Revive 2012

‘One more sleep’! And it wasn’t just Digby who was excited.

Revive has come around again. It’s Co-Mission Festival time. It’s fun. It’s relaxing. It’s encouraging. And it’s one of the highlights in the year for me and my family. The kids love it. I love it. And Rosslyn loves it. By the end of the weekend as we drive home together towards the big smoke, we’re absolutely shattered but deeply satisfied. In trying to articulate the reasons why it’s such a good time for us, I’ll not be able to do it justice. But let me have a stab at it. I love Revive for these three reasons. And they’re all to do with time.

1. Revive is time together

The weekend offers us time to be together with others in our own congregation and with others from Co-Mission, our network of churches. We’re often not able to spend as much time as we’d like to with other people. Life is hectic. There are lots of urgent things that we feel that we have to do. And we probably do have to do. But there are so many more important things that we’d like to do that we simply don’t get round to. And chatting to others at church and others in other churches seems so less pressing a need than whatever else we end up doing instead. Having Revive is like an annual insurance policy to remind us on a yearly basis just how kind God has been in giving us others with whom to live the Christian life. And so, at Revive we can chat with the person sat next to us in the main meeting, whichever congregation they come from. And as long as we’re not meant to be collecting small children from kids’ club we can allow that conversation to extend and deepen over coffee. We can share meals together with others in our flat as we move the tables and chairs outside to watch the sun set and talk late into the night about whatever is occupying our minds at the moment. Or we can walk round the grounds with a pushchair as we talk with another Dad about the joys and challenges of fatherhood as our weary one year old decides it’s time for a kip. It’s this sort of quality time together that’s so valuable.

2. Revive is time away

This weekend offers us the opportunity to enjoy time away from the busyness of London life. Our time is pressured in London. Lots of things and people and activities have claims on it. At Revive we can be insulated from those demands (as long as we didn’t bring our work with us). Revive can force us to slow down and relax. Apparently even David Cameron feels the need to ‘chillax’. And who can blame him; it must be taxing telling the newspapers that Jimmy Carr that he’s immoral. At Revive we can sit and listen to gifted musicians as they entertain us. This year we might even be entertained by the comedy that’s being provided by Jam Cary. Yes people, ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is back in a new and much improved format. Rosie has procured a man with fireworks fro Saturday night so that we can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ as we used to in Portsmouth (where we were when we were smaller). Saturday afternoon offers a gamut of sporting activities ranging from hockey to soccer, from ‘ultimate’ (frisbee) to cricket, from cycling to running. And you can even choose to be involved in a game of touch rugby with overly competitive South Africans. Or just join me on the grass and simply watch the kids play cricket with a cool drink in one hand! Revive offers us time away from the normal hectic schedule of an exciting but demanding life in this great city of London.

3. Revive is time out

This weekend offers us the opportunity to benefit from time out to consider the state of our Christian life. We’re often not able to give the attention we’d like to our spiritual health. Our Christian life can often feel that it’s been patched together with duck tape. We survive on a diet of sermons and the occasional home group we can get to. If we’re honest, we don’t pray as much as we’d like;  with our spouse (if we have one), with our triplet (even though we mean to meet up fortnightly), with the kids (if we’re back in time) and on our own. Time. We just don’t seem to have it. And our Bible reading is little more than trying to look at the new Good Book Company App on our iPhone on the commute up the northern line. It’s hardly conducive to becoming the mature Christian disciple we’d love to be. But at Revive we get time out. There are clear times when we have no other need than to listen to some great talks. This year they’re coming from Sydney’s David Cook and Chelsea’s Andy Mason. We can attend some extraordinarily varied seminars. And by that I mean varied in their subject matter, not in their quality! We can be encouraged by substantial conversations with others and make resolutions, plans and strategies for this year to be different. And find time for a walk and a pray with the Lord around the vast campus at the University of Kent. We all need this sort of time out to make sure that we don’t neglect our spiritual health. And we get it at Revive.

My prayer is that we’ll benefit enormously from time together, time away and time out. I think we will.

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Small Things – Christianity Explored

In a previous post I wrote,

Every now and again, no more frequently than that, God makes little things happen that make ministry sustainable. He sends encouragements that take me out of my despondency and stop me from wallowing in self pity! I thought it’d be a good thing to mention them when they happen. And so I’m hoping that this becomes a regular feature.

Passing over the fact that I’ve started quoting myself in blog posts and instead continuing the theme of small things that God sends my way with unerring regularity, I thought I’d tell you about Christianity Explored. We’re only two weeks in and so we’re only just getting going. But there’s already a relaxed vibe, genuine engagement with the issues and a developing relational warmth. Is it any surprise that Tuesday nights are fast becoming my favourite night of the week! It’s not a large course (though it’s the largest we’ve had for a while). We were eleven last time, which is a good number for us. And we’re holding it for the first time in our new church centre, which is exciting. We feel almost professional with our own round tables, flat screen TV, kitchen area and contemporary conference room feel!

Having it at Falcon Mews means that I haven’t had to host it whilst trying to get the kids to bed, waiting for Rosslyn to get back from work. And I don’t have to ‘impose’ on anyone else who can host it instead of us. We start with a delicious meal cooked by someone in the congregation. After about 40 minutes we’ll deal with any questions arising from the previous week’s ‘homework’. Last time someone wanted help understanding Jesus’ response to the question about fasting in chapter two. We then looked at the designated Bible passage, which was Mark’s account of Jesus calming of the storm (though not the disciples’ anxiety) in Mark 4:35-41. We answered the set questions but also had a good discussion concerning the contemporary application to us. It felt inadequate to suggest that this passage was simply teaching that Jesus is powerful enough to rule over creation. There’s so much more to it than that. We had to think about what that actually means if we follow him. And so we talked about Jesus’ view that if we have him in our lives (like the disciples had him in the boat) then no matter what creation throws at us (as it threw the fearsome storm at them) we can face reality without fear when we put our faith in Christ. You can’t pass over that (even if the course book doesn’t mention it). We watched the DVD of Rico’s talk (the recently re-packaged one with him in a flattering dark suit!). This works well for us because it allows people to interact with whatever Rico has said without risk of feeling that they might offend him. It’s also less work for me! The discussion rarely stays on the suggested topics and, within reason, we don’t mind that. As usual I say far too much in response to any question, which is why I’ve put two less talkative people in charge of the table groups. But I get up at the end and respond to anything the groups feel has been inadequately dealt with. We wash up and people linger, chatting before heading home to allow their thoughts to drift to what they’ve learnt as they close their eyes in sleep.

It’s an extra evening in the already busy schedule but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s just so encouraging to see people who wouldn’t describe themselves as Christians willing to engage with the gospel. They’re willing to listen because they have open minds. And they want to close them on something substantial. And Christianity Explored provides them with something of substance to chew on; namely the great news concerning Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1).

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Archbishop on ‘Same-Sex Marriage’

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has written an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald. You can find it here.

Peter responds to the three common slogans used to promote the campaign

First, that the proposed change is demanded by the notion of ‘marriage equality’.

Secondly, that ‘marriage won’t change’.

Thirdly that this shift is ‘inevitable’.

It’s worth a read. It’s not long. And it’s worth passing on.

 

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Musings in 1 Corinthians – Supporting Gospel People

We’re addressing the issue of financing gospel ministry at church this Sunday. Is it too cynical to expect strategic absenteeism! Would people draw the right conclusions if I took a week off?!

As it happens, I was doing some work on the last chapter of 1 Corinthians today which begins like this,

Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

The church in Jerusalem clearly faced profound material poverty. A combination of factors had left this young Christian church in a position of great need. Persecution by the Roman and Jewish population, a severe famine and separation from the primitive Jewish welfare system had left them vulnerable. The church in Corinth decided that they couldn’t do nothing for their Christian brothers. And so they decided to put their hands in their pockets.

Obviously Paul’s instructions are specifically concerned with the collection for Jerusalem. But more generally he provides principles that surely guide all our Christian giving. As he makes clear, this applies not only to Corinth but to every congregation where he has influence.

In thinking about what we contribute to the cause of the gospel and supporting gospel people, Paul says that there are three things to bear in mind.

1. Our giving should be planned

On the first day of the week they were to decide what to contribute and put it to one side. And so our giving shouldn’t be shaped by what’s left in our wallets at the end of the week. That’s one of the reasons we don’t send round a plate in our meetings. That’s an approach which encourages us to think that what we give is shaped by whatever we happen to have in our back pockets at the time. I was in a church at the weekend that did just that and all I could find in a hurry was an amount that would barely have covered the cost of me being there. And the kid who passed round the plate must have wondered if it’s normal for Christian ministers to be so tight with God’s money. That’s hardly the message I want to pass on! Our giving needs to take priority. And so we ought to deal with it at the start of the week, not at the end. The point is that giving to gospel people and supporting gospel ministry takes priority in our spending plans. Or at least, it should. We may therefore need to continue to develop a degree of mature financial management and budgeting. One of the reasons I’m such a fan of the CAP Money Course at CCB is that it helps us with that. Most of us didn’t do GCSE Accounting and most of us weren’t taught by our parents how to handle money. And so we’ll need to learn it from somewhere if we’re ever going to make a mature financial contribution to any gospel ministry.

2. Our giving should be regular

Paul wanted the pattern of putting aside money to be followed every week. I guess it was weekly and not monthly because that would have reflected the patterns of pay in the 1st Century. And so, the principle was as often as they were paid they were to give. One of the reasons we encourage people at CCB to contribute by Direct Debit is that it helps it to be regular and planned and it happens as often as we get paid. Our giving is not supposed to be sporadic and episodic. It’s supposed to be continual. It wasn’t to be a flash in the pan response to the pangs of guilt. Paul didn’t want to stifle spontaneous compassionate response. And so the ‘one off’ gift is still appropriate. But he’s talking here about developing regular long-term generosity. We need to take responsibility for their church expenditure and their external giving and give regularly. Speaking as someone who has some responsibility for budgeting, it’s so much easier to make sensible financial decisions where regular giving is in place. We can plan. We’ll still pray. We’ve not ditched depending on the Lord because we’ve put our hope in convenient banking. But we can be prudent where we can forecast what’s likely to come in over the next few months.

3. Our giving should be proportional

Paul doesn’t stipulate how much we should give. How much of the money that God’s entrusted to us that we decide to use for his eternal kingdom is a matter between us and him.  Under the Old Covenant, God’s people were expected to give a 10% tithe. No such equivalent is required of God’s people under the New Covenant. We’re free to give more than the 10%, although some may not be able to do so because of legitimate financial constraints. One of the reasons we don’t talk about the tithe is that the New Testament talks more about sacrificial generosity. And some of us could be giving 10% and be a million miles away from making generous sacrifices.

At CCB, we already send money to fellow Christian churches that face a more uncertain financial future than we do. We’d love to send more. But we can’t do that until we raise more money. And we’re starting to do that. But we also need to make appointments here at CCB so that we can attempt to grow the church so that, in the long run, we actually have more to give away.

Many of our congregation already give sacrificially so that they go without. And it hurts. That’s what sacrifice usually feels like! But they do so gladly and willingly as part of their Christian discipleship. And they do so because they want to be generous. That’s a terrific work of God in people’s hearts. Lots of people give. But some don’t. That’s often the case. But there’s usually a time lag between being converted and giving and also between joining a church and getting on board financially. But perhaps we need to be bolder at encouraging people to prayerfully revisit the issue. It’s part of the normal Christian life, after all.

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Musing in 1 Corinthians – Christ Centred Living

What’s your life about? What makes it tick for you? Go on; be honest with yourself for just a moment. I don’t mean to suggest that you’re intentionally self-deceived. In all probability, you’re not. But functionally we often are. We’re just so busy that we just can’t find the mental space to think self-critically, if at all!

Ask yourself these kinds of questions. Where does your mind go when you daydream? What dominates your ambitions for the future? What dominates your diary in the present? Where do your pour your money and resources? Where’s the focus? And more importantly, where would you like it to go?

I don’t like the answers I get to some of those questions. Are you any different? I know what I should say. I know what I’d like to say. I know what I’m supposed to say. But they’re not the same as the truth! And that’s not great.

In preparing 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, I noticed that the Apostle Paul makes specific mention to Jesus on four separate occasions. And that got me thinking. It’s more than you might expect in three sentences! This is what he says,

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes. To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:1-3 ESV)

In (1) he describes himself as an Apostle of Christ Jesus. In (2) the readers are those sanctified (set apart) in Christ Jesus. Again in (2) the church calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ along with all Christians everywhere. And in (3) Paul wants them to experience grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s clear that right at the outset of the letter, Paul wanted Jesus front and centre. He wanted to direct his readers’ attention and ambition away from themselves and their issues to Jesus and his. The problems at Corinth were essentially caused by their preoccupation with themselves. This was a church that neglected Christ and his gospel. They’d taken their eyes off who he is and why he came. And as I condemn them for their stupidity, I inescapably condemn myself because I’m so easily preoccupied with my own life and my own issues. That’s what the answers to those questions revealed. And yet, when push comes to shove, I want my life to be about him. So the question is, how do I do that? The answer surely is contained with these opening words and what they say about him.

1. I need to recognise that Jesus is the Lord who speaks to me in the scriptures. The words of the Apostles are His authoritative words. I need to listen intently to what he’s saying to me, not simply the messages I preach to myself.
2. I need to recognise that he has sanctified me. He has set me apart to be his special possession. I am his. I am no longer my own. I belong to him. I need to be what I am. Anything else is absurd.
3. I need to recognise that in calling on his name, I am dependent on him for everything. I am not a self-made individual living independently in my own strength and a world of my own making. I need him like I need oxygen. The astounding truth of his grace is that he gives me spiritual life even as I fail to acknowledge that he gives it to me.
4. I need to recognise that the grace and peace that I know in my life come to me through him. We invariably give ourselves to the things that we most love. And so I will give myself to him as he captures my heart. And what is more likely to win my adoration than to have an existence shaped by his grace and his peace?

If life has got out of kilter i’s probably because I’ve forgotten that life is meant to revolve around Christ. If we shift the centre of gravity away from Christ and his gospel we can expect things to go pear shaped.I don’t want that. But those four things at least will surely keep me grounded.

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Four Reasons to go to Dallas!

I’m now mid-flight, rammed in economy between two very delightful people. There are a little under two hours to Detroit, where I change for Dallas. I’ve watched two terrific films; Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Moneyball. I’d never get round to watching either at home; they don’t pass the film night criteria for a QNI (Quiet Night In) with Rosslyn.

In my last post I outline some of the reason not to go to Dallas. It’s only fair that I give the other side of the argument. So how do I defend the decision against the imaginary detractors? Here are the four reasons that swayed the argument in my favour!

1.       It’s a break from the normal

Isn’t a change supposed to be as good as a rest? I can’t afford to take a rest. There’s too much to do at CCB at the moment. And so a change is a welcome intervention! I’m not bored of ministry at CCB. God has been very good to us and there have been lots of encouragements amidst the turbulence of the last six months. Moving into the office and sharing a ministry life with the apprentices has been a real joy. Seeing the numbers of people who’ve professed faith for the first time has been the highlight. But I’ve been doing it non-stop for ten years now. And this definitely changes the routine.  It’s an opportunity to do something different. I preach to our crowd almost every week. And I love it. I’ve especially loved preaching my way through Exodus with the morning crowd. And the week has a typical shape to it. It can feel a little ‘samey’ (if that’s a word). Monday is recovery day. Tuesday is staff meeting and the administration and ministry contact that falls out of that. Wednesday is Apprenticeship Workshop day over in Wimbledon and Co-Mission meetings. Thursday involves reading the Bible with one or two lads and specific church planting training for our Brixton bound apprentice. Hopefully I get to the text in some meaningful way before the close of play. Friday is finish sermon day but is wonderfully interrupted by a trip up to town to read with one of the lads who’s been converted. Saturday is a welcome day off. Sunday starts early and finishes late, which is why Monday is unproductive! This is a break from that well-worn routine. And I’m really looking forward to it! But it also gets me out of my comfort zone. This kind of disruption to the normal forces me to depend on the Lord. It prompts me pray in unexpected places and times. and that’s no bad thing.

2.       It’s a chance to see another ministry

It exposes me to something different. I’ve never been to Dallas before. I haven’t got to know a whole heap of American Christians. They can’t all be like the nut jobs they’re depicted as in mainstream American media. I used to work with one of them and he was brilliant. I’d like to meet a whole load more like him and find out what Christian discipleship looks like in the States. I’m really looking forward to sitting down with the Minister, Bill Lovell and chewing the fat. We may compare notes about the experience of church planting. And it’ll be fascinating to hear his testimony of how God helped him and his family deal with the theological and political wrangling in ECUSA. But mainly I’m looking forward to talking to a guy who’s been in ministry for a whole heap longer than I have but who thought enough of my preaching to fly me half way across the world to talk to his congregation. He’s worked with some really good guys (Tom Oates and David Short) as well as pastoring the main Episcopal Church in Dallas before planting Christ Church Carrollton. I’ll be taken notes in our conversations! One of the great joys of going to Madagascar back in November was the questions I had to ask myself about my own Christian life. I’d operated with a level of sacrificial service that I thought was acceptable and sustainable. Seeing the guys in Madritsara and what they had to cope with forced me to reconsider what cost looked like in our own context of comfortable middle class Balham. I could also do with some new stories. And I’m confident that the clash of cultures is going to give me more than enough stories for the next five years in ministry!

3.       It’s a treat

Let’s call a spade a spade. There is something enjoyably indulgent about this trip. That doesn’t mean it’s bad but it does mean there needs to be good reasons to justify it! I wouldn’t be doing this if I hadn’t been asked to and paid for. It feels like a timely gift from God to get away and I’m very grateful for it. Apart from a couple of trips in the last 20 years to New York, I’ve not been to America. And I’m pretty sure that the rest of the States isn’t like Manhattan. And so I’m really looking forward to what Carrollton and Frisco (where I’m staying with a family) looks like. The kids are looking forward to the presents I’ll bring back. CCB are waiting with baited breath to see whether I can resist the cowboy boots and stetson. Rosslyn just wants me back! I’m looking forward to uninterrupted sun for five days!

4.       It’s an opportunity for ministry

Though Rufus and Flora discovered via Google Earth that the house I’m staying at has a swimming pool, I am going there to work. Honest. I’ve worked hard on 1 Corinthians over the last ten years. I was introduced to it at Theological College with Dr Paul Woodbridge. I’ve preached my way through it twice at CCB. It’s been the book in Knowing God this year. And I’ve given seven talks on the opening chapters in another context. I’m beginning to get to grips with it! And I think it’s got some really important things to say to young church plants who are finding their way in a secular culture. I’ll never write a book out of this because Vaughan Roberts cornered the market with his. But it’s a chance to help a group of Christian brothers and sisters think through the implications of these passages for their own church planting endeavours in another corner of God’s kingdom. And if there’s any way that I can help with that, then that’s terrific.

It’s probably worth saying that Rosslyn and I didn’t linger long over the decision to go. Though she’d prefer to be on the plane, she’s happy that I am. We both felt that the benefits far outweighed the costs. I’ll let you know. But I’m pretty confident I’ll be proved right!

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Three Reasons not to go to Dallas!

As I write this, I’m at Heathrow’s terminal four. The flight to the States is a couple of hours away. I’m checked in and I’m good to go. I’ve even bought a couple of great gifts for the kids of the family that I’m staying with. But I didn’t sleep brilliantly last night. Rosslyn and I stayed up late chatting about some of the issues that are preoccupying us at the moment. And I had to get up early to finish off providing feedback on one of the sermons to be preached in my absence this Sunday. The journey out of SW12 was chaotic and the route the taxi driver took was anarchic. But I’m here now. And in a little over an hour I’ll be off to Detriot and then on to Dallas. But why? Why am I going?

Interestingly that’s not been a question that’s been asked in the Perkins household. Rosslyn knows what difference these sorts of trips make to my mental and spiritual well-being. She just wishes that she could find a way of getting some for herself! But it may be a question others ask. After all, they’re paying my wage and they’d be entitled to seek some sort of justification. They’re expecting me to pray for them, prepare sermons, organise church and equip them for the work of ministry. They don’t pay me to swan off half way round the world on a personal whim. And they have a point.

There are lots of reasons not to go. Here are the three that spring to mind.

First it’s a hassle. It would be easier not to go. It’s always a headache going away.  I’ve had to be really organised to fit stuff in and stuff around the time away. I’ve been preoccupied at home as I think  through what I’ve needed to do in preparation. I’m useless at making the kinds of decisions required to pack easily and quickly. I get strangely discomforted by travel arrangements and the uncertainty they induce. I absolutely hate leaving the family behind. The kids get fed up with how tightly I squeeze them in the days running up to departure! I don’t have to go. It would be easier not to. But I was asked which was nice. And it’s all being paid for, which is even nicer! But I didn’t have to go. I choose not to do things all the time. So, why not this time? Was the allure of Dallas just too tempting? There’s something in that.

Secondly, it’s a distraction. It’s not as though there isn’t stuff to do at home! Church is pretty busy at the moment. We’ve just completed a week of mission events. We have a new Christianity Explored course starting in a week. There are a few personal care issues flying around. We’re about to talk to the church about our financial plans and hopes for the year ahead. And I’m heading the organisation of Revive, our annual Co-Mission Bible Festival. There’s loads of ministry to be done in the church that pays my wage. So isn’t this trip merely diverting my attention away from the sheep that God has given me to care for? That’s a possibility. But I take holidays and leave the church in the competent hands of others all the time. This isn’t that much different.

Thirdly, it’s an inconvenience. It impacts others and they have to fill in the gaps left by my absence. The Apprentices are preaching at the weekend. And I don’t doubt that they’ll do a great job. Rosie, our Co-Mission Administrator won’t be able to get hold of me if she wants decisions about Revive. Rosslyn has some fairly key discussions and decisions pending at the moment. We have to sort out alternative arrangements to ensure that the kids are cared for. That usually means others stepping up to the plate and collecting them, feeding them and amusing them till Rosslyn gets back from work. It’s not ideal, though it is rare. And to top it all, it’s the Diamond Jubilee weekend. I’m missing our street party, and I’ve wanted one of those for years. Rosslyn and the kids are going to watch the River Pageant and then go to some thing in Hyde Park (I wasn’t paying much attention).

Just three of the reason that came to mind when, sat eating my porridge this morning, I wondered why on earth I’d agreed to go. The people of Christ Church Carrollton may be pleased to learn that I didn’t struggle to think of better reasons to join them!

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