What I Am Currently Reading.

How are you all going then? Of course, I can't hear your answer but feel free to e-mail me with your comments. I really am interested in how people outside of the old family unit are going. No really.

At the moment I'm reading a booked called 'The Shaping of Things to Come' by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The subtitle is "Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church" which should tell you what it's about. I've read chapters here and there over the past couple of years, but this is the first time that I've settled down to read it from cover to cover. Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch are two Australian missiologists, and this book represents their thoughts on mission in their home country and also other countries in the Christianized West - namely the UK and the USA. They're part of a movement known as the 'Emerging Church' which is a group that is attempting to re-imagine how to do church and mission in a post-Christian society. I think that they've got their heads screwed on right and are offering some great Biblical thoughts, but my only fear about the 'Emerging Church' movement is that for every genuine follower of Christ looking to impact their community you also end up with a cynical them-and-us merchant who just wants to gather with a group of like-minded people to moan about how the church is rubbish without actually doing anything about it. I know these things because I am one of these cynical them-and-us merchants.

From what I've read so far, Frost and Hirsch's main point seems to be about for the need for churches to move from an 'attractional' method of mission to an 'incarnational' method. To them, the 'attractional' method is when church mission revolves around 'attracting people to church'. This kind of thing manifests itself in Seeker services and special "bring a friend" mission events. The 'incarnational' method is about people getting out of church and being with people where they are, rather than expecting them to come to our turf. To use an example, if a church wants to reach skydivers, the 'attractional' church will organise a special service for skydivers - maybe with a famous Christian skydiver as a speaker. The 'incarnational' church would have members join the local skydiving club and spend time with skydivers on their own terms. I think Frost and Hirsch make compelling arguments, and although it seems quite obvious (especially when you put it in ridiculous skydiving terms) the reality is that most of us use and reproduce the 'attractional' method. Even Alpha falls under the 'attractional' banner, and although no-one is disputing the way that God uses that, it can contribute to the "We're a mission-centred church because we have seeker sensitive services" guff that betrays a terribly un-Pauline understanding of what it means to take the gospel to those who need to hear it. I'm not even convinced that we should be making any 'mission' efforts in our Sunday services. I think that's become a lazy way of passing the buck and stopping us even thinking about the enormous potential we have to impact the world for the Kingdom of God just when we go out and do our shopping.

I am also currently listening to Rock the Casbah by The Clash. Life was much simpler in the 80s.

My Family and Other Vegetables

After a little break, I'm back. Updating the blog fell in my list of priorities following the birth of Parker. It happened to coincide with a couple of busy weeks here at the centre, so I've been waiting for the opportune time to catch up.

Things have been going well with the new arrival. He's very happy and contented, only waking from a deep slumber to feast every now and then. He's a bit like Dracula, but in wrinkled infant form.


Ruth's parents are in Canowindra with us at the moment. They're down in the Southern Hemisphere visiting Ruth's sister in New Zealand and us here in Oz. Hopefully they're having a nice time, but we've had pretty much a week of unbroken rain here and it's giving something of a false impression of Australian weather.


With the change of season we've moved from picking vegetables to pruning grape vines. It's less heavy lifting and more sociable hours so seems to be more popular with the mob here. It is, of course, an occupation that has plenty of Biblical imagery associated with it so there's something to be said for it. What I will say is that there is something deeply satisfying about physical labour, especially something that is providing for basic human needs. I don't think that it's accidental, but rather reflects something of God's original purposes and plans for work in His creation. It's hard work, but it's been great to spend time getting my hands dirty and reflecting on what God has made.


Yesterday was a Bank Holiday (i.e. public holiday) in honour of, of all things, the Queen's birthday. The Aussies can't quite believe it when I tell them that we don't do anything at all to commemorate this occasion. I reckon they'll just take any excuse for a day off work.