The Locals

New Twitter link

2011-04-06T12:17:00.001-07:00

Well people. A new way of posting links.

Telling the Truth 2007: Yes its really going to be that good!

2007-10-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'd leave it to my fellow locals to make their own decisions about free time. But this weekend's Telling the Truth Conference on the Arts and the Worshipping Church is really going to be so good... you won't want to pass this one up. In fact, if I didn't live here in Victoria, I'd still be travelling to get to be part of it.

The Event runs 3 days:

Thurs Oct 25th 7pm (Lambrick Park Church) Keynotes and local stories
Friday Oct 26th 7pm (Saanich Community Church) an extravaganza of art, live music, poetry exporing intersections with faith.
Saturday Oct 27th 8am (Saanich Community Church) all day workshops and keynotes.
Sat evening 7pm (UVic Interfaith Chapel) join us for a contemplative service "Hear the Silence" no charge for this service

Check out http://www.poasis.blogspot.com/ for all the details about the conference, cost / registration info, local presenters and story tellers and our guest speakers Jamie Howison and Gord Johnson from Winnipeg's St Benedict's Table whose theology is as good as their art and sense of humour.

And hey - even if its last minute..COME! Just mention that you're a "local" and we'll get you in!

Just trying something...

2007-09-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are visiting the site, don't be alarmed, please ignore this image and peruse the various articles at your enjoyment.

regarding those who are 'locals', I'm using this image to put a picture on my profile page - apparently I have to do this. Don't be alarmed or dismayed, I won't harm you... much.

Actually, now that you're here, why not leave a comment. I think it looks awesome personally. A tribute to my Maori tanga (heritage). However this is not 'Moko' but would more accurately be designated as ' Kirituhi '- Skin art.

Mega church in a consumer culture....

2007-09-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

I've also been checking out a conversation with my emergent kiwi mate titled,'Praise God from whom all economies of scale flow ' and added my tid-bit too. Here it is cut & pasted for your convenience.

I think that in the past, modern Christendom was so much part of the cultural tapestry of our societies ( NZ, Aus, Canada, USA, Europe etc. ), church was a natural part of that landscape. That religious fabric is being worn away as our societies are moving from a modern to some kind of post- modern fashion. Another way of saying it is that once Christendom was like a sea that covered our societies landscapes and now it's been reduced to pools, which are getting smaller, and there is a kind of amalgamation occurring - formation of mega churches. Among other things, Mega churches are reflective of our consumeristic culture where we can shop for all our spiritual goods and services in one place - a spirituality of entitlement. It also serves as a ' watering hole ' in the midst of a perceived dry , barren and dangerous landscape. What we might be seeing is the last ' Hurrah ' of modern Christianity before the pool dries up. Meanwhile, our societies are becoming more distant.

Our context is changing and the Church along with the Gospel must be contextualized as we engage new societal fashions or landscapes that are forming.
This is where the ' Emergent ' expressions of Church have a place. In short, I believe that we must emphasize a local - ' indigenous ' , wholistic, visible presence of Church. The local church must be recovered but perhaps more reflective of the neighbourhood that it finds itself in. By indigenous I mean we must study that context and seek to ' translate ' church and the gospel to it's surroundings - not synchronize but contextualize, there's a difference. I say wholistic because we need to dismantle our compartmentalized approach to faith - what we eat, where we shop, justice for the poor, environmental issues, to name a few, are growing concerns in our transforming culture - do we have a counter cultural voice here ? I say visible because we are supposed to be a shining light. for example, I personally am not in favour of house churches. I've been a part of one and I found it to be quite insular, self absorbed and at times elitist... Not to mention, void of eclesiology. And for the most part, invisible.... Steve I like the fact that you belong to ' Opawa ' Baptist church. It speaks of locality and it has a visible presence. It's ongoing challenge will be to contextualize, become a indigenous expression of Church there. Steve, if your church was to close down tomorrow, would the rest of the community of Opawa miss you ?... Or even notice ?

Who will lead the revolution ?... I'm not sure if its a revolution, maybe more of a re-definition. It will be guys( or Women ) like you Steve, visionaries and leaders who will boldly go where no modern Christian leader has gone before. I also think it won't so WASP'y( White Anglo Saxon Protestant dominated ) and I'd also say that grass roots initiatives will become more the norm.

Those enmeshed in Consumerism will be happy with mega church and probably stay there. Some will become disillusioned and leave, others will embark on the journey, adventure, and mystery with you.

My initial thoughts,

Tangira.

Made in God's image and Airplane seats...

2007-08-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've been part of a conversation that's on the emergent kiwi blog. It started with a post titled, ' Large people and Airplane seats ' which was quite provocative and offensive to some people. Lately Steve has started another post that asks,... "Why, if Christians are made in the image of God, is it so hard to look at ourselves n*ked in the mirror?" . Here's how I responded to that question.

"Why, if Christians are made in the image of God, is it so hard to look at ourselves n*ked in the mirror?" .... Partly, because we are an overtly 'compartmentalized' people.

Well, first of all, Christians aren't the only ones made in the image of God - apparently all of Humanity is too. According to the story in Genesis humanity with all its diversity of colour, shape, size, psychology, personality, emotions, culture, and it's need for spirituality can all find its source from this statement, " made in the image of God "...It's a mysterious statement but it's ambiguity can also be explored... One of things it does do is affirm our physicality.

We are holistic beings that are are made up of many distinctive's described above. I think it's deficient to focus on the physical alone and ask the question, ' what does made in the image of God mean today ' ? This idea of compartmentalizing our beings, for the church, goes way back to St Augustine who was a huge fan of the Greek philosopher Plato. Plato promoted the idea of 'Dualism' which Augustine picked up on and masterfully applied it to the Christian life and world view of his day which still reaches down to ours. Basically, Augustine said that the Spiritual life was most important and should be the focus of our Christian growth. Our physical nature, over all, was something that was akin to carnality, the flesh, the inherently sinful part of ourselves. Some of the results of this philosophy in the church have been : The perception that sex is evil, the female body inspires lust, emotions and intuition can't be trusted, the physical body isn't that important, the environment can be exploited , even being 'educated' has taken a toll under this philosophy.... We often say to each other, ' how's your Spiritual life ' ? as though that's what's most important, as though it's separate from every other part of our beings.

I'm doing away with this kind of compartmentalization or personal separatism. I am one 'being' made up of many distinctive's; In that like the different organs of my body, they ' bleed ' into each other. Those distinctive's are all important to God and should be looked after in the pursuit of Godliness. I'm beginning to understand that I can't do anything spiritually, physically, emotionally etc. that's not going to effect every other distinctive of my being. We have a responsibility to look after our physical bodies, like we take care of our ' spiritual ' life. But not in the vanity and conformity of this world. We do it because in some measure it bears Gods image, which is a mystery, because we're all so different. So bear his image and be who you are but don't be conformed to the vain nature of this world.

That's my two bits...

Look out....the Truth is out there

2007-07-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Oct 25-27, 2007 Something the locals won't want to miss

2007-07-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Locals

I just spent a great couple of hours (well, more like 4) chatting with folks about the Telling the Truth Conference this Oct. More details to come over the next month or so, but let me at least "leak" this info to you all now:

Its looking very good for us having Jamie Howison and Gord Johnson from St Benedict's Table in Winnipeg come speak and run workshops at our conference. These guys will have a very broad appeal with something for the academic / theologically minded, artistic / creative, as well as church leaders and missional thinkers. What I'm saying is I know my "Local" friends will want to hear what they have to say, as well as participate in discussions with other members of the Church at large here in Victoria
We have taken care to avoid conflict with Gulu walk this year (no pun intended)... so let us be the first to suggest you mark your calendars for Thurs Oct 25 (evening), Friday Oct 26 (evening) and saturday Oct 27.
we're looking to include some sharing of stories to find out what is going on in our community and beyond. If you know of someone who is doing notable work with regards to the arts and the church let us know

I'll post further details over the summer. If you want more info now or have ideas to share, email me christine {dot} neufeld {at} gmail.com or leave a comment below.

Something to talk about...

2007-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings locals.

So, I came across these words on the blog of local artist J Nobel:

"i'm convinced that visual art has a place in contemporary church circles apart from setpiece and backdrop, visual reference at best. i'm convinced that there is a more prominent place for visual art in the corporate body. i'm convinced that art can include, can gather together, can teach, can connect, etc. art is made in community, grows from community, is supported by community, and thus should serve community." read more here

J' has a lot of great ideas...and great paintings! That's why I think we should swarm the guy at his gallery opening Friday June 1, 7pm at Con Brio Studios. His show is called "Transitions". In addition to J's original works there will be live music, good food, and the potential for some very interesting conversations. Sounds like our kind of thing eh?

Here's the poster - hope to see you there. And don't forget to check the poasis site for more details.

A little more contemplation...

2007-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...

Thought you might like to know of a service coming up with our friend Ernest the Anglican. Less talk, more prayer...sounds very cool:

Taize Prayer at UVic this Friday April 20th
4:30 pm Interfaith Chapel
Come check out this opportunity for simple, welcoming, ecumenical prayer based in the rhythm of song and silence. This style of prayer, developed by the Taize community in France, is used worldwide as a way to sink deeply into the experience of worship and cultivate the presence of God.

Time to be appetized...

2007-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

I love Sushi ! It's got to be some of the most artistic, well presented food out there.... And I'm not talking about the that cheesy 'western' friendly junk you buy in super markets. I'm talkin' the real deal, raw and rugged texture of sea creatures finely sliced.... There's a theology there that must be discovered with every bite. For some good Sushi in our area check out this place

.... And to get your taste buds primed, match your witts to this game , which I discovered from my good friend P. Wade . So take a break from your artsy fartsy, theological endeavours, play a game and go get some good Sushi at a very good price. Enjoy ! .... Remember, honor is everything !

Taizé at UVic | Friday Mar 2

2007-03-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

If you're around campus at all tomorrow, Ernest (UVic's Anglican chaplain) is throwing together a Taizé service for 4:30 at the Interfaith Chapel followed by soup and bread. If you're interested in helping put things together, feel free to show up at 3:30....And as Ernest would love this to be far and wide and as ecumenical as can be - please tell anyone you think might be interested.

James wants your insight re: ethical trade etc

2007-02-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

I'm looking to spend this week gathering your esteemed insight, opinion and schooling on the topic of evangelicalism and fair trade for an upcoming conference here in Vic. Please feel free to leave as much, or as little feedback here. Thanks eh?!

Stickman Art Show tonight (Fri Feb 16)

2007-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

If you're around Gordon ~~Hood~~ Head this evening, make sure you swing by Lambrick Park Church and check out their fifth annual Stickman Art Show....Number 5's the charm they say.

Open Office - Copyleft Liturgy

2007-02-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

Considering all our monastic and office chat lately, it was interesting to see the folks from Vaux have come back online with an opensource approach to liturgy. From the website:

The Open Office is an attempt to affirm that liturgical rhythm, but using resources written by people 'on the ground', rather than published and canonised from on high.

Each post is categorized to allow users to search through the normal headings of an Office: morning, noon, evening and night prayer, plus prayers and liturgies for festivals, birthdays and pretty much anything else. All of life can be celebrated, lamented or remembered together.

ThePrayer For a Meal on Tired Evening After a Week of Struggles in the City is especially great! Though Victoria's not so "city" as we sometimes pretend to think it is....Perhaps "a prayer for a meal on a tired evening after a week of struggles with people who are really laid back" would be more fitting of the island...

Thoughts in general?

Via Kester Brewin

Youth of the Apocalypse

2007-01-29T00:53:00.000-08:00

A few articles here to peruse:

Punks to Monks:
Eastern Orthodoxy's Curious Allure for Young Rebels
by Danny Duncan Collum

When John Marler arrived at the St. Herman monastery in Platina, California, he was only 19, but he was already in a state of advanced world-weariness. A disenchanted ex-guitarist for hard-core bands Sleep and Paxton Quiggly, he was hoping that the monk's life would grant him a modicum of relief from the nihilism and despair of the alternative rock scene. Four years later, Father John, as he's sometimes called, has become an inspiration to a surprisingly growing number of young people eager to embrace the mystical theology of -- are you ready? -- Eastern Orthodoxy.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green reports in Regeneration Quarterly (Winter 1997), Marler and two other punks-turned-monks at St Herman's -- Mother Neonilla and Father Damascene -- are reaching out to disaffected teens in ways hitherto unexplored by Orthodox Christianity: a zine, alternative music, a Web site, and a chain of coffeehouses. The zine, Death to the World, has reached more than 50,000 readers, mostly punks who "feel out of place in this world,"says Father Damascene. "We try to open up to them the beauty of God's creation," he adds, "and invite them to put to death 'the passions,' which is what we mean by 'the world.'. . . Selfish passions can then be redirected into love for God." What's most remarkable about these monks is that they're tapping the heart of contemporary youth culture even though they have little or no contact with its commercial manifestations. Two of the St. Herman Brotherhood's three California monasteries have no electricity, phones, or running water. And Father John lives in a monastery on an island off Alaska and communicates only by mail.

On another level, however, the leap from punk to monk should not be that startling. Punk rock has always been a semi-monastic movement, with its distinctive reject-the-world garb and ritualistic mortifications of the flesh. The one thing punk has always insisted upon, from the very beginning, is passion. It didn't matter much whether it was the passionate nihilism of the Sex Pistols or the passionate idealism of the Clash as long as it was fervent and deeply felt. It's no accident that the hard-core wing of the punk movement gave birth early on to the "straight-edge"ethos, in which followers swear to abstain from drugs, drink, and meat.

There's something about going all the way, without compromise or equivocation, that appeals to young people in a time when commitments of all kinds, from employment to marriage, seem temporary and conditional. Of course, going all the way can mean all the way out -- to drugs, or crime, or a one-way trip to the Hale-Bopp mothership. Or, as in the case of the punk monks, it can mean going all the way into the life of the spirit.

Marler's book, Youth of the Apocalypse and the Last True Rebellion, is reviewed on Amazon; I've quoted the review in full:

In the darkening world of contemporary unbelief, where the impending storm clouds of destruction have indeed almost drowned out the light, this distress is most intensely felt by the still-tender souls of the youth.
YOUTH OF THE APOCALYPSE AND THE LAST TRUE REBELLION is a ray of light cutting through the dark clouds of hypocritical, worldly pseudo-religion. It presents the realities of Orthodox Truth without any apologies. This book is a virtual manifesto for the despairing children of the eleventh hour, addressing the issues and problems that are literally tearing apart the fabric of innocence. It deals with suicide, insanity, drugs, violence, art, the occult, the apocalypse, and finally with our salvation, suffering and resurrection out of the depths of the contemporary nihilistic wasteland.

"Humanity had thought itself sufficient, and even now we think we can escape our destiny by our own efforts. Escape!--that is our only thought. To escape from the insanity, the hell of modern life is all we wish. But we cannot escape!!! We must go through this hell, and accept it, knowing it is the love of God that causes our suffering. What terrible anguish!--to suffer so, not knowing why, indeed thinking there is no reason. The reason is God's love--do we see it blazing in the darkness?--we are blind." --Fr. Seraphim Rose

YOUTH OF THE APOCALYPSE was torn from the hearts of two young monks in Alaska, who themselves have been raised out of the darkness of contemporary nihilism in its most extreme form. It has already brought suicidal young souls, despairing Orthodox young people, and other Christian youth into the ranks of God.

And here is an excerpt from the book, that Amazon reprinted:

From the mother's womb the newborn child cries; and these teardrops continue even unto this generation of youth. Every tear of every child is a painful gesture of a universal confession of the fall of mankind from perfection--to corruption, suffering and death. This cry does not grow fainter as we grow older. On the contrary, in these times worthy of much lamentation the cry grows louder and is the only consolation of the youth of today.

This generation of youth, which could very well be the last generation, is shackled in despair to this cry because they see all too well that this broken world is coming to an end. And no one has told them the truth that in the Apocalypse God will wipe every tear from their eyes. But they have been taught by violence that this eternal truth is "relative."

Alone, imprisoned in this world, we are brainwashed into believing that "there is no absolute truth," and that there is "no answer to the question: Why?" After spending our childhood in such a cold prison, it's no wonder that in our youth we seek death. When there is no answer to the answer to the question "Why?" the only freedom seems to be oblivion. The youth of today have come to the conclusion that the only hand left to wipe the tears from their eyes is the hand of suicide. When there is no truth in a world of falsehood; when there is no beauty in an ugly world; when there is no love in a world of violence and hate; when there is no God in a faithless world; it's no wonder that in every room, on every street, in every city, the weeping of the young can be heard. This is why youthful rebellion is born and justified.

This breaking down of our world is due to one philosophy, one mission that has been victorious over man's freedom of thought since time began--Nihilism. It is the belief that "there is no absolute truth." It is like a heartless and gutless machine that presses on, giving birth to destruction, sorrow, pain and death. It chooses the young for its victims, for it is easy to scar the innocence of youth. It is this machine that controls that spirit of these times and tells us that there is no answer to the question "Why?"--and therefore no reason to live at all. It is this machine of apostasy that has given birth to the youth of today. We are her children; we are the children of Nihilism; we are the youth of the apocalypse.

Now we are left with a generation that is dying off due to suicide--the Last Genocide. This Genocide can only be stopped by Truth. In order to embrace this Truth we must die to this world and be resurrected. This is the unshackling. This is the Last True Rebellion.

A "simple" question

2007-01-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

When considered in the life of a Christ disciple, what does/should "simplicity" ask of us?

A quote to kick the discussion off:

"In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away..."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery from Wind, Sand, and Stars.
(thanks to Malcolm for the quote)

Listening versus Hearing

2007-01-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

If we could go to SBF every week just to hear Chris's pearls of wisdom it would be more than worth the journey to Central Saanich. As it was, we also got to sit under her ministry of music- a double blessing. During the service, the distinction between listening and hearing was brought home to me once again. I can't remember the name of the fellow who spoke- whether I didn't hear or listen to his name is a manner of some debate....however, I do remember the bulk of what he said. The intentionality of my listening ensured that. How often do I hear things without passing the same sound bytes through the filter of my reasoning? To listen requires me to enter into a relationship, a dialogue with the words that are being spoken. A lot of what I hear from day to day "goes in one ear and passes out the other". And yet we are warned against the dangers of becoming 'dull of heart', unable to hear and respond to the words of God. More is said about what we listen to and about what we say, than what we see. In fact, despite "seeing" many miracles after the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were lead astray by what they "heard" from the mouths of Moses' detractors. We are told that 'death and life are in the power of the tongue', and 'he who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying'. At the very beginning of creation, the first man and woman "heard the voice of the LORD God". The "Shema", the prayer most fundamental to the Jews of Jesus' time, and of ours, begins with "Hear O Israel...". Hear, listen, understand, and know in the very depth of your being- for to do so is to remember. The LORD is our God, the LORD is one. To listen is more than just passively allowing sound waves to pass over receptors that in turn set off a cascade of electrical impulses and chemical reactions. To listen is only one half of the equation- the other half demands a process, a response from the listener. When Samuel heard the voice of the LORD, he responded "Hineni- hear am I", and "speak, for your servant is listening". The Shema begins with "Hear"..and goes on to demand "and thou shalt love the LORD thy God...". Listen and do. I find it fascinating, but not at all surprising, that the best forms of learning involve active involvement rather than just passive hearing. May we be doers of His word, and not hearers only, for then we will know that we have really listened- when our lives are transformed and our fruit is eaten.

Longsuffering

2007-01-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

Longsuffering is one of the more quaint descriptors of the attribute of patience. We are told that we "learn patience through the things that we suffer". Patience is to be allowed to "have her perfect work" in us. The problem with the acquiring of patience is that it demands us to walk through intolerable situations. And so it should be, for if it was to come easily to us it would not be the virtue that it is. Our society refuses to allow suffering, and for that reason we fail to develop the very character trait that enables us to endure the frustrations, disappointments, and failures that are an integral part of living and learning. To "suffer long" is an art and a discipline. Anything worthwhile gained requires time, effort, and commitment- be it a relationship, an educational degree, or a lifeskill. In an age of fast food, instant gratification, credit cards, deferred responsibility, and entitlement- any denial or delayed pleasure is met with the tantrumed emotional response of a two year old. Is it any wonder that when the Bible speaks of "gentleness, goodness, self-control, and longsuffering" in the metaphoric language of "fruits of the Spirit", we struggle to fit our heads around the concept? Perhaps we need to take another look at "self-denial". The lie that "we can have it all", "gain without pain" must be exposed for what it is- a lie.

A shot across the bow.

2007-01-16T00:59:00.000-08:00

So. Sorry to be such a negative premodern amidst all you postmoderns, but here I go, being feisty and contrarian.

(Love me anyways!!!!!!!!!)

DISCLAIMER: I really appreciate the practical side of what is happening here, and all my quibblies here are to do with language useage. (Surprised?)

Things I like about newmonasticism.org:

1. Evangelical Mennonites are living together in community.
2. They are committed to a Christian way of life together.
3. They are committed to spiritual disciplines.
4. They are practicing chastity.
5. Etcetera.

My big problem:

They are calling it 'monasticism'.

Why the hell don't they just call it 'being Christians like we were originally supposed to'?

I mean, if they are doing all of that, they are no different than, say, the people at the church I go to, except that these 'neomonks' all live in one big house.

AND...I found an article that said something I just absolutely despised.

The article is called 'The New St. Benedict' and it is by Ivan Kauffman.

First, let me say that I now despise the word 'intentional'. It is used in this article like it really means something more than 'purposeful' as opposed to 'by accident' or 'inadvertent'. BARF. What the heck separates an intentional community from any other community? All communities have aims, intentions, purposes, etc. ESPECIALLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES...so really, Qohelet, what is New under the sun here? Not a darn thing.

Now here I go with my atrocious citations. Attend!

When the monastic movement was founded by St. Anthony and the other
Egyptian monks some 1,700 years ago it was assumed that to live a fully
intentional Christian life one needed to abandon the world of work and
family and politics.

A better explanation is that the desert fathers chose the desert simply because it was EASIER to pursue a life of prayer without the distractions of social, economic and political existence. There was simply more time and space in the desert.

The vocation of constant prayer and monasticism, however, is not a more 'intentional Christian life'. Paul certainly did not see it this way, and it is doubtful that many of the fathers saw it this way. Otherwise, marriage would not have been treated as a sacrament (like Holy Communion and Baptism), but rather as a distraction! Certainly Chrysostom's treatise, On Marriage and Family Life, sees marriage as a high calling and a means of sanctification.

Which is why the contrasts below really piss me off!

The early monastic communities played an important role in converting the
European peoples to Christianity, and the later monastic communities created
many of our most important institutions.

But the success of that earlier period of Christian intentionality has now laid
the foundations for a new era of Christian intentionality—one in which
intentional Christians take their place in the ordinary life of work, family and
politics, rather than withdrawing from it.

It is now possible for intentional Christians to view their participation in
economic activities as a way to serve the world, as a means to achieve their
central calling as Christians.

It is now possible for intentional Christians to view their sexuality as a means
to bring love into the world.

It is now possible for intentional Christians to see their mission as
transforming human society by becoming involved in its political activities.

Oh. Really? Now? As opposed to when?

As opposed to a time when all the Christians who were busy in the public sphere felt like second-class Christians for being there? And were affirmed in this self-hatred by their spiritual fathers? That might describe medieval Catholicism, but it doesn't map onto early monasticism very well, and certainly not early Christianity which was by its very nature public religion.

Anyhow I am done for now. I will see you all on Wednesday night. And I'm going to have a very stiff drink beforehand. Maybe you should too. That makes shouting at each other much more fun!

New Monasticism on NMPR

2007-01-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mark Van S. for the tip on an interview tomorrow (Jan 11) 9-10am with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove on NMPR’s Midmorning show. It doesn't look like our closest NPR station (KPLU) is carrying the show, so we'll have to check back on the website tomorrow afternoon I guess.

For those of you wondering, "Jonathan lives in/with Rutba House, a new monastic community of hospitality, peacemaking, and discipleship in Durham, North Carolina. (www.newmonasticism.org)"

Homeless and lectures

2007-01-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

For anyone interested on a few good presentations, lectures and discussions, I've been posting about a forum on homelessness here, and a series on neighbourhood mapping here.

As discussions surrounding (sub)urban/neo monasticism continue, this is the kind of municipal discussion we will probably be finding ourselves in more often than not.

....And now for something completely different !

2006-12-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Theological conundrums ?.. please... Moral dilemmas ?... getta life.. Lets explore the *abjective, shall we ? And indulge in to something completely....Zany !!... So go ahead, " Ask a Ninja " !!... Enjoy.

* I don't think that this is a word, I think I'm making it up.... Hey I know, why don't you guys, based on your ' Ninja experience ', come up with a definition for me and leave it in the comments ... Perhaps it will require you to be a little abductive.

Blog updated

2006-12-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hello there Locals....this blog just made the switch to beta.blogger today so there may be some hiccups etc. in your ability to post or what have you. If you're having troubles that blogger doesn't seem to have the answers to, let me know and we'll try and get this sorted. Otherwise, enjoy the new layout and features. ~~And I am working on getting a better header....~~ Hope you like the new header!

.... Speaking of sacrilege

2006-12-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, check out what a local artist out in Metchosen has done here . What do you think ? Is this guy over the top ? Is this art or is this overt evil as some have said, " our children would be confused by such a sight ", " Seeing this takes away the magic of Christmas ". Read the article and leave your comments, I look forward to them....

The death of Theoloblog.

2006-11-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all my blog friends. I would like to announce that as of now, I no longer live or post at Theoloblog.

You can find me here instead.

I'd like to apologize in advance to those who I inadvertently cut from the blog roll. I was trying to clean up my page and start over, and so I chopped all blogs I didn't recognize immediately. Since I'll be leaving this site up indefinitely as a gateway to other blogs, they're still available, but I won't be posting here at all.

If you'd like to be added to my blogroll, please make your presence known to me by email.

Who's really being Blasphemous ?.....

2006-10-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

So, I've put this 'modified' fish symbol on the back of my car. People have given me the original fish symbol in the past, but I've never felt comfortable enough to display it. I guess because I don't drive in a ' Christian ' like manner all the time. And I wouldn't want to degrade the Lords name with my bad behaviour. Over the years I've seen a lot more of these fish on the back of vehicles and it has started me thinking. What was the historical context of this symbol ? And, as we use it today, are we honouring the heritage that it comes from ? Or has modern Christianity hijacked the symbol, and now it conveys a very different meaning ?

Ancient Christians in Rome used this symbol to identify one another. The Apostle Peter ( who ministered in Rome ) was originally a fisherman, that became a ' fisher of men '. The Roman Christians embraced that vision, and the symbol of a fish came to symbolize them. They were under a death sentence for being Christians; as ordered by Roman Emperors, beginning with Nero. To be a Christian meant that you were willing to suffer persecution and torture. You embraced the idea of being the 'scum of the earth' to fulfil the cause of Christ. To be a follower of Christ certainly meant you had to pick up your Cross that almost always led to the coliseum. Commitment to Christ held grave implications and yet, they persevered by remembering the poor, doing justice, extending mercy, forgiveness and loving their enemies.

When we put the fish on the back of our cars, what are we doing ? We seem to be more interested in ' re-birth ' than ' taking up a cross '... We seem to be promoting that life with Christ leads to upward mobility rather than,' He must increase and I must decrease'. There's not much talk about the cost of following Christ but rather what Christ can do for you - make you happy, fix your problems, make you successful, fulfil your personal dreams. When your average non Christian is following behind our vehicles and they see that ' fish ' what do you think comes to their minds ?... Or caused this kind of response

When I first saw my ' modified ' fish it made me laugh. But then I saw a challenge there that I think we could all consider. The faith that we have embraced is supposed to be about transformation. Transformation of ourselves, our communities, workplaces, schools, our World etc. Are we transformative or have we ingested some kind of spiritual trans fat ? .... Have we become ' Mac-church ' clogging up our lives with attitudes, activities and stuff that makes us sick ?... Have we forsaken the legacy of our spiritual ancestors ?... Who showed us how to live in a way that would bring about something worth dying for ?

Christians who live in the societies that we represent in North America, live in a world far removed from our Roman historical brethren. We live in luxury and safety, enjoying all that our entitled society has to offer. Our lives aren't threatened for being Christian; Unless we invade or interfere with an Islamic country. We enjoy the great majority of resources that this world has to offer without much thought to the environment or the well being of others. We live in grand houses, and drive the latest vehicles ( where we stick our 'fish' ) and generally embrace this great consumeristic / dept ridden way of life we find ourselves in. We demand our rights and yet we don't have much regard for the poor and needy.

So, are we going to eat His flesh and drink his blood ? ..... Or would we rather have some fast, tasty, convenient, comforting ' fish n chips ' ?.....

Oh, by the way, for some excellent Fish n Chips check out this place and here as well . Also, this is a pretty good 'chippy' too - Willows Galley 2559 Estevan Avenue Victoria,
Phone: (250) 592 2711. They're so good, they don't need a website.

Shifting Sands

2006-08-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

My faith is like shifting sands,
changed by every wave.
My faith is like shifting sands,
so I stand on grace.

+ Caedmon's Call +

In the midst of evangelical church-community upheaval, it is difficult to tell if and where the roots and the branches connect. Or, if you like, it is hard to tell where the foundation and the roof connect.

My church said goodbye to her pastor this past month. The most frustrating thing about this loss is not the absence of the pastor, but rather the diaspora of members into the surrounding church-communities and the comfort of their own homes.

In this context, Christ seems like a somewhat abstract foundation. Where is He? Is He in fact supporting His church? Where has everybody gone? Is it still the same church without them? Is He supporting their leaving? What if He is? What if He isn't?

How do we get from Christ to persons? Is the best thing to let Him speak to all individuals separately? Or do we need to be together to hear God together?

things that keep me going....#1

2006-07-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

We are encouraged, in our 'locals' community, to not be afraid of questions. But before I had real people doing the encouraging, I had this quote that I hung onto for dear life. I hope it can be the knot at the end of someone else's rope.......
'be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything, live the questions now. perhaps you will find then gradually, without noticing it, you have lived along some distant day into the answer.'
rm rilke in letters to a young poet.

Simon and the great Ugandan update

2006-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

For anyone who's interested, theplace.ca has posted two updates (here and here) from Simon...

Momentum

2006-06-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

I could be late on this bandwagon. I could be calling things too early. Or we could just chalk it up to be wishfull thinking...

But it is kinda cool that there's a few folks from Ontario getting around to chat about the same investment stuff as we are...

Investing and Oil

2006-06-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that Saanich Community Church is hosting a "Forum on Socially Responsible Investing" tomorrow (Tues June 13th) at 7:30 pm. Get all the details here.

There's also a few of us (Margot, myself, Heidi and anyone else who want to come) heading down to the McPherson on Wednesday for a lecture by James Kunstler to kick off the Gaining Ground Sustainable Urban Development Leaders Summit. Tickets are $12.50 and available through the box office at (250) 386-6121. If you're looking for a quick intro to Kunstler, I'd suggest renting "The End of Suburbia."

Emerging women who blog

2006-06-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

Julia' has a post today listing a few of her favorite female bloggers from within the emerging scene...

A lament for Vegemite

2006-06-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have discovered to my dismay that Kraft Canada has discontinued the production and distribution of Vegemite on this soil. Oh the wrath that this nation flirts with is ominous indeed ! However, I am compelled to take the high road, love mercy and overcome my grief. Mourn this nation's loss and see the joy, history and recipe's it has denied itself, here...And don't forget to check out a cute jingle, here.

If in your shopping endeavors, you happen to come across a lonely little jar. Retrieve it for your mourning brother, do not harden your heart and become stiff necked ( like one of our brethren who shall become 'un' nameless - Randy Hein ). Weep with me !!!... And pray that my suffering is swift.

Ps - And Marmite just doesn't cut it...

Da Vinci at LPC

2006-05-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that James Prette and Randy Hein from the Place will be hosting a coffee-talk on the Da Vinci code this Wednesday night at 7:30, if you're interested read all about it (and a ton of comments) here.

Forum on Socially Responsible Investing

2006-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Forum on Socially Responsible Investing
Tuesday, June 13th, 7:30 pm
hosted by Saanich Community Church, 4566 W Saanich Road, Victoria, BC.

Join Brian Barnsness (Meritas Mutal Funds) and Stephen Whipp (Berkshire Group) for an informative presentation and discussion on Socially Responsible Investing. This is a chance for you to learn more about how you can invest in ways that promote ethics in business. Fairly traded coffee will be on hand to lubricate the discussion!

For more information visit: www.meritas.ca or www.stephenwhipp.com for more infomation. Email David Eagle david {at} saanichcommunity {dot} ca if you have questions.

~via David Eagle

Neo-Monastic Links

2006-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

To serve as primer's for our next gathering...
(thanks Ron!)
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/009/16.38.html

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=1399

http://www.newmonasticism.org/

http://www.monkfish-abbey.org/practices/neo-monasticism

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/135/52.0.html
http://jacobswellchurch.org/tim/archives/New%20monasticism%20paper.pdf

Da Vinci's Inquest (kind of)

2006-05-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

James (Prette) and Randy Hein will be hosting a coffee-talk in response to The Da Vinci Code on Wednesday May 31st at 7:30pm (at LPC).

So far, the night is not looking to cater toward fact-refutation (though I'm sure there will be some) so much as it will be discussing some questions as to why the book and it's provocative claims are resonating within our culture so profoundly....

David Collins sermons

2006-05-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you weren't able to make it by LPC last weekend you can listen to David's sermons here (LPC) and here (the Place). If you haven't heard from David before, I would suggest listening to the LPC message first...

And here's a link to Micah Challenge (which David is co-chair of).

David Collins today

2006-05-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that Micah Challenge co-chair, David Collins will be at Lambrick Park Church answering questions about his inovlement with the movement and Disciple Nations Alliance from 3:4-30 this afternoon before speaking at the Place at 6:45.

If you're reading this in time, you can probably still hear him speak at Lambrick's 11am service as well...

Community Blogging

2006-05-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in why I'm so keen on the idea behind "The Locals."
James Shelley has a great article about the idea of community blogging which has been eating away at me for some time now. With Ron, Julia, James, Matthew, David, and Hans (can you send me that link again buddy) all scattered across the net and blogging anyway...why not collectively post here as well?

"I don't know about you, but I learn best in dialogue, conversation, and discussion (maybe even in debate too). Interacting thoughts and ideas take what might otherwise be raw intellectual data and breathes relational reality into it. As I thought about this in terms of "blogging", I've come to the conclusion that it makes far more sense to therefore blog as a community.

Instead of building our own little spheres of unocentric reflection and hoping someone else cares enough to "check in", why not collectively own, contribute and lead the discussion?... this isn't about building a mammoth movement, it's about creating a space and a place to interact that isn't driven by any one person's agenda."

You can read Shelley's full post here.

Anyway, here's to seeing what becomes of things...

David Collins in town this weekend

2006-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

This Sunday at Lambrick is shaping up to be chock-full of David Collins...should be good, as the man has been tracking with our communities for long enough to know us, but he's still far enough removed to give us the gears/encouragement with fresh eyes.

Personally, I'm most excited about the Q&A (3-4:30) on Sunday afternoon where David will be sharing about his work over the last year or so with Micah Challenge.

About the Locals

2006-05-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

In general, we're a loose affiliation of folk from around Victoria seeking to grapple with the good news of Christ within the context of postmodernity and our neighbourhoods.

But in our own words:

" There seems to be consensus around the table that when it comes to the gospel, culture and the church "something" has happened. What is that "something" and how does the Spirit best guide my thinking in these days "?

"That is why it is important to me to discuss theology here - pluralism, evangelism, inerrancy of scripture, prayer,etc.I still need to hash thiss tuff out because it is not settled inside of me."

" For me it is stimulating just to chat with some people who are either immersed or sniffing around the edges of the same subject areas. It is even more meaningfulthat there is some cross-over in church background and experience. So far, the questions, musings, opionions are helpful in themselves ".

"... seeing as how actions speak louder than words: together, this group will "
'be' more than it "does." we'll all be beer connossieurs spinning manifestos of grandiouse (hope-filled) proportions and disgruntled beat-up servants until the night is over and we hit our communities/parishes/third spaces where what we've talked about mixes with what's before us and a new love for god + neighbour makes itself manifest ."

"So...I mean...what are we doing? Just chatting? A group of church leaders/visionaries looking for solidarity? Finding points of agreement/disagreement/resonance/dissonance? We're not a college of bishops, not a synod, not a planning group, not a casual dinner party".

"... Or perhaps an eclectic group of weary pilgrims is bouyed by the knowledge that they are not alone out there ".