Awkwardness, Anger, Grumpiness - and the call to leadership

By this time next week we might well have a new government or at least the haggling between the parties in the event of a hung parliament will be well under way.

The efforts of Christians who want to mobilise their faith community to influence national affairs has been admirable; I was one of tens of thousands who signed the Westminster Declaration.

I think, however, that as we enter the final phases and then the aftermath of the election campaign we should reflect on what sorts of things we should be doing if we really want to have an impact on our communities.

One thing that I believe is important is that we think again about the whole concept of leadership, especially in the political sphere - though what I say here applies to other apsects of life as well.

When you read the cvs and backgrounds of the leaders of the main parties, one of the first things to strike you is how incredibly clever they all are. And they often come from well-connected backgrounds. It can leave you with the impression that you have to be a high flyer at university or in business to be an effective leader. I would suggest that this is reinforced in Christian circles because we add to the mix an undefined but intense sense of calling and destiny. For most people that sets the bar way above anything they could ever aspire to, and therefore they disqualify themselves from taking an active part in the affairs of their community.

Perhaps we need to think about leadership in terms of a determination to get things done for the good of the people amongst whom we live. That is why I have posted the above video. Councillor Jenkins might not ever become leader of the Liberal Democrats. He might not hold high office in national politics. But it's peple like him who actually get things done in local communities. And to my mind he has highlighted some of the qualities needed to get those things done. Awakardness, anger and gumpiness aren't the most attractive qualities in the world, but sometimes they belie a real concern about the bread and butter issues of every day life. A career in local politics might just be a way to redeem them!

Sometimes as Christians we take on huge issues - sometimes in a very confrontational way - and whilst we might bring a prophetic dimension into the politics of the nation, our influence is often minimal and ultimately we change very little. Certainly, some people are called to that kind of role and I for one would not try to dissuade them. However, if we were to encourage people to become involved in local politics in the mainline parties and begin to build a reputation for getting things done, maybe, just maybe, we would position ourselves better to discuss some of the bigger issues that concern us. It is often the case that what really does concern people are things like the state of the pavements, or the lack of children's play facilities in the local park, or drug dealing taking place in the local church car park after hours (not by the church members, one hopes). Dealing with such matters certainly helps create an environment in which we can live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2.1).

So if you've been feeling a bit negative about the whole political process, why not at least consider what you could do to translate your frustration into something positive. You never know, what you thought were a clutch of negative emotions might be a call to local politics.

Change without decay

Well the bee has been busily buzzing in my bonnet since that Dispatches programme. But it has made my brain tick in a way that I hadn't quite expected.

My point for so far is that Britain is changing in ways that pose a challenge to the church and that neither fight - attacking our perceived or real ideological opponents - or flight - retreating into "safety behaviours" is an adequate way to respond.

Change in any area of life can hit us at an emotional level in a way that we sometimes find hard to articulate. I think that to some extent explains the sometimes fearful and angry reactions of Christians to what is happening in Britain today. But as the apostle James says anger does not produce righteousness (James 1.20) and we all know that the apostles Paul and John saw no place for a spirit of fear within Christians and as something that was driven out by love.

The truth is that the changes we are experiencing in the makeup of our society are not going to go away. Immigration and emigration are part of life. And immigrants and emigres bring / take their cultural values with them. Islamic mullahs in full Middle Eastern garb who have some very politically incorrect ideas are at home in London or Blackburn or many another town or city in the UK. At the same time, expat Brits have made a life for themsleves in France or Spain, sometimes creating a corner of some foreign field that is, at least for the time being, England.

Something that we don't always factor into our discussions of the future of the church in Britain is the fact that population in Europe is in decline. The result is that the indigenous population is greying - the number of elderly people is increasing whilst the number of younger people is declining. This, obviously has far reaching consequences that are both economic and social. In the long run, it can be argued, Europe needs people from other countries and cultures across the world to come and settle in Europe.

We can either recognise and embrace this change and see it as an opportunity from God. Or we can pretend that it is not happening or can be stopped and find ourselves lost in a soup of emotions that are fuelled by values that really are not those of the kingdom of God.

It does have some real implications for the church. We will have to give reasons for our faith. We will have to think more carefully about how we reach out to people whose values and beliefs are sometimes hostile to Christianity (But hasn't that been the case from the earliest days of the church?)

And it might also mean more churches like KICC and Jesus House. And perhaps we will have to learn some evangelistic strategies from the church in places like China or Iran. Perhaps Christians should have more children! One way to increase the faith.

What an exciting time to be alive!

For more on Europe's declining population:

A BBC report. A couple of articles from the Washington Post after The New York Times. And some research from the UN .

Uneasy vision

In the midst of all the excitement and challenge of pastoring a great church with a great heritage in one of the world's great cities, I occasionally find the time to be uneasy. This occasional unease has been a feature of my ministry right from my first days as an assistant pastor.

The state of Britain and Europe has been the source of my unease. It used to be the slide into secularism which seemed to gnaw away at me. Things might have been going well in the particular church I was serving at the time, but deep down there was and is this disturbing feeling that we're losing ground in our communities and market places.

Uneasiness flared up again just recently.

This article alleging that Islamic radicals had infiltrated the Labour Party and Channel 4's Dispatches were unwelcome reminders of the battle going on for the soul of our nation, a battle that many, especially politicians, are afraid to acknowledge is going on.

Islamisation is happening in parts of the UK. And in part it is because society has turned its back on Christianity. This coverage of an interview with the retiring Archbishop of Prague has too loud a ring of truth for comfort; there is a religious vacuum in Europe and Islam is well placed to fill it.

I didn't want to come back after a lengthy absence from the blogosphere with something that might seem discouraging. But this is part of the reality we face as we witness for Christ in 21st century Britain and Europe.

Nor do I intend to leave it there. I plan to post later in the week or at the beginning of next week some things we can do to rise to one of the challenges of our era. And I hope that your comments will help me to tackle my unease.

You can find out more about the Islamic Forum Europe at their website

Rewarding what is important

‘Do you think a man or woman who chooses to stay at home to look after their children is doing a less viable job than someone on an assembly line?’ When a worker goes out to build a car, the Government gives him a tax exemption, if she or he stays at home you double tax that family by not allowing that tax exemption to exist.” Iain Duncan Smith, from an interview in The Times

The short interview is well worth a read. His comments on family, the state of Britain and being a Christian in public life deserve reflection - whatever your politics.

Some progress in the swim against the tide

On Monday evening the House of Lords rejected the government's equality bill. The implications of the bill in its original form would have left churches open to prosecution if they refused to employ a person on the basis of their sexuality. You can read more here .

However, it seems that the tide of public opinion is drifting further away from traditional views on sexuality. The Guardian reports that the most recent British Social Attitudes Survey reveals that 36% of people think of homosexual relationships as "always or mostly" wrong, compared to 62% in 1983. This is just one item of data that indiciates that Britain has become much more socially liberal over the past two decades.

Making friends with your opponents

The story of how a Christian campaigner against the mega mosque made friends with some of his Islamic opponents. Read it here.

Plans for the Mega Mosque shelved

I've just learnt that plans for the mega mosque in the East End of London have been shelved. A petition with 48000 signatures was submitted at one stage opposing the development. Read the latest here and here

Worth a look

A few interesting articles from the blogosphere

This on wasting time and how not to.

Some good stuff on vision and change from Mark Driscoll .

Thoughtful piece on the complexities of the second world war at the timesonline .

And you just have to watch Paxo v. Boris . Thanks to David Cooke over at cookiesdays for the heads up on this one.

Belonging and Believing: How Newt Gingrich Became a Catholic

"All I can tell you is that for a decade I went to the basilica where my wife sings in the choir. I found myself growing more and more comfortable and more and more accepting. The head of the basilica began the conversation four years ago, and I found myself being a part of the Catholic community and being a part of the Catholic faith." Newt Gingrich in an interview with Christianity Today. You can read it all here

Looking up to understand

"Skylines provide the simplest test of what a society values, and where its surpluses are controlled. A few centuries ago the greatest buildings in the world’s cities were forts, churches and temples; then for a time they became palaces. Briefly in the 19th century civic buildings, railway stations and museums overshadowed them. And then in the late 20th century everywhere they were banks. Few believe that they will be for much longer. But what will come next—great leisure palaces and sports stadiums; universities and art galleries; water towers and hanging gardens; or perhaps biotech empires? We need to rekindle our capacity to imagine, and to see through the still-gathering storm to what lies beyond." Taken from After Capitalism, article in Prospect Magazine. Read the whole thing here

Articles of faith

A few Easter articles for some reflection.

Rod Liddle gives the C.o.E. a hard time in the The Spectator .

Archbishop Sentamu reminds us of the hope Easter brings in The Telegraph .

Joel Rosenberg brings us some very encouraging news from the Islamic world.

The religious right in the U.S. admitting they are in trouble here and here

And just when you thought it was history, The Turin Shroud seems to be making a come back.

Cherie Blair and the marginalisation of Christianity

Most Christians I know feel that the Christian faith in general has come under a lot more pressure in recent years than one would expect in a country that still claims to value freedom of speech.

A couple of Guardian posts that you can find here and here argue that this is not so.

Enter Cherie Blair. An article in the The Telegraph reports Cherie's comments in a Channel 4 documentary, Christianity: A History, in which she refers to the marginalisation of Christianity in Britain. You can read the coverage here. Catch up on the C4 documentary with their Catch-Up service. Not available when I wrote this post, but it should be there soon.

Speaking your mind

This time last week if you had asked me who Geert Wilders was I'd probably have guessed that he was a little known 16th century Dutch artist or a minor member of the 1974 Dutch world cup squad who was never going to be a Johan Cruyff and who never actually appeared in any of the games.

But now anyone who watches the news or reads the papers knows that Mr. Wilders is a Dutch M.P. who has made a film about the dangers of Islam. He was recently invited to the House of Lords to show his film to some peers and was told he could not come into this country because the Home Office wants to, quote, ""stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country". An objective like that could shut the doors to many a movie director!

Whether one agrees with Wilders analysis of Islam or not is not the point. The point is whether we live in a country where we are free to think for ourselves, discuss issues and make our own decisions without fear of censure or prosecution.

Another story highlighted the question of whether or not we are still free to think and express our ideas without fear. It concerns a mother who was suspended from her secretarial job at a school because she sought prayer support in an e-mail when her child was told off by a teacher for talking about God and heaven. You can read coverage of the story here

This isn't a left / right issue. It is a debate about the sort of society we want to become.

The following links cover opinion from across the political spectrum that argue for free speech: The Guardian has a piece. Ex-Islamist Ed Husain makes the case in The Independent .

And on the right, The Telegraph's perspective can be found here

You can find Wilders film here. Make up your own mind.

Mixed Icons

I found a fascinating and informative article by Phillip Blond in the February online edition of Prospect . It's a bit mind bending in places and I'm not sure I understood the whole thing. I think that the gist of his argument is that the conventional politics of the UK since the last war, have made the working classes poorer and made society more divided and alienated. What he says about returning power to local people and institutions is thought provoking. If his ideas gain any traction, then there is an opportunity for Christians to get involved in shaping their local communities in a way that is perhaps not possible at present.

The quotes below will give you a taste of his argument.

"Insofar as both the Tories and Labour have been contaminated by liberalism, the true left-right legacy of the postwar period is, unsurprisingly, a centralised authoritarian state and a fragmented and disassociative society. "

"The erosion of our society extends way beyond the dysfunction of the underclass. A study last year by Danny Dorling showed how normal anomie has become, concluding that "even the weakest communities in 1971 were stronger than any community now." This is, indeed, a broken society. "

I have to admit that the combination of thoses icons of the right and left, Lady Thatcher and Che Guevara, made we want to read - and write something on this blog!

The whole Prospect Article can be found here

For a taste of the Danny Dorling quoted above, here's a quote from an interview he gave to the Guardian in 2006:

"Ask people [of my generation] to imagine their grandchildren's lives," he suggests. "Grandchildren who by 18 will have 100 times less wealth than [some] other 18 year olds. That is where we are heading, and very quickly." You can read the whole thing here

Person of the Year

Time Magazine chooses a Person of the Year every year. The 2008 choice is Barack Obama.

I think you can make a good case for the President -Elect being Person of the Year. It is a remarkable achievement for an African-American to become president considering that segregation was still the practice in some states in fairly recent history.

It is also a remarkable testimony to American democracy and its capacity for self-renewal and the willingness of its electorate to show itself a world leader in its choice of president. Many European nations look down their noses at America and its people, but I can't think of a single state in Europe - Britain included - where a non-white would have had a ghost of a chance of becoming president or prime minister. Well done America.

You might have read that Rick Warren has been asked to pray at Obama's inauguration. I'm sure he has good political reasons for inviting Warren to pray on such a big occasion. In doing so, he has upset some of his own supporters who dislike Warren's stances on marriage and abortion.

Perhaps Obama is showing himself a leader who wants to be president for all Americans, not just his own supporters. He can only be commended for that. Let's pray that God will give Rick Warren wisdom on this occasion and whenever he has opportunity to talk to the new president.

The Seattle Times has a write up on the choice of Warren to pray at Obama's inauguration.

What's out there

Just a few things that recently caught my eye.

The headline in Friday's Guardian 2025: The End of U.S. Dominance was certainly eye-catching. The article covered a paper published in the U.S. by the National Intelligence Council which paints a picture of an increasingly fragmented world in which the U.S. doesn't retain the ability it has had for the last seventy or so years to influence the shape and direction of international affairs. You can read the full report here

Discovered The Spectator online. Took a look at Melanie Phillips' blog where I found an article entitled The Barbarism of Ideologues. It is the kind of hard-hitting stuff you would expect from Melanie Phillips, but I think her analysis of how our society has developed (declined?) is compelling and not a million miles from the truth.

On the ecclesiastical front J. Lee Grady has a sobering article about Charismatic Meltdown. This is must reading. We simply must realise how badly things can go wrong when we compromise on our fundamental beliefs. And in the same vein, take a look at Adrian Warnock's posts on the atonement - he's at the top of my blog list.

What they sang before the party was over

The national anthem of what was the Soviet Union is a great piece of music. I do find it staggering that something so stirring can be used to celebrate an ideology that turned out to be so brutal and misguided.

Hard to believe now that communism once seemed so strong. A reminder that no ideology or religion that goes against Jesus has a future.

Pentecostals in Politics: The unfolding tale of Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin's appointment as John McCain's running mate was big news a couple of months ago. Predictably, the media had a field day. First of all it was a kind of grudging awe at her barnstorming speech at the Republican National Convention. And then, came the send ups and the revelations about her "weird" religious beliefs.

One of the clips below is of an African pastor, Thomas Muthee, praying over her. He will be known to some from the Transformations 2 dvd. He was the one who saw revival after the power of witchcraft was broken in his town.

The other video is a kind of press demolition of Palin and her church and its practices.

Unfortunately this is the kind of prejudice Pentecostal belief and practice still faces. I found it amazing in the latter clip that the presenter was sympathetic to the witch who had fallen through Muthee's ministry.

It seems that its ok to hound a creationist out of his or her post, but not someone who keeps people controlled by fear and superstition.

It has to be said as well that even though we might be at ease as Pentecostals with our theology and practice, it doesn't make particularly good tv. It tends to attract the wrong kind of attention and fuel the suspicion and prejudice that still exists with respect to Spirit filled ministry.

I'd love to know your thoughts.

Faith and Politics

American politics is much more highly affected by religion than European or British politics.

American politicians are much more keenly aware of the religious sensibilities of voters.

Many American Christians would never vote for Barack Obama because of his stance on abortion. You can read some of the opinion here and you can hear the man in his own words in the video below:




And for a bit of commentary from the Christian right on the legal implication of some statements Obama has made here

Tomorrow we'll take a look at Sarah Palin and the perils of being a Pentecostal politician.

Exploitation in the Environment

The the Telegraph Online report about councils using children as young as eight to spy on and report environmentally unfriendly neighbours is a very disturbing story. More disturbing is that local councils and the Local Government Association are not denying this.

Today it's dropping litter. What will they be recruiting children to monitor in twenty years time? You can read the article here .