Pages

Saturday 30 October 2010

THE PROVOCATIVE CHURCH AND RENOVARÉ

I've had this book by Graham Tomlin for about 6 years. I read at least some of it but my memory being what it is I can't be sure I read it through. Certainly what it is saying about what the Church is -or should be, is a subject I have been looking for or researching for years. I have read plenty -and then despaired of finding others where I live, with the same concerns.

But now The Provocative Church is suggested reading before a day conference this month about the challenges facing the Church in establishing the Kingdom of God here in my part of Edinburgh. and so at last there is serious interest in finding our way on our journey into God and then how to invite others to join us- to become the people of God. It is about evangelism but not particularly about churches sending out missionaries to preach in our area. It is about being the Church as the body of Christ, alive with the Spirit.

With regard to evangelism, the main theme of the book, Tomlin says-'the Church's first task is to be what it is meant to be, to display the wisdom of God to whoever looks in from the outside. This new community is called to demonstrate, by the distinctiveness of its life and the harmony created among very different people, God's variegated wisdom. The task is to learn to live the Christian life before we talk about it ; to walk the walk before we talk the talk. God has chosen to work out his will for the world not through a bunch of individuals being sent out to persuade others to believe in him, but by creating a new community made up  of very different people, giving them his Spirit who enables them to live together in unity, to develop a new way of life and to live this way of life and to live this way of life publicly.'

But if this is to happen the Church must do more to train us to be disciples. Willard says that few Church leaders actually have an agenda to do this, they may not see the need for change or would rather not and many church members are comfortable and do not want to move out of their 'comfort zone' to follow a risk-taking God into the unknown--

Dallas Willard, with Richard Foster and others started a movement called Renovare. Foster had studied prayer and discipleship for many years and describes the disciplines which Jesus modeled for his Disciples to learn. Sometimes he sent them out to practise the skills he had taught them. Renovare helps a small group- not more than 5 meet regularly to practice six traditions or streams of discipleship summed up in the commitment to seek continual renewal through : Spiritual exercises; Spiritual Gifts and Acts of Service. This movement can be a way of renewal within a fellowship if only more people would try it. We need to pray that God will bring groups of two or three together who will commit to work and pray together.
I was part of such a group for 2 years and am praying for new friends to be my fellow disciples on the way. Renovare helps me to set achievable objectives for Spiritual growth.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Faith is good for you!

I read today a news item that said:-
Liver transplant patients who were actively ‘seeking God’ were up to three times more likely to survive, a new study has found. Published in the journal Liver Transplantation, the study of 179 patients found that, two years after their operation, only 7 per cent of patients who leaned heavily on their religious beliefs had died, compared with 20 per cent of non-religious patients. Dr Franco Bonaguidi said the key appeared to be ‘high religious coping’ and seeking ‘God’s help’, irrespective of religious creed or church attendance. The study pointed to previous research which also revealed higher survival rates for religious believers with HIV as well as heart and kidney dialysis patients.
Source: Daily Telegraph (6/10)
This is not new news really.I read of a large scale study of mental health which showed that people of faith had fewer problems of mental health or coped better. The suggestion was that belonging to a wider community of faith gave a sense of belonging, of having worth as individuals-