BeachcomberFX

Category: Sunday@thePub

  • Evolving Faith

    Evolving Faith

    Hi folks, I hope you are all doing ok. This Sunday we will be meeting on zoom at 8.00pm. If you want to be involved in our conversation and you don’t usually get our links then please do let me know.
    This weeks blog is written by Rachel & Aaron and is based on a conference they attended last year called Evolving Faith.

     

    Evolving Faith is an annual gathering of followers of Jesus (mostly) who want to connect with “fellow wanderers and misfits” and “envision a community where the thirsty become water-bearers, the hungry become bread-makers, the wounded are our healers, the misfits become friends, and the wanderers find a home.” It’s based in the US normally but this year the conference went online, so we had the chance to experience their vision in action. When the weekend came, we set up our living room like an event – snacks laid out, lights dimmed, communion bread prepared. It was a lot of money to invest for an online event – but we hoped it would be worth it.

    Spoiler: it was. There were some great talks, but more importantly this felt like a diverse group of leaders modelling together what healthy Christian community might look like. These are some of the things we loved.

     

    Space for the full spectrum of human emotion. 

    From the beginning it was clear that we could bring our questions, disappointment, pain, rage, joy, exhaustion or excitement to the conference. There were tears from the front before the introductions were over and the speakers themselves brought all kinds of different energy and emotion to their talk – from quiet meditation to protest-filled anger. In the first talk one of the hosts, Sarah Bessey, preached up a storm as she named many of the ways the church, the faith and Jesus Himself may have disappointed us, ending with these powerful words…

    “We had hoped we could bring our whole selves to church. That Christians would be the first ones to care about climate change or to lay down their power and privilege, however that is, counting it as nothing because of the gospel. We had hoped that the gospel would be good news and glad tidings for everyone. We had hoped for justice and we have hoped for so many things.”

    The invitation was not to gather around shared pain or disappointment but nor was it to leave that behind or hide it.

     

    Earnest not cynical

    Evolving Faith is primarily a space for people who have found themselves disillusioned, disappointed, dismissed or doubting in other faith spaces but who still believe that faith matters. There are a growing number of online spaces for people who are ‘deconstructing’ their Christian faith but we have found that many of these spaces unite around what they are against, which quickly degenerates into cynicism and sarcasm, especially towards evangelicals.

    At Evolving Faith there was none of that. From the first welcome, it was clear that the hosts of the conference had gathered because of what they are FOR – and they were unashamedly earnest and heartfelt about it. This was a conference centred on hope in the person of Jesus, delight in a God who welcomes absolutely everyone and a hunger to see what the Scriptures might say to us right here, right now.

     

    Diversity, disagreement and accountability

    One of the foundations for this community is relationship and dialogue, not uniformity and agreement. One of the ways this was expressed was through the two main hosts openly acknowledging differences with one another, with one from a Pentecostal background and the other from a Reformed background. It was also refreshing to see that one of the main speakers wasn’t a Christian, and yet for us, hers was a standout talk with what she shared from Jewish scholarship revealing so much about Jesus. Theological differences were on show, as were differences between the speakers in life experience shaped by race, age, gender, sexuality, disability, style, personality and much more. It didn’t feel tokenistic as these are people who mostly know each other in real life – so love, respect and commitment to learn from one another shone brighter.

    Although the leaders worked hard to make room for diversity and disagreement, there were times that people from marginalised communities were hurt by things that were said by speakers. When this happened, the leaders were quick to acknowledge, apologise and rectify their mistake.

     

    Holistic Spirituality

    A final feature of this conference that stood out to us was how holistic the faith practice was. There were constant invitations to engage with God through the whole experience of our mind, body and souls. This ranged from the taking of bread together (virtually), to the use of different styles of music, poetry, liturgy, one-to-one prayer, song, meditation and film, from theologically challenging talks to the tears of speakers as they shared their stories. We loved the expression and experience of faith and worship in so many different ways.

     

    Conclusion:

    Five stars, would recommend.

     

    Questions:

    1. What fiction (TV/film/book) most closely pictures your ideal vision for community and why?
    2. Which of the above stands out to you the most? Why?
    3. Have you experienced similar things in a faith community? Have you ever experienced the opposite? How did you respond?
    4. Do you have any close relationships with people you really disagree with or are very different from?
    5. Do you feel that you bring the whole range of human experience into your faith?
    6. What is your vision for healthy Christian community?
    7. What part can you play in practicing that at S@TP?

     

    A couple of resources:

    Evolving Faith podcast – https://evolvingfaith.com/podcast

    To find out more/next year’s conference: https://evolvingfaith.com/

    The transcript to Sarah’s introductory talk is well worth a read: https://evolvingfaith.com/conference/stream/transcripts/session-1#sarahbessey

  • Scavenger

    Scavenger

    Hi folks, I hope you are doing ok? This week we will be meeting on zoom at 8.00pm, if you don’t normally get the link but want to join us then please send me a message and we can hook you up.

    Over the next few weeks, alongside blogs from other members, I want to go through the key components that make up BeachcomberFX.

    Some of you may not know that Sunday@thepub is the public face of BeachcomberFX, but Sunday nights are just one element of all that we are about.

    BeachcomberFX has four elements: Scavenger, Wanderer, Gatherer and Collector. Sunday@thepub sits under one of those, more about that in another blog.

    This week we will focus on Scavenger.

    This aspect is about exploring what it means to be a pilgrim walking in creation and ‘seeing’ God in the everyday. We seek to find altars in the world, we do this intentionally through regular walks  or pilgrimages, night hikes and through lent and advent reflections. Our daily activities of life: exercise, dog walks and our daily commute all give us opportunities to ‘scavenge’.

    When I was thinking about BFX in its early days I was intrigued that much of what we experience as spiritual people or as followers of Jesus takes place in specific places and spaces. We are programmed to connect with our faith through what happens for example inside church buildings: singing, hearing a preacher, saying formal prayers, seeing ikons and other such things. In some ways scavenger is about digging deeper into that which we see and experience all around us and ask the question – could this connect with faith and spirituality, if so how?

    Of course some signs of God or spirituality are more obvious than others. It’s also ‘easier’ to find connections as you gaze at the wonders of creation. Yes, I am thankful for these more obvious signs, but I wonder if this mutes our ability to wonder and seek meaning in the mundane and the ordinary.

    Over the years I have tried to find signs or connections that are not so obvious and it means I have to intentionally look for them. Maybe it’s a road sign that gives directions that’s partially obscured by a tree – how could this speak to me? It could be a sign that the way of spirituality or connection is obscured for me or that I need to cut things back to see where I am being led.

    So a challenge before we meet on Sunday, can you take a photo of something that speaks to you somehow as you go about on your daily walk? It will mean being observant as you walk.

    Or could you share something that has happened that makes you go ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting that!’

    Questions:

    Scavenger hunt…

    Show or tell where you saw a connection.

    How does the word scavenger relate to spirituality for you?

    What ways during covid have you found to help you connect with your faith and spirituality?

    In what ways have you been able to find connections or signs to your faith/spirituality through the mundane?

  • ‘WHY DID JESUS, MOSES, THE BUDDHA AND MOHAMMED CROSS THE ROAD?’

    ‘WHY DID JESUS, MOSES, THE BUDDHA AND MOHAMMED CROSS THE ROAD?’

    Hi folks, I hope you are all ok, we will meet at 8.00pm on zoom, if you don’t normally receive our zoom links and want to join us then send me a message, you would be very welcome to join us. This weeks reflection comes from Pauline.

    Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former pastor and teacher, he is the author of numerous hugely influential books, including the award-winning A New Kind of Christianity, We Make the Road by Walking and The Great Spiritual Migration. He is a passionate advocate for a Christianity that is just, generous, and committed to working with people of all faiths for the common good.

    Those of you who have heard me share something of my faith story will know that Brian McLaren’s books have been really influential in my journey.  I would like to share some thoughts from one of his books that has been around a while. A book which has helped me greatly in the last five years of being an unexpected mum and grandma to a small family with a strong Muslim faith. ‘WHY DID JESUS, MOSES, THE BUDDHA AND MOHAMMED CROSS THE ROAD?’ is its title.

    So why, McLaren asks, is it funny to ask about Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed crossing the road? Before looking for a punch line he says, just for fun try to imagine the scene: four of history’s greatest religious leaders…… not fighting, not arguing, not damming and condemning one another, not launching crusades or jihads, but walking together, moving together, leading together. And doesn’t that already reverse some of our   expectations?  And doesn’t that reversal expose our unspoken expectation that –  different religions are inherently and unchangeably incompatible, disharmonious, fractious and hostile towards one another?

    Before going any further what might your punch line be?

    All four of them are in the same situation, whatever the answer will be it will be the same for all of them maybe even making them companions rather than competitors.

    McLaren says, if you are a Christian of whatever sort – Catholic, Protestant or Eastern Orthodox; conservative, liberal or moderate; traditional or whatever, if you love Jesus and have confidence in him as Lord, Saviour, Son of God, Son of man, God Incarnate, word made flesh and more let me ask you to seriously consider this:  how do you think Jesus would treat Moses, Mohammed, and Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) if they took a walk together?

    Would Jesus push Moses aside and demand to cross first claiming that his ancestor’s failed religion had been superseded by his own? Would he trade insults with Mohammed, claiming that his crusaders could whip Islamic jihadists any day of the week, demanding that Mohammed cross behind, not beside him? Would Jesus demand the Buddah kneel at his feet and demonstrate submission before letting him cross? Or would he walk with them and, once on the other side welcome each to a table of fellowship, not demanding any special status or privileges, maybe even taking the role of a servant – hanging up their coats, getting them something to eat and drink, making sure each felt welcome, safe and at home?

    This is just part of the opening chapter of a book that argues that Christians know how to build a strong identity that is intolerant or hostile towards other faiths; and they know how to have a weak identity that is tolerant and benign. But suggests there is a third alternative, that we discover, live, teach and practice a Christian identity that is both strong and benevolent towards other faiths.

    What was your punch line?

    If your answer was to walk into a bar!!! what would they each choose to drink?

    What is your experience of interacting with other faiths, and what struck you?

    What do you think is the road we must cross?

    We may be friendly to individuals of other religions but does our friendship always have a pretext: we want them to switch sides and be won over to our better way. We love them ( or say we do) in-spite of their religious identity, hoping that  they will see the light and abandon it and find shelter in our camp?

    How do you see ‘a Christian identity that is both strong and benevolent?

    Peace.

  • Connectedness

    Connectedness

    Hi folks, how are we all doing? We will be meeting on Zoom at 8.00pm on Sunday, i’ll send the link in the usual places, if you don’t normally get the link but want to join us then you would be very welcome.

    I have had a few things buzzing around my head this week and it’s been difficult to know what to share and talk about. During our Christmas break, we went for a walk to St Mary’s lighthouse and we were stopped in our tracks by a scene at the nature reserve, we thought they were Starlings in mid murmuration, but I have it on good authority that they were actually Waders! Thanks Rob! If you haven’t watched the video, take a look now. There was something incredibly beautiful about watching these birds swirl and dance around like that.

    I’m reading a book at the moment and the author talks about going on a trail on horseback in the United States. While they were out the horses didn’t look at the beautiful scenery or take much notice of their riders. Instead they were interacting with each other.

    The author says “Tucker hated to be behind Zeus. Thunder loved to walk behind daisy. Rain despised Plato so much that she would kick him if he came up behind her, and Plato was restless if he wasn’t somewhere near Thunder. At every moment, the horses were turning their heads to the left and right, lifting or lowering their ears, angling their bodies on the trail, snorting, flicking their tails, and otherwise sending body language messages to the other horses.”

    So where am I going with this?

    A couple of things that strike me is that first of all the waders we saw were in unison as they danced around the sky. At times they split off into smaller groups and then at the end a third group join in and they were all in unison, rising and falling together.

    There is something about being together as a community either in BFX, a local community, a church community or wherever, that when it works, it can be beautiful. We may be separated physically at the moment but eventually we will be back together again.

    The second is that these horses interacted with each other, and they knew where they stood in relation to each other. Just as we humans do, we interact with each other, sometimes we interact a lot, and other times we have to take a step back. Sometime we struggle to get on with folks and that’s what community is about. My hope is that in this time we are learning to value the people in our lives, either the ones we see lots even if that’s online and those that we see less often because at the moment its just too much.

    In these Covid times it has often been hard to connect with each other, not seeing people in person is difficult. I’m grateful that folks have found ways to stay connected, whether that is by joining in via zoom on Sunday nights or with our small groups, ‘lovely ladies’ and ‘naughty boys’. Others have found connectedness by focusing attention on maybe just a few people and that’s OK.

    There is no right or wrong answer to the way we are handling these times, but be assured I can’t wait for us to be out of this time and for us to come together to metaphorically dance and hug!

    Some questions:

    Whats the funniest thing that’s happened when you have been on an online call?

    Would you rather be a horse or a bird and why?

    What’s your favourite animal and why?

    What image of nature speaks to you about community?

    How are you finding connectedness at the moment?

    What are you learning about community in these times?

  • Lost at Sea

    Lost at Sea

    Happy New Year! Hmmm not sure about you, but I wouldn’t say it’s particularly happy! But maybe it should read ‘have a happier new year’! I will share the Zoom link on Sunday afternoon before we meet at 8.00pm in the evening.
    I hope you had a decent Christmas in the midst of all the restrictions and challenges. As we start this year I suspect many of us are trying to work out how much planning for the future we can actually do. Also in these literal and metaphorical ‘dark days’ it may feel that the only thing we can do is plod on, one day at a time, or maybe all you are able to do is just survive one day at a time!
    Over the last couple weeks while Karen and I have been off work we have spent a bit of time going for walks, sometimes with friends and latterly on our own. We often ended up on the sea front or on the beach. We tried to pick the better weather days. On Monday, the final day of our holiday, we had a walk around St Mary’s lighthouse. It was bitterly cold and raining and in reality it was rather bleak! But it did blow away the cobwebs.
    When we stood and looked out at the sea, it was dark and moody. I imagined Jesus and his mates on a boat (have a look at these passages to refresh your memory: Matthew 8:23-27 or Matthew 14:22-33).
    I’ve been on large boats a few times now. One of the things I remember about the experience is the sense of vastness, and at night it’s just pitch black. It’s quite something! I’m not a fan of these boats for reasons I may have talked about before and as such I am very wary of the sea. Despite this I love to watch the waves from the safety of the shore.
    Maybe all we can do in these times is survive, maybe these passages will help us to do that? Maybe it’s finding ways to connect with others, even if they feel a bit wearisome, maybe you have the inner resources? Maybe you are floundering and need to cry out to be rescued?
    Questions:
    So if you were lost at sea what would you need to survive? (game)
    How are you surviving in these times?
    How can we support others when we can’t see them in person?
    What did you notice about these passages?
    Peace, Rob
  • Love is coming

    Love is coming

    Hi folks, how are we doing? We gather together on zoom again at 8.00pm on Sunday. If you would like to join in but don’t usually get the link please do let me know and we can include you.
    We find ourselves moving into Advent and approaching Christmas with all the uncertainty we have become accustomed to since the beginning of the year. It’s painfully obvious that life for the foreseeable future won’t be easy, particularly as we try to get our heads around what we do about Christmas!
    I was watching a short video about advent to try and get some inspiration for this reflection, the guy I was listening to talked about a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash called Carry on, recorded in 1970! We will play it on Sunday night, but click on the link to have a listen.
    Basically as we journey through advent we know the story, we know the ending… we know that we will be celebrating the birth of Jesus and that love is coming. Those are the words in the refrain of the song, ‘Love is coming!’
    Advent always reminds us to be thankful. We know something good is coming. We know that love is coming as we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth!
    But we also know that love is already here. In the midst of all we are facing right now we are not alone, love is with us, Jesus is with us!
    So in the midst of the pain and struggle of these times let’s be thankful.
    Some questions:
    Have you put your Christmas tree up yet?
    What’s your favourite thing in the run up to Christmas?
    How are you feeling about Christmas this year?
    With all that’s gone on this year what two or three things are you thankful for?
    Peace, Rob
  • Story and Creativity

    Story and Creativity

    Hi folks, I hope you are all managing to stay above water in these strange times. This week we will be meeting at 8.00pm on zoom, if you want to join us and don’t normally get the link then let me know.

    As the sun set last Sunday I was expecting a tough week. I struggle with the dark nights, but this week I found a few things that have given me energy to almost ignore the darkness! I have been out more this week, meeting a few folks for work and it’s given me some unexpected energy. I have also had the opportunity to be creative, video recording the first service for my other role at Brunswick. I also wrote some short poems for a project that David is involved with.

    There have been two other inspirational moments this week, both linked to music. First of all I watched the first episode of The Rap Game, a BBC3 program that takes six new MC’s and gives one of them the chance of a record deal. I do like a bit of rap, but this was a little different. The part that struck me most was when they were given a beat to rap too and they had 24 hours to write about something in their lives that has been a struggle for them. They had to tell a story through it. Some were better than others, but it was beautiful to watch people bearing their soul in a style that was so upfront and raw.

    The second inspirational moment caused me to post something on Facebook. The program was Imagine with Alan Yentob. He introduced a unique portrait of an exceptionally gifted family. Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason won BBC young musician of the year in 2016 and performed at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018. It wasn’t just about him, it was about the whole family. Each of them performed a piece of music and then they played together. It was filmed during lock down and they played on the street on a Thursday night for their street after the NHS clap, they have been streaming music online for people to watch. What struck me was their creativity, to be able to play music and to try new ways of doing traditional pieces. It was also the down to earth in nature in the way they talked together about music and what it can do for people.

    This last couple of weeks I have watched Karen get more creative, we bought a new food mixer, and Karen has been trying out new recipes, bread and cake! Nom! She also did most of the work on our carved pumpkin of Suki dog!!

    There were a couple of things I want to think about, the first is in relation to story, whether it be our own story, the story of our planet or even our story of faith. Last weekend marked my 35th year as a follower of Jesus! In both the rap and classical music story came through, the individual battles these young rappers were spitting were powerful and in some cases hard to hear. In Imagine it was the family dynamics and the way they talked about the stories of the pieces of music they played. They made these pieces seem fresh and come alive. They almost lived their stories through their playing of the music

    The second is about creativity, particularly in the form of music and what it can inspire and move people to do, not just playing but listening as well. This led me to think about the way God creates. This time of year we see leaves fall and die, but in their dying they produce such vibrant colours. Creativity is all around us in so many ways.

    Some questions

    If you carved a pumpkin, what was that like for you?

    If you could play an instrument what would it be?

    What parts of your story would you like to write a song about?

    When would you say your faith story started?

    How do you feel about creativity?

    What is your creative outlet?

    How do you view God and creativity?

     

    Peace, Rob

  • The ‘lack’

    The ‘lack’

    Hi folks, I hope you are ok, I will send the zoom link later on Sunday. (Let me know if you want to be involved)

    I thought it would be worth sharing some further thoughts to our podcast that I posted at the start of the week. Pete tackles a number of themes in his podcast, which if you get chance is worth a listen, but Its not an easy listen, it will hurt your head! (Just ask Pauline)!

    One of the themes he covers is around ‘lack’ check out this very short video clip to help you feel your way in.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa_5J8VXVwc

    Basically the idea behind ‘lack’ is that we may have heard it described in other ways before, maybe as ‘the God shaped hole’. The premise is that when we are born there is this sense that something is missing, or something isn’t quite right, in faith terms we may have called it original sin. Pete talks about this in different terms, he suggest that we can’t get rid of this ‘lack’, but that we rather need to embrace it, and learn to live with it.

    So some questions

    What’s your favourite way to waste time?

    What do you think about this idea of ‘lack’?

    What could help us overcome the ‘lack’?

    How does faith relate to ‘lack’?

     

    Peace Rob

  • Working with…

    Working with…

    Hi folks, I hope you are well, we have been back at work after our week off. We both had a great time away and a chance to chill and relax… it was very much needed, particularly in these strange times!

    Once again we will be meeting on Zoom… the link for that will be posted in the usual places, if you don’t get those messages and want to be involved then please let me know.

    Also next Sunday we will be talking about a podcast. I will post a link to this on Monday so you have enough time to listen to it before next week.

    This week I started an online course with the Methodist Church about planting churches online. One of the speakers Rev. Elaine Heath is a theologian living in an alternative community in the States. She has really helped me over the years in some of my thinking. In her opening remarks she used a series of phrases I have heard her say several times and each time I say to myself… ‘OOOO that’s good’ only for it to drop out of my mind… this time though, I wrote them down… Whoop!

    So here they are…

    • Show up
    • Pay attention
    • Cooperate with God
    • Release the outcome

    When I read these, I feel like the first two are ‘easy’ and over the years we have looked at them at Sunday@thepub… ‘show up’ for me means being fully present in the moment and that helps you to ‘pay attention’. In BFX we have used the phrase ‘everyday positive moments’ and ‘Altars in the world’. We do though need to keep practising these things.

    The other two are a little harder, nevertheless I think they may be important. What could ‘cooperate with God’ mean? For me this is about another phrase that is sometimes used ‘see where God is working and join in’ – working with situations and/or people you feel or sense could lead to something… this may be finding a person of peace?

    The last phrase ‘release the outcome’ could be much harder as I think this is about taking action. Not just sitting on it and thinking about it… but doing it.

    So some questions…….

    What has been the best thing about this last week? (pay attention)

    In the places you have been and the things you have done this week, where should you have shown up… and where did you REALLY show up?

    What do you think cooperate with God actually means?

    What do you understand release the outcome to mean? How do we do this as a community?

    Peace, Rob

  • How you doing??

    How you doing??

    Hi folks, we are meeting on Zoom this Sunday night, David will produce the link and send it out later, if you want to be involved and aren’t in our messenger groups then please do comment below.

    Well, we are living in interesting times aren’t we… Things are changing all the time, not just for us, but for our families and friends alike, as well as charities and business’. We are six months down the line from the start of this and we are looking again at a daunting few months ahead.

    I have read some really helpful articles recently that talk about the challenges we have faced and how we have coped with them… or not. They have highlighted the ups and downs and they have shared some of the hard reality that many of us are facing… but they have also said that these feelings and emotions will pass… and we will learn some new ways of dealing with our present reality and maybe find some new sense of creativity!

    As I read them I was reminded of the time I spent in Estonia, I was in my early 20’s and I remember the first six months being really difficult, getting to know new people, adjusting to a new role and the challenge of living in a new country… but reading these articles reminded me… that i got through it… It wasn’t easy… but i did it…

    Its true that life is like that… we face tough things all the time in different ways, and we find that we navigate our way through them somehow… Sometimes they end up in not so happy endings and other times they do… What is true right now though is that we are all facing the same thing, although our experiences are different and we may not all be in the same mental and emotional place as each other.

    What i do know is that we can try and be kind to each other and be kind to ourselves. … and maybe thats what we all need to do at the moment…

    I love these words from Micah 6:8 “what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

    Maybe in this time we would do well to hear these words…

    Some questions

    What has been the best thing that’s happened for you this week?

    How are you feeling about our current situation right now?

    What past experience can you bring in to play as we face this pandemic?

    How do these words from Micah help you reflect on the way you could face our present situation?