Where is the Church? No 2.

 In a recent blog on this topic (see June below) I detailed many of the issues I saw wrong with the modern church. I alluded to the fact that I believed the early Celtic church had much to teach us about how Jesus intended His church to be.

In this blog, and future blogs, I want to take a more positive view and look at what can be done in a positive way to express the power and function of the Kingdom of God in the 21^st century. To do this I first want to sketch the historical aspects of the Celtic Church in its high point in the first 9 centuries or so, and more specifically in the first 5 centruries, before it began the period of decline under pressure from Rome. It was in these early centuries that the ideal of the church was seen, as it developed away from the pressure of European hierarchical church development.

The western extreme of the Roman Empire, the British Isles,was insulated from the rest of the Empire for quite a period of time. When the Roman troops left England in the 5^th Century, the English church was able to continue, uninterrupted, in its development. Whereas the closer you got to Rome, the more influence the remnants of the Empire had on the church. This was especially so during and after the time of Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century, when the Church became an organ of Roman society, officially recognised and favoured.

The beginning of the English church is shrouded in legend, but there are enough hints to draw reasonable conclusions as to its early days.

But firstly why am I concentrating on the English church? The early church had its foothold in the Middle East,  Asia Minor and North Africa. This was its nursery and growth area.  The Gospel reached England very early on, possibly even in the late first century. With the withdrawal of Rome from England, the church there was isolated from many of the factors affecting Europe.

The Celts were throughout the Roman Empire, especially in Northern Europe. There is some evidence that Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written to a Celtic people from Gaul.

With the rise of Islam from the 7^th century onwards, the historic churches in Europe, the Middle East, etc,  were essentially wiped out. Even the great centres of the Byzantine Empire were focussed on survival, rather than expansion.

This meant that the isolated western regions across the English Channel were far from major interference from Constantinople or Rome, the two great centres of Christendom.

From earliest ties we can find reference, blurred in detail but rich in legend, to the English Church. For instance Wikipedia reports thus:

“According to medieval traditions, Christianity arrived in Britain in the 1st or 2nd century. Gildas's 6th-century account dated its arrival to the latter part of the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius: an account of the seventy disciples discovered at Mount Athos in 1854 lists Aristobulus as "bishop of Britain". …. The earliest certain historical evidence of Christianity among the native Britons is found in the writings of such early Christian Fathers as Tertullian and Origen in the first years of the 3rd century, although the first Christian communities probably were established at least some decades earlier.”

“Archbishop Restitutus of London, are known to have been present at the Council of Arles in 314.^[27] Others attended the Council of Sardica in 347 and that of Ariminum in 360. A number of references to the church in Roman Britain are also found in the writings of 4th-century Christian fathers”.

These are just hints as to the existence and extent of the earliest, Celtic, Church in Britain. There was a great missionary expansion of the Gospel from these churches throughout the first millennium, but especially prior to the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD. This synod was called as a result of the incursion into England of the mission under Augustine of Canterbury who was sent by Pope Gregory to “civilise and evangelise the barbarians of Britain”. In effect the Synod was an exercise in determining which form of the faith would predominate in England. The particular matters for discussion, the date of Easter and the form of the clerical tonsure (shaved head), seem trivial to us. But the basic issue at hand was the question of power and prestige.  Would the Northumbrian Church, and the church throughout Britain, be free, open, loosely organised, evangelistic as was the Celtic Church? Or would it be powerful, prestigious with elaborate rituals, buildings and clerical caste as was the Roman model?

The result was a defeat for the indigenous church and a victory for power and prestige. The effects of this were worked out over the next 500 years as the Roman Church gained power over a weakened and persecuted Celtic Church.

By the end of the millennium the Celtic church only existed on the edges of the British Isles. However its influence was not extinguished. It continued its task of preserving the Scriptures, sending out evangelists and church planters and training men and women for ministry.

While the Roman Church retreated into monasteries which sought to protect people from the incursion of the world, the Celtic “monasteries” continued to be training centres for mission and outreach. It was the conflict that we still see today between the “COME to us” mentality and the “GO into all the world” command.

It is for this reason that a study of the early Celtic Church is so important. I believe we need to capture the enthusiasm and vitality of a church that is focussed on going into the world with the words of Life rather than having endless events designed to make us acceptable to people we invite to church. It is the conflict between the seeker sensitive model versus the “Go into all the world” evangelistic model.

What then is this Celtic pattern that was so effective in the early days of the Church?

That is for the next blog.

The Effect of Righteousness

Isaiah prophesied in a time of great distress for his nation. It seemed that nothing was going right. They were under threat from all sides: politically, morally, economically. In the midst of this Isaiah gives a prophetic encouragement that we now see fulfilled. It is the outbreak of RIGHTEOUSNESS in our midst. Isaiah said that this would happen when “the Spirit is poured on us from on high”. Those who have surrendered to Jesus now live in the fulfilment of this Pentecostal event.

Isaiah 32:15-18 NIV

[15] till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. [16] The Lord's justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. [17] The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. [18] My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

Righteousness is now in our midst in the person of the Lord Jesus, available to all who call on His Name.

What will be the effect of this? What can we expect to see as a result of this?

“justice …. peace …  quietness and confidence forever”.

Then why do we see, in the Church, the opposite of this? In the very place where justice peace, quietness and confidence forever should be manifest we find quite different things. How can this be?

There is only one answer to this as far as I can see. The problem cannot be with God. It can only be with us. It can only be that we have so grieved the Holy Spirit that He is prevented from demonstrating the effects of the Righteous One in our midst.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement: “about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:9-11.

We seem to forget this. We, in the church, are meant to be witnesses to these things, firstly by modelling this to the world, and only then proclaiming it. Our proclamation has no effect if there is no modelling.

We are to model three things in this passage:

• 1.     Belief in Jesus: not just formal assent, but a belief  that captures our life and transforms us into His image and likeness.

• 2.      Complete faith in the one we cannot see but in whom we have an intimate relationship. It is this intimate relationship that transcends our limited vision and rejoices in the One who sits at the right hand of the Father.

• 3.      Complete faith in the victory won for us on the cross of Calvary. This means we operate in love, not in fear, in acceptance and not in rejection, in joy and not in despair. We know that Jesus has won the victory and that the apparent “victory” of evil in our world is only temporary until all have had the chance to accept the Lordship of Jesus. Then He will return and bring all things into obedience to the God of justice and love.

What then of the effects of righteousness we are supposed to see now? This is meant to be the face we project to the world since this is the inner reality of our lives. Unless our faith is only skin deep.

Let's get back to our core business!

Let's demonstrate the peace, joy and confidence we have in the righteous one in our midst. This can only happen when we lay aside our own agendas, proclaim Jesus and Jesus alone to a needy society, and live in the light of that.

It would only be then that we become the head and not the tail, when the agenda is not set by vocal minorities that have the opposite agenda, and that peace is allowed to reign in our society again.

Idealistic? Unrealistic? In this world, maybe. But we are not citizens of this world, but of heaven. And heaven will reign on earth when Jesus returns. Let us be found about His business when He does return!

Teach us to Pray

My friend Rob Robertson shared these reflections on Facebook. I thought they were so good that I have copied them here in their entirety. They need to be preserved in a blog rather than lost in the ephemeral Facebook environment.

1. Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.

Over the past month I’ve spent pretty much ALL of my study/devotional time in Luke 11. ‘Lord, teach us to pray…’ Humbly I realise that most of my Bible reading is far too shallow. Perhaps that is because I’m a product of our generation of far too much sensory input, thus reducing the depth of each morsel of information coming in. Here then is observation #1

Luk 11:1-13 NIV  One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.

Let’s not forget that this wonderful teaching moment came about because his disciples observed Jesus PRAYING. You might remember that wonderful statement by Augustine I think it was, ‘preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.’ This is a beautiful example of just that.,

It reminds me too that we are following our Lord’s example when we are willing to pray even in a public space, as the Spirit leads. Recently, a group of us men prayed for one of our number at a local restaurant/café in response to a need expressed.

Do people around us observe us as ‘praying Christians?’ Not the kind who pray for egotistical reasons, like the Pharisees in Matthew 6, the other time at which Jesus taught his followers to pray. No, praying as the Spirit leads is a much different thing, a devotional/ministering activity unconcerned with the world around and its censure or curiosity. These people KNOW by vital experience that their prayer life is even more necessary than eating.

Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. [Verse 1 continued]

 (1) When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

As we dig deeper into this amazing scene two things strike me here in the second part of verse 1. Why did that disciple ask him to teach them, and what of the reference to John?

Did they know what John had taught his disciples about prayer? If so then there was obviously something ‘different’ about what they observed in Jesus as he was praying. In any case, the very look of Jesus in prayer drew them to ask, ‘Lord, teach us.’

I sense a flavour of awe and intrigue in that request, men attracted irresistibly to the sight.

A sight of what? Power? Deep intimacy? Aura of holiness? One can only imagine and speculate, but what a joy to do so, to reflect

……..and to ask with that disciple, ‘Lord, teach me to pray?’

Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. [Verse 1 continued]

 (1) When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

I want to pause and take a step back for an overview before looking at the detail.

One benefit of staying with a passage and soaking in it is the clarity brought to ones mind.

Here in this exchange Jesus is asked a wonderful thing, ‘teach us to pray.’ And in his response is clearly in two parts: verses 2-4 where he tells them/us WHAT to pray for, and verses 5-13 where he tells them/us HOW to pray. Yes, it really is that simple. If we remember this clear fact of the passage we are saved from much error, much confusion born of reading verses out of context. When reading verses 5-13 we often forget that Jesus has JUST told us WHAT to be praying for :)

Before my next post feel free to read Luke 11 yourself with this clear framework in mind. It really is illuminating.

"Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. [Verse 2]
(2)  He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father,

What worlds of wisdom, what depths of grace, what infinity of assurance, what weight of love there is in this one word from our Saviour.

Many years ago now I was on an interstate bus, overnight. The young lady sitting next to me turned out to be a Jehovah’s Witness. And she was on fire to evangelise, me being the target. I was tired and weary and not long into my own life of understanding the gospel. I recall so vividly her excitement in asking me if I knew ‘God’s REAL name.’ This young lady couldn’t contain her excitement in sharing this wonderful news. God’s real name was Jehovah, as revealed in Old Testament texts.

Today, in that same circumstance I KNOW what my response would be; “Yes, that’s wonderful knowledge, and there is much to learn in understanding that Old Testament name. But do you want to know an even better secret? Jesus came and revealed a BRAND NEW name for God to the world. After thousands of years of calling God Yahweh/Jehovah do you know the radical new and special name he revealed? The name that will change forever how you relate to God once you know and understand it?  ….It’s ‘Father’”

Father! What amazement must the disciples have felt. A whole nation for thousands of years relating to God in a word not dared to be even spoken. Mystery, a veil between, trembling at the foot of the mountain still, and Jesus prays ‘Father.’ WOW! A new world has begun; the gates to Heavens grace are flung open in the sound of this one word – Father."

"Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. [Verse 2]
(2) ..hallowed be your name,

This is something fascinating isn’t it? It’s actually worded as a ‘petition.’ Now why would Jesus be asking us to pray this? Isn’t this selfish of God? Isn’t it a ‘grovelling’ kind of thing to be praying? After all if God is so great, isn’t he above any petty misuse of his name by us?

So what is this all about? Well, I’m no theologian, and having read some of the theological stuff on this petition I’m still not entirely satisfied by most of the explanations and conclusions. That’s probably my problem, not theirs, mind you. But one thing sticks out for me after a month of chewing the cud on this prayer.

Our first thought is that justice and peace on Earth would be more vital things to pray about. We humans don’t immediately connect that with this ‘hallowed be your name,’ UNTIL we stop and reflect how crazy this world is becoming, how unmoored from the old but vital values (virtue, respect, honour, justice, dignity of life) we have become, BECAUSE we have thrown the mooring cables to God’s rock of stability and meaning overboard. If there is not a holy and righteous creator, what point of any appeal to man to holiness and righteousness? And there’s the point!

Only if God is real, only if he is holy, only if he is equally omnipotent, loving, AND holy does life then demand to be lived through these values of virtue, kindness, justice etc. Virtues that are subjective and mirages, whimsy; virtues grounded in God’s omnipotence and holiness are gripping and persuasive. Indeed, our mission, our ‘good news’ revolves around the hallowing of God’s name.

I find in these four words also a kind of ‘falling in behind God’ in the request, “Lord, make your name holy. And help me to treat it as holy, and extol it as so!” Pray this daily too. I guarantee, this will prove to rekindle your passion to make His name, and his good news, heard."

Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.
 (2) ..your kingdom come.

How our hearts all cry AMEN! “Father, the pain of the struggles in this life ‘distanced from you’ is just too great. We all cry out from the depths of our hearts a cry of repentance. We each own personally the sin of our father and mother, Adam and Eve, the sin that created this gulf, the absence of your person visibly. ‘Your Kingdom come…’ your presence, voice, face; to engross and captivate every waking moment in that kingdom.”

Have you noticed that this instruction is so much shorter than the earlier teaching in Matthew 6? There Jesus instructs them (Mat 6:10 ESV)  “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I wondered about that a long while, and allowed it to just ‘lay out there’ in my thoughts. I wonder if this shortened explanation of what to pray is a deliberate response to the natural inclination of us to ever want more and more detail, more and more explanation and knowledge.

In like manner Jesus reduced all the law down to its bare bones; ‘love God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself.’
The way Jesus explains this praying for the kingdom allows for you to imagine and meditate as your heart leads, and me to do the same.

Will you not pause today and pray ‘your kingdom come?’ And stay with the thought awhile. Ask the Lord to show you some insight as to this mighty plea.


Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY. (3) ..Give us each day our daily bread. Today’s reflection is short, as it should be, though there is wealth of material to meditate upon in every word here, ‘give us each day our daily bread.’ Daily, no request for tomorrow, no plea for more than enough to subsist on. Bread, not cake, not the delicacies or luxuries of life; bread, the basics, enough to subsist on. Oh what peace flows into the heart of the child of God content with ‘daily bread’ and has no anxiety for tomorrow, knowing that a gracious God will respond to tomorrow’s request, as surely as the sun will rise, if only we ask according to his own teaching.

Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.

(4)  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

How great is the need of forgiveness of my own sins, how trivial every wrong a brother or sister committed against me. I must rush with all haste to forgive brother and sister, and rush with all haste to lay my own confessions at the foot of his cross.

I always used to read this in versions that linked God’s forgiveness to our own in the manner ‘forgive us AS we…..’ That wording is a kind of recognition that God’s forgiveness is conditional on our forgiving others. However if this ESV/ASV translation is correct, even so, the prayer is a personal commitment that we WILL forgive others as God forgives us.

Remember, to forgive is to set a prisoner free; and then discover that prisoner was you.

Reflections on Luke 11 – LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.
Luk 11:9 "So I say to you: ASK and it will be given to you; SEEK and you will find; KNOCK and the door will be opened to you.
How often have you read a message on these words of our Lord? Or heard a sermon exhorting you to be bolder in your prayers. ‘Remember the acronym A.S.K., be like this man, pray believing for a breakthrough……’

Is that what Jesus is getting at? Or is the church all too often wrenching this out of context?
I’m going to attempt this whole 9 verses in one go, then wrap up next time.
What is Jesus saying here?
Well, he has ALREADY told us what to pray for in verses 2 to 4. He also wraps up in verse 13 by reminding us that the greatest gift is the Holy Spirit who He WANTS to give us. Indeed he is telling us to pray boldly, believingly, audaciously; but to pray specifically for His glory, His kingdom, our daily needs, His grace, His leading, and His Holy Spirit.
How about finding time right now to read verses 5 to 12 in the context of verses 2 to 4 just one more time. Lord, speak to our hearts right now.
(5) Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; (6) a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' (7) And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' (8) I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. (9) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (10) For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (11) "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? (12) Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? (13) If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Learning from the past

I have been reading the biography of David Watson, the remarkable Rector of St Michael-a-Belfry in York, England. David was a leader in the early years of the Charismatic Movement in the Anglican Communion. Born in 1933, he died far too early only 50 years later. 

However in that time he had laid a very firm foundation in the UK and in the USA with John Wimber, the Apostle of the Vineyard Movement. He was also hugely influential in many other countries, including Australia through his visits and his books. His early death was a shock to all of us who benefited greatly from his ministry. I look to him and John Wimber as being two of the formative influences in my life in the Spirit.

In 1997 there was a study carried out to see if there were lessons to be learned for the wider church from the experience of St Michael-a-Belfry under David and the other prominent  pastors there. The survey was carried out at David's request by ACE, the Archbishop's Committee on Evangelism. The summary of this report struck me as being very contemporary.

It was a very probing study which tried to get past the hype of, what was then the first megachurch in the UK. The main points of the report were,

• People really pray believing God will answer. They were a church of fervent prayer.
•  Living worship discloses God as much as preaching. It was the whole “package” of worship, testimony and preaching that brought people into a living relationship with Jesus.
•  The large group was important, but even more important was the close fellowship of their small groups.
• The use of all the arts, dance, drama, music, participation in prayer, street theatre, etc, was a very important part of their life. Communication took place at many levels.

Alongside these very positive comments there were a few issues exposed as a result of the study.

• There was little community engagement. The Kingdom aspects of the Gospel were not emphasised.
• The membership consisted of 2/3 transfer growth and 1/3 conversion growth. The membership was largely from the “mobile” part of the society. It had minimal impact on the long term residents of York.
• They did not attract or hold working class people, despite serious attempts to do so.
• Women were not well represented in the leadership structure. (Comment: this is probably more  a reflection on the general situation in the mid to late 20^th Century rather than a specific problem there.)
• Financial issues. I quote this section verbatim:

“On the face of it St Michael’s does extremely well. It pays its way. It gives overseas liberally.  It helps many mission agencies in this country too. It largely supports work among unattached youth in the city. Through its “households” (ie small groups) the congregation manages to keep many full time staff in action. The graph goes upward, but discounting money given specifically for capital items like renovating church building, the graph turns gently towards a plateau. When corrected for inflation the total giving  is already seen to be in decline. 

This trend is emphasised by a graph showing giving-per-member corrected for inflation. This has been in steady decline since 1974 (Comment: this was written in 1984). The ‘worthship’ of the congregation is seen to have decayed as the excitement of the move to St Michael-a-Belfry wore off (Comment: they moved from another church, St Cuthberts when that facility became too small), and the area groups reached saturation point. (Comment: these groups grew to as many as 50 each, without multiplying ).

Should these facts be preached about, and ‘put right’? Or is this something God looks after Himself in times of specific need? One of the strange questions that kept recurring in the ACE Survey was ‘Does St Michaels always need to be doing something new?’ Maybe there is an unacknowledged financial pressure in the answer to that. Regular sacrificial giving if not part of life-style preaching needs the stimulus of new projects to be paid for.”

Many of these issues can be seen in our modern situation, especially the questions about reaching the ‘average person’, reaching the long term residents, and the issue of needing new projects to keep people engaged.

What do you think?

What career should I Pursue? A Personal Reflection

Now that I am in my 8th decade of life I should have experiences that can be passed on to younger people. My thoughts at the moment are in the realm of employment.

When I left school I was faced with what to do with a future career. Yes, that was a question that could be asked then, unlike today where careers are short lived and hard to identify in many cases. In my case, through a series of steps, I ended up in the new discipline of Ceramic Engineering, finishing as the first full time graduate and the first post graduate (PhD) in Australia. Such was the exciting possibilities at that time. 

For my post doctoral work I had a choice of two directions, industry or research. Both were open to me but there was no one I could discuss these choices with from a moral point of view, even if the question of morals had occurred to me at the time, which it didn't. I should add that I was a disciple of Jesus by this time.

Eventually I chose to stay in Australia and pursue a career in industry.

If I had chosen, the offered, post doctoral research in the USA, I would have been involved in research about nuclear triggers for the nuclear bomb industry. Such was the thrust of most Ceramic research in those days. It was purely the grace of God that kept me away from that direction. 

In biblical terms there should have been other Christians who could have pointed out the moral consequences of the decision I faced. There was none that I knew of, or would have sought if I had known of one. 

Here is one crucial area I believe that biblical eldership should have applied. It was even worse since by this time I was considered an elder” in my local church. What a travesty of the concept of eldership (or more properly ‘oldership’.

One important caveat. I am not arguing here for an eldership which directs people, but one that, in consultation, can advise those younger in the faith. The former ‘directing’ form gave rise in the late 20th Century to the heavy shepherding movement which devastated many lives.

Why have I described my experience in such detail? Surely, you might say, such decisions are simple, automatic and nothing to do with our faith. I would beg to differ. Once we are citizens of the Kingdom of God we come under a higher standard than otherwise. The decision about the direction of our life is a crucial one. There are many other crucial decisions, at various stages of life, that would benefit from godly counsel.

We tend to assume that it is only in the so called “faith” area that elders should be involved. However this assumes a duality of life. Life in the Kingdom of God is not a duality but a unity. All of life is “spiritual”. All of life is the concern of our King, the Lord Jesus.

In the one example I gave above, the direction of my life was set for n a particular direction. It is not to say that God could not have directed me from Sandia Laboratories in New Mexico, but it would have been a different direction. I probably would have made far more money in the USA and have had a high profile in the nuclear industry. But at what cost.

My point is more about the morality of my decision. Industry or the atomic bomb. It seems clear now. Then it was not so clear. A mature elder could well have pointed out the issues involved.

How does this apply today? There are many ethical issues involved in career choices. Christian ethical investors usually concentrate on a very limited group of “no go” companies: tobacco, alcohol, armaments, etc). But there are many other areas that need careful consideration. Areas such as banking, financial companies that use money as a commodity rather than a means of trade, theatre that involves questionable activities, some parts of the legal industry and aspects of the accountancy industry, companies that exploit the poor and disadvantaged, politics where you have to compromise personal values, etc. I am not saying any of these areas are ‘no go’, but they need mature consideration. It is interesting how many of this list are in the financial sector.

Just getting a job is not enough. The type of job is just as important.