whether it is feasible to do but have often said i primarily like to think of students as friends who are fellow travellers in mission. this too is counter cultural to the expert or to notions of formation which seem to me to largely be about control and create almost parental kins of relationships between teachers and students.

anyway all that to say i wanted to mention and enthuse about the idea and the book and chloe lynch (who i don't know). being academic it's not a cheap book and sadly routledge are still not on perlego .

come and train at cms!

the mission training at cms is wonderful. i don't know how else to say it. working with the creative people, pioneers, dreamers, ministers who have joined us over the last dozen years has been such a joy! and i love seeing what people who have trained with us go on to do. this video of ali is one inspiring example.

it's that time of year to think about signing up for next september. if you'd like to know more about it, give me a shout or even better come to the open day we have next week. 

you can study at any level -

• audit modules or join a hub's year long programme which is not accredited
• undergraduate certificate, diploma, degree
• postgraduate certificate, diploma, MA, DTh

they all focus around mission, with imagination and creativity front and centre as we seek to reflect on how to engage meaningfully in the communities and contexts we are in.

reflective practice in mission is relevant to many things but these are the kinds of focus you could particularly explore with a mix of theology, mission and ministry -

• youth ministry
• childrens ministry
• pioneer ministry
• african christianity (now at both UG and PG levels)
• fresh expressions
• church planting
• chaplaincy 
• new housing
• social innovation
• african christianity
• helping my parish church be missional 

what a relief we are past COVID now (?!) - maybe it's a good time to engage? the plus now is that having learned from going online during COVID, you can study in person, online, hybrid so get in touch wherever you live! sorry for the short notice but there's an open day next week but there are also a couple in june. click on the links to book in or download flyers here and and here

adaptive church - webinar in january

i have got more and more interested in system change. the reason why is probably obvious. i work with pioneers who see new possibilities and create paths to make the possibilities happen. but they work in a bigger structure - usually the church but maybe a charity or organisation. and it turns out that if you want to see genuine newness and innovation you really have got to pay attention to both or you can get derailed. so i was really interested to come across dustin benac's research published in his book adaptive church. he researches two organisations or what might better be described as movements in the north west of america and does a deep dive on what is happening in the change process there. there are some really interesting insights and reflections - for example he maps what a range of leadership looks like in movements which i have not seen before. and the big takeaway really is the significance for a diocese or denomination of having another organisation that can help call them to the edges, to the future, to change. 

the good news is that dustin is doing an online session for us at cms on january 18 at 3pm. it's free and you can sign up here. i am looking forward to it. i think it's particularly relevant if you are leading at that system level (director of mission or ministry in a diocese or a fresh expressions enabler) and if you are working or leading in a community or organisation that works with churches to help them change and adapt in mission and i also think it would be really relevant if you are involved in allocating funding for mission or growth in denominations or organisations.

you can read details and register here.

a visit to the usa and prayers in defiance of empire

i am in the usa for the first time in quite a few years at a consultation in princeton which starts later today - more about that later no doubt. i am topping and tailing it with visits to people in new york. i visited harlem for the first time - this is the famous apollo theater. the way it worked out i had a free day yesterday and also managed to get a ticket to see the new york knicks at maddison square gardens - my first ever nba game which i loved. 

i was thinking i must have been ten time or so over the years but i started checking back on my blog when i had been previously and think this is my twentieth visit to north america. one of those was holiday - the rest have all been trips in response to invitations to speak, lead worship, join conversations, design labyrinths and so on. what a joy that has been. it feels like it's been a shared conversation of mission in response to a changing world and culture with so much to share and learn. it's so energising crossing borders, meeting new people and catching up with old friends. at the end of the post i have listed those trips for my own record as it took me a while to work out!

it was an absolute delight to meet claudio carvalhaes this week. we had not met before and he kindly agreed to meet some stranger from england! he teaches at uniion theology seminary (where james cone was of course) which is on the edge of harlem. he is a liberation theologian, liturgist, artist, earth lover. i reviewed his book liturgies from below which is an extraordinary collection of prayers. there are two covers for it. the publisher clearly struggled with the original cover and sends out the 'liturgies from below' version. but there is another one which says 'prayers in defiance of empire'. claudio gave me a copy of that one so at last i have that which i love! i am going to pray the prayers in the book for advent praying with the wretched of the earth, those at the edges, the poor, the dispossessed. i feel hugely challenged by this and his other writing as i have not had to face such pain and hardship. i have a couple of other books by him so will say more about that once i have finished them. but do check out his work. in true liberation theology fashion in his work praxis of prayer and liturgy is the first move in theology, and the second is to reflect on it.

one of the things that was surreal when we met is that he had a book on trickster on the side at his apartment - when i asked about it he shared that he loves trickster and has been researching about that. he gave a public theology lecture in brazil dressed up as the trickster character curupira in the indigenous brazilian mythology whose feet are back to front presumably so he can cover his tracks or confuse people about the direction of travel! he was equally surprised when i relayed our latest photo exhibition on the theme of trickster. an artist, a trickster, a liturgist, a liberation theologian, a lover of the earth, a creative teacher of theology, a prophet... - it may not surprise you that we got on and we are going to stay in touch!

for the record these are my previous trips:

1998 Canada family holiday to Ontario
2000/2001 Group youth ministry tour
2001? Youth specialties Anaheim
2002 May - Toronto
2003 Fredericton Canada
2004 San Fransisco + Nashville
2005 Winnipeg
2005 Colorado - youthworkers retreat
2005 Atlanta
2005 Princeton + New York
2007 Lancaster + Ontario
2008 New York and Trinity retreat centre
2008 Oklahoma and Austin
2009 Lancaster + New York
2012 Austin SXSW
2013 Ontario + Saskatchewan 
2014 Chicago CTU vocations event
2017 Chicago Luzbatek lecture visit
2017 Loveland Future of church conference + Denver
2022 Princeton and NY

cms twenty: doing the imaginative work

this is the tenth of a series celebrating twenty years at cms

see  1. gold | 2. emerging church | 3. blah | 4. new forms | 5. worship tricks | 6. mission shaped church and fresh expressions | 7. pioneer ministry | 8. church planting | 9. red tape

in almost everything I have been involved in at cms there has been a quest that is more interested in the future than the past. the church has always adapted so it’s nothing new but although the church has the rhetoric of knowing she needs to change and perhaps wants to change it turns out she prefers business as usual really. i noted this when I reflected on what we had learned after 5 years and still think it’s true scroll down to the section 3 the church says it wants pioneers but.... i’ll come back to that question of systemic or adaptive change in another post as it interests me more and more.

i quickly found out that if you look to the usual sources through which leaders are trained they really are not set up to do this future faced thinking. the language and forms from one era or culture don’t make sense in the new. so the last twenty years have involved a lot of conversations, reading, writing, thinking, theologising ourselves - trying to find resources and ideas that will resource a different kind of imagination and practice. the blog and series of connections with others on a similar journey has been the site of much of that reflection.

i was pondering that process of reflecting and it has been a really wonderful part of the adventure. 

one area of reading and reflecting and noticing is in the direction of artists and writers and filmmakers who catch the zeitgeist and describe what’s going on in the wider cultural space. just before joining cms i did a masters degree and a large part of that was engaging with cultural studies drawing on thinkers like zygmunt bauman. there is so much to be learned there. it’s basic mission practice to read the culture. 

another is finding the treasures from the tradition that seem to help break it open afresh in the present. there is a rich vein of this but you have to dig them out. they often seem to be tucked away and half forgotten with dust on the cover. for me in particular this has included an engagement with cms own history, stories and especially some of its prophets - i am thinking of the likes of john taylor and max warren as well as stories of cross cultural mission and contextual, local and intercultural theologies from round the world. i have definitely found some of the gold I was seeking which was a fund for my own imagination. i have returned again and again to the notion that mission is ‘an adventure of the imagination’ which is how taylor describes it in the primal vision.

then perhaps the most surprising has been to find ourselves doing our own publishing in the area of pioneering, mission, theology, practice, church, spirituality and so on. we have not been the only ones of course - it’s been wonderful to exchange learning with those in fresh expressions for example who also got on a roll with publishing books reflecting and theologising about what was happening as well as those in other parts of the world exploring similar questions. i remember a lot of energy when we toured the country with mike frost and al hirsch to talk about the shaping of things to come for example. we have hosted annual conversations days since november 2013 reflecting on what we are learning about pioneering mission - i found the flyer above for that first one. that has led to publishing, editing or contributing to quite a lot of books. i have listed my contributions here - books like the pioneer gift, pioneering spirituality, future present, curating worship, imagining mission, mission on the road to emmaus, missonal conversations, pioneer practice, go between god (the foreword) as well as running proost for several years to self publish artistic expressions and liturgies from the emerging church including a couple of pocket liturgy books - grace pocket liturgies and making communion. proost doesn't seem to be in action any more so have put these two books here as free downloads - help yourself.

we also picked up the editing of anvil journal on the way, a journal in theology and mission which is themed each issue with two or three editions in each volume. anvil is free online. the team I am part of have been incredible in this regard and i owe a debt of thanks in particular to cathy ross whose enthusiasm for publishing has pulled the rest of us forward and enabled us to grow in confidence and think we might dare to write. i have loved that some of our students have published for the first time through the books we have edited. paul bradbury published an amazing couple of books - stepping into grace and home by another route, tina hodgett and paul created the pioneer spectrum which has taken on a life of its own. it’s a delight to have harvey kwiyani and joseph ola most recently join the team who are publishing in the space of mission, diaspora, intercultural theology, african christianity and decolonisation. i have no doubt there will be more to come.

if people ask me what I do ‘writer 'would never be a label on my list but looking back i do seem to have done my fair share! but for me I think it’s more about the necessity of doing the imaginative work and offering that into the wider conversation. in movements I suspect it is essential.

latest anvil - sustainability and mission

a new edition of anvil journal is up online. i am happy to say you can download it for free. it is a collection of articles and reflections from our pioneer conversations day last year which explored themes around mission and sustainability with a whole set of questions around growth. it reminded me a bit of donut economics actually and how to live in a space within limits in a way that enables flourishing of life.

i have two simultaneous feelings when anvil comes out. i feel excited because i love the reflecting and thinking going on around mission today. and i am delighted because since landing it in cms this is now our 18th edition so there's quite a collection of thinking and conversation now. 

the other one is that it looks overwhelming. i think this is because in spite of technology i still don't like reading really long things on a computer. probably if i had a cool ipad i might feel differently about it. it's a lame confession i admit. so here's what i have decided to try out this time round. i am going to pick one article and read that every day or three and ponder that. i was at the day so have already heard some of the pieces. alison webster's piece on building collectives with soul felt very resonant at the time so it's good to have a chance to ponder that. there are also a ton of book reviews this time round. the new book review editor is clearly on a roll! 

yoho journal - kester brewin on top form revisits piracy

i have really been enjoying yoho journals - i first came across them at a friend's (ht martin) who showed me one on the subject of rotten institutions. i wanted to read that especially when i found out that the university and the church of england were the two under the spotlight! the format is that there is one extended essay and then 3 or 4 responses. that one is by linda woodhead. it's all both good fun and deadly serious at the same time. it's nicely designed and put together. you can sign up to receive them or buy individual ones from unfold media. it has a nice feel to it - untamed.

the latest one is by kester brewin and is a really brilliant reflection. his book mutiny was part of the inspiration for the journal so it seemed fitting he penned an essay. this is journal no 6.  a decade back he suggests there was an optimism about the likes of the occupy movement and creating alternative spaces to reimagine the world. but the world has changed and that idea seems somehow empty or at least it has not delivered. we need new tactics. we have encountered some rebels who act under the guise of being for the people, populist, revolutionary, against the establishment (trump, johnson et al). but actually it's a con - they are the empire in disguise and are just robbing the poor to line theirs and their friends pockets. so kester gives piracy a bit of a rethink and suggests some possibilities for how we might act now. i found it very helpful to make sense of what is going on in the world and for what might be good to consider how we act now. i'd love for some others to read it and then have a conversation about it. it is honestly one of the best things i have read in quite some time.

if you are in london that conversation is actually possible btw - nov 14  7-8:30pm at the anchor pub on bankside (near the golden hynde pirate ship of course) is a launch of the yoho journal issue with kester. i have it in the diary!

[update: the gathering is now not happening but is online which is a bit disappointing for me as i was looking forward to something in person but is probably good for others who wouldn't access it other wise so don't turn up at the anchor then]

after the apocalypse

it is always a delight to discover friends creative projects. i spotted on instagram a new collaboration between poet chris goan and illustrator si smith. chris penned a few books of poems and liturgies on proost, and si is probably best known for the wonderful 40 series of illustrations of christ's journey in the wilderness.

after the apocalypse is arranged in three sections - before, during and after written and drawn in and around the pandemic. you'll find yourself in the words and images - it's a landscape we all traversed. artists have a knack of being the kind of nerve endings of a culture or something - a sort of feeling their way on our behalf or something. the times we are living in have made it hard to feel genuinely hopeful but it does blend grief and sorrow with hope against the odds.

chis blogs at fragile tent and is someone who has really stuck with the blog format over the years and done an amazing job. you can see some illustrations from the book and poems if you scroll down - like i want to live on this post.

while i was looking to see what was there i really enjoyed chris' latest 4 posts which are explorations of theopoetics - spirituality through artful making. this is a link to the fourth - click on that and scroll down. well worth a read...

the book is available from seatree argyll - that's also the site for chris and michaela goan's creative projects working in pottery, words, wood. they both left jobs a few years back now to pursue a simpler life where they could explore their passions and creative interests and make a life from that. it seems to be going pretty well! 

this year's conversations day - a new sort of hybrid

every year at cms we host a conversations day. we pick a theme relevant to pioneering mission and practice and invite a bundle of contributors to explore it through workshops, talks, conversation and art. the very first one was on the pioneer gift out of which we published the book of the same name and every year since we have either published a book or edition of anvil. last year's was the wonderful and crazy gather online festival in which we explored pioneer practice.  it's been a great space for colliding with other pioneers or those interested in pioneering and having a chance to reflect together and dig deep into something.

this year has escalated into being hosted simultaneously in penrith and in oxford on tuesday april 5 so you can attend either one in person. the places are inevitably a bit more limited than previous years due to social distancing requirements in venues so book early if you are craving that on site experience. but there is also an online option and in that you will be able to choose any of the sessions from either the north or south versions! so it's new kind of hybrid which should be fun. and for those of you in more remote locations it makes it accessible.

the theme is exploring issues related to flourishing in pioneering mission and sustainability. see the link below where that is expanded on and there is a list of contributors.

register for oxford, penrith or online here

for those of you in the cms pioneer starfish network (i.e. you have done some training with us in oxford or in a hub) make sure you select the reduced starfish ticket. and if you are a current student select the free online ticket option.

the go to guy...

i was delighted to hear harvey kwiyani sharing his story on the comb bbc world service podcast and being described as 

the go to guy for african church leaders looking to reach out to communities around them

i have been friends with harvey for several years now and learned loads from him. it's a delight to have him leading the african diaspora route through the ma at cms. we are half way through the first year and it couldn't have gone better really. one of the issues he discusses is that in terms of revitalising the church in post christian britain, africans bring a wonderful gift of faith. but the challenge is that very often the churches they grow replicate the culture of the leaders so become largely nigerian or ghanaian say. it is then harder for others to join and feel at home and can be hard to engage well in the community. there is such a great connection with pioneer training because pioneers are asking a similar question. they are on their own adventure of the imagination to see how faith can connect with all sorts of people and communities where they are without those people having to cross the threshold of church which can seem very strange or foreign. 

the pioneer training at cms is wonderful and we are so privileged to get such creative people who join us. if you are interested in the diaspora ma or the pioneer training we do we have an open day coming up on february 28 - actually that's a misnomer it is an hour and a half online! love to see you there.

 

the gift of african diaspora churches - new edition of anvil

the latest edition of anvil journal is online and free as ever. i read the articles over the weekend. it's powerful and inspiring exploring the contribution of african diaspora churches to mission in britain. find some time, grab a coffee and have a read. it is edited by harvey kwiyani and colin smith and i was delighted to see contributions from a current and former student too! 

harvey leads the new route through our ma which is now up and running with 10 students signed up. they study three modules related african christianity, theology, mission and three related to pioneer mission. it's fully online so you can study it now from anywhere in the world.

woodland ecosystem + church mixed ecology

the church of england vision has mixed ecology at its heart which i really like - it's a rich evocative metaphor. i was invited to write a blog post for the church of england on that idea. i have learned a lot about ecosystems over the last three years through managing a piece of woodland. so perhaps inevitably that's where my thinking went. have a read - what i learned about church as an ecosystem by looking after a woodland

i first had this idea and develop it in imaging mission with john taylor. i think that chapter might be my favourite thing i have ever written.

latest edition of anvil - mission and shame

the latest issue of anvil journal is up on mission and shame. it is edited by andrea campanale who has explored and researched shame herself in relation to faith (and life) out of her pioneering. it's a really terrific issue with strong articles from people who have researched and written on shame digging deep alongside reflecting on practice. you can read online or download a pdf,

that time of year - sign up for pioneer training - and a few new things to tell you about

there is an open day on zoom on may 10 - it's not really a day - an hour and a half! come and find out about cms pioneer training that is accredited through durham university common awards. if you are a pioneer or into mission, honestly you'll love it. have a look at this page of video snippets to get a feel for what students say. now is the time to sign up if you'd like to train with us from sept 2021.

you can do modules, certificate, diploma, degree, ma, and even a dth now. the model is that you are somewhere involved in practice and the training helps you reflect on that. as well as the pioneer lens through everything, there is a route at undergraduate level that is focused on youth, children and family ministry too. you can train with us for ordination or for licensed lay ministry in the church of england or we have a route for baptist ministers too. do have a browse round the web site or give me a shout if you like.

there are a few new things to tell you about:

first up we have a new route through the ma - this is pretty exciting. see the ma page here. we have done things together with missio africanus over the years and been big fans of what they are about. through that friendship an idea has grown of a route through the ma that is focused on students in the african diaspora. it will do three modules we already have along with three new ones. you can do that ma from anywhere in the world as it will be an online pathway! yes you read that right...

the regular ma is also now being offered face to face and online. so it's suddenly a lot more accessible.

i should add that students on the different routes will interact as modules overlap etc so there will be one diverse student body. we hope to add in other diaspora focus over time too by the way. 

then at undergraduate level we are running a more blended model - this means you reap the benefit of face to face which we are all missing right now but just under half the modules will be online. this also means more accessibility and less travel overall but you also can meet people in the same room (remember that?!)