The first Sunday in July is traditionally our International Sunday. (This year our International Meal is next Saturday on 7 July). But what is an International Sunday and why have one?
Immanuel Baptist Fellowship is a very diverse and multi-cultural church. Each International Sunday we recognise and acknowledge each country where those who attend originate from. Last year there were over 50 nationalities represented across our four centres, from North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. What I want to know is where are those from Antarctica? If you're from Antarctica and you're reading this blog then if you're ever in London you'd be more than welcome at one of our centres - please make yourself known to us - you may be the first from your continent to visit us. [Visit http://www.ibfchurch.org.uk/ for details of where to find us].
Each of us is shaped by the culture(s) in which we grew up. For many people it is not until they leave 'their culture' (maybe to live in another country, or leave home to go to university etc) that they realise that there are lots of other people who think differently about things, and do things differently. This makes life in a multi-cultural church both exciting and challenging - for there is plenty of scope for misunderstanding (and therefore potential for upsetting and offending people without even realising it). This begins as soon as you walk into the church. Some cultures are more reserved than others and therefore a firm handshake is all that is needed by way of a greeting. Others need a hug and a kiss on each cheek. As you can see the potential for upset is already there, and we have only just got through the door of the church. One person feels offended because they were only given a handshake - "don't they like me or something?" Someone else is made to feel totally uncomfortable as their 'personal space' is infringed.
But what are we to make of culture as Christians? There is a sense in which Christianity is always 'counter cultural' - there are things in every culture that are not in line with God's will. But I believe that there are also things in every culture that do demonstrate something of the truth of God. Therefore all of us need to allow 'our culture' to be transformed by the teaching of Jesus. That doesn't mean that we will end up with all Christians only having one culture. It means that the 'good' in our cultures will be celebrated whilst the 'bad' will be confessed and changed.
Our International Sunday reminds us that we have an incredibly creative God. He made us all different. He gave us different personalities. And He wants us to rejoice and celebrate that. And so on our International Sunday we celebrate our differences and look to learn from one another - this is part of what it means to worship a God who is creative and diverse. And at the same time we wonder that through Jesus it is possible to become one family - and yet not to lose those qualities that make us different.
Some questions for reflection (and comment):
What in your culture needs to be celebrated by the church?
What in your culture needs to be challenged by the teachings of Jesus?
Saturday 30 June 2007
Thursday 14 June 2007
Carbon Footprints
I'm still looking at the Old Testament book of Ruth ahead of our church weekend away which starts tomorrow evening! It's amazing how a story that took place about 3000 years ago can still speak today.
So what have I been looking at this afternoon? My Carbon Footprint! How do you get from Ruth to Carbon Footprints you may be wondering. In Ruth chapter 2 we read about a guy called Boaz whose faith clearly touches every area of his life - including business and economics. In the Old Testament God gave laws which would ensure that the poor and the foreigner were provided for - for example when you harvested your wheat you were not to harvest right to the edge of the field but you were to leave a border so that the poor could come and harvest grain there in order to have enough to eat. Or when you picked grapes from your vineyard once you've been through it once you are not to go back and check that you've not missed any grapes - these were to be left for the poor.
So where are the Carbon Footprints you may still be wondering. For many of us who live in 'the west', the 'developed world', the 'first world' or whatever you want to call it, we make choices that have a negative effect on the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people. In 2000 world leaders made some committments aimed at halving world poverty by 2015 (called the Millennium Development Goals). This summer we are half way to 2015 - but we're not half way towards meeting many of these goals. Micah Challenge is one group that is continuing to encourage us to put pressure on our governments to fulfil their earlier committments. And one area of importance is the need to reduce domestic carbon emissions.
According to my visit to an online carbon footprint calculator (there are others - I just randomly chose this one) my personal carbon footprint is about 4200 kg CO2 per year - which is slightly below average. (Some of the values I put in to the calculator were guesstimates). The cost to offset this would be about £30 for tree planting in Kenya or hydroelectric projects in Brazil.
But what to do about reducing that footprint? First thing would be to get the bike back out of the garage where it has been since November!
Then we come onto the whole area of Fairtrade - but don't get me started - that's a whole other blog. If you want to talk re-cycling great - the wormery is going well. After almost 2 months the liquid fertiliser is now being used on the various vegtables growing in the garden.
So what have I been looking at this afternoon? My Carbon Footprint! How do you get from Ruth to Carbon Footprints you may be wondering. In Ruth chapter 2 we read about a guy called Boaz whose faith clearly touches every area of his life - including business and economics. In the Old Testament God gave laws which would ensure that the poor and the foreigner were provided for - for example when you harvested your wheat you were not to harvest right to the edge of the field but you were to leave a border so that the poor could come and harvest grain there in order to have enough to eat. Or when you picked grapes from your vineyard once you've been through it once you are not to go back and check that you've not missed any grapes - these were to be left for the poor.
So where are the Carbon Footprints you may still be wondering. For many of us who live in 'the west', the 'developed world', the 'first world' or whatever you want to call it, we make choices that have a negative effect on the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people. In 2000 world leaders made some committments aimed at halving world poverty by 2015 (called the Millennium Development Goals). This summer we are half way to 2015 - but we're not half way towards meeting many of these goals. Micah Challenge is one group that is continuing to encourage us to put pressure on our governments to fulfil their earlier committments. And one area of importance is the need to reduce domestic carbon emissions.
According to my visit to an online carbon footprint calculator (there are others - I just randomly chose this one) my personal carbon footprint is about 4200 kg CO2 per year - which is slightly below average. (Some of the values I put in to the calculator were guesstimates). The cost to offset this would be about £30 for tree planting in Kenya or hydroelectric projects in Brazil.
But what to do about reducing that footprint? First thing would be to get the bike back out of the garage where it has been since November!
Then we come onto the whole area of Fairtrade - but don't get me started - that's a whole other blog. If you want to talk re-cycling great - the wormery is going well. After almost 2 months the liquid fertiliser is now being used on the various vegtables growing in the garden.
Tuesday 5 June 2007
I'm not a surgeon - I just spend a lot of time in hospital!
Some of you may be wondering about the story behind the photo - well you'll have to continue wondering. I'm not a doctor and have no inclination to be one - an episode of Casualty a week is about as far as I go on that front. But my daughters are trying their best to ensure a better than average knowledge of the workings of paediatric intensive care departments within the best hospitals in the UK.
This last week we've been at the Royal Brompton for heart surgery on our youngest daughter who is only 11 weeks old. She is recovering extremely well, and we give God thanks. The doctors have commented on how well she is doing so soon after such a major operation. But then we should not be surprised because so many people have been praying for her and for us. We know of people in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America - and if you've been one of them 'Thank you so much!' But thankfully the answers to our prayers are not dependant on the numbers of people praying (just as they're not dependant on the length of our prayers etc.) but on the God to whom we pray. He is the Almighty One.
I guess many of us experience times in our lives when we ask the 'Why?' question of God. Certainly when our daughter was diagnosed we asked 'why?' We know that God is able to heal, so why have to go through an operation?
We praise God that our daughter is doing so well, but acknowledge that some of you may have prayed for family members who were ill and they died. And for you I guess the 'why?' question is that much more pressing and answers much harder to come by.
I have been reading the Old Testament book of Ruth this last week, especially chapter 1 where Naomi loses her husband, her sons don't produce grandchildren, and then her two sons die: leaving her with nothing in a foreign land. And yet her faith in the God who provides is so strong that Ruth wants to leave her home to commit herself to Naomi's God - to trust herself into His care and to trust Him for His provision. Which is remarkable when you consider Naomi's testimony to this point (famine, death and loss).
Someone has described life as a tapestry - with a beautiful picture being created on one side, but knots and tangled threads on the other. At times all we see is the underside, the back of the picture. Faith is not necessarily seeing the 'right' side. Faith is believing that there is a right side even though I can't see it.
No doubt Naomi asked the why question. But more of that another time...
This last week we've been at the Royal Brompton for heart surgery on our youngest daughter who is only 11 weeks old. She is recovering extremely well, and we give God thanks. The doctors have commented on how well she is doing so soon after such a major operation. But then we should not be surprised because so many people have been praying for her and for us. We know of people in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America - and if you've been one of them 'Thank you so much!' But thankfully the answers to our prayers are not dependant on the numbers of people praying (just as they're not dependant on the length of our prayers etc.) but on the God to whom we pray. He is the Almighty One.
I guess many of us experience times in our lives when we ask the 'Why?' question of God. Certainly when our daughter was diagnosed we asked 'why?' We know that God is able to heal, so why have to go through an operation?
We praise God that our daughter is doing so well, but acknowledge that some of you may have prayed for family members who were ill and they died. And for you I guess the 'why?' question is that much more pressing and answers much harder to come by.
I have been reading the Old Testament book of Ruth this last week, especially chapter 1 where Naomi loses her husband, her sons don't produce grandchildren, and then her two sons die: leaving her with nothing in a foreign land. And yet her faith in the God who provides is so strong that Ruth wants to leave her home to commit herself to Naomi's God - to trust herself into His care and to trust Him for His provision. Which is remarkable when you consider Naomi's testimony to this point (famine, death and loss).
Someone has described life as a tapestry - with a beautiful picture being created on one side, but knots and tangled threads on the other. At times all we see is the underside, the back of the picture. Faith is not necessarily seeing the 'right' side. Faith is believing that there is a right side even though I can't see it.
No doubt Naomi asked the why question. But more of that another time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)