Moltmann

"... the truth of freedom is love. It is only in love that human freedom arrives at its truth. I am free and feel myself to be truly free when I am respected and recognised by others and when I for my part respect and recognise them. I become truly free when I open my life for other people and share with them, and when other people open their lives for me and share them with me...In mututal participation in life, individual people become free beyond the limits of their individuality, and discover the common room of living which their freedom offers" (Moltmann, P.216 The Trinity and the Kingdom of God).

Moltmann (with typically complex thought!) describes a path to freedom which rejects the old familiar 'Divide and rule' mentality where even Christian's have sort human lordship in the pursuit of the Kingdom of God. We find true freedom in relationship ... in relationship with the triune God (the trinity being defined by relatedness) brought about by the suffering God on the cross, and in turn we express this true freedom in loving relationship with others which is often expressed through sacrifice, vulnerability and suffering on behalf of others. Faith and Church understood and defined by our understanding (however provisional) of the Trinity.

What is Civil ?

After attending a 'Civil Carol Service' (always a slightly weird experience for me) today it got me thinking about the amount of social capital that remains within suburban communities ... and within estate communities ... and how churches such as ours could provide more social capital ... more of a civil core ... in theological language ... more of the Kingdom of God ... worshipful people, people of justice, mercy, compassion, action, people of prayer, community around the table focused on the cross and ressurection ... all activities that make real the Kingdom within a community ... but enough? What is more? Where is more?

O Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,  from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 ... No one expects anything of much worth to come out of forgotten, border land, wastelands such housing estates ... Avery Hill is a forgotten border land place and many do not expect much to come from it ... the thing is that scripture continuely challenges me, as someone called to this land and its people, to seek out the richness and beauty that is here ... even though you are small Avery Hill ... what will come from you? God what are you up to here? Where are you?  

Starting out ...

So here begins an attempt to blog a few thoughts on ministry in suburbia and on stuff that I'm reading that I hope will enable me to keep following Jesus, sustain ministry and be a part of helping others follow Jesus more ... lofty hopes and dreams I guess ... but you've got to start somewhere ... !!