Thursday, 19 December 2013
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Why I need a new dining table
It's not everyday you go to a day of theology and come away thinking you need a new dining table...
…but today I want to return to BMS Catalyst Live and tell you about Miranda Harris' contribution. Miranda is involved in conservation work through A Rocha and talked about community. As with John Lennox's talk there was just so much great material so here are just a couple of thoughts.
Miranda was talking about her experiences of what it means to be in community. One of the things that she said which struck me was, that if Christ is in us, then as people get to know us as we really are then they will eventually meet Jesus.
This got me thinking...so often it is the 'as we really are' bit of that that we don't like the sound of. Therefore we always try to keep people at a distance, but this affects community.
Miranda then gave four pointers in building community.
1) More eating than meetings - hence the need for a new dining table - the biggest one you can afford.
2) More listening than talking.
3) More failure than success.
4) More wonder than worry.
You can listen to Miranda's talk here.
Catalyst Live, Miranda Harris, Reading, November 2013 from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.
Miranda, and her husband set up A Rocha's first field study centre in Portugal in 1983. A Rocha is an international Christian organisation which, inspired by God's love, engages in scientific research, environmental education and community-based conservation projects (to quote from their website).
…but today I want to return to BMS Catalyst Live and tell you about Miranda Harris' contribution. Miranda is involved in conservation work through A Rocha and talked about community. As with John Lennox's talk there was just so much great material so here are just a couple of thoughts.
Miranda was talking about her experiences of what it means to be in community. One of the things that she said which struck me was, that if Christ is in us, then as people get to know us as we really are then they will eventually meet Jesus.
This got me thinking...so often it is the 'as we really are' bit of that that we don't like the sound of. Therefore we always try to keep people at a distance, but this affects community.
Miranda then gave four pointers in building community.
1) More eating than meetings - hence the need for a new dining table - the biggest one you can afford.
2) More listening than talking.
3) More failure than success.
4) More wonder than worry.
You can listen to Miranda's talk here.
Catalyst Live, Miranda Harris, Reading, November 2013 from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.
Miranda, and her husband set up A Rocha's first field study centre in Portugal in 1983. A Rocha is an international Christian organisation which, inspired by God's love, engages in scientific research, environmental education and community-based conservation projects (to quote from their website).
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Be prepared to give an answer for your hope
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending Catalyst Live in Reading - an event organised by BMS World Mission. This was a chance to simply sit and listen to some great inspirational speakers; to have our minds stretched; to be encouraged and challenged.
The first speaker of the day was John Lennox, a professor of mathematics, at Oxford University.
I guess there are quite a lot of people who would be surprised to discover that a professor of mathematics at Oxford would be a Christian and speaking publicly about his faith. But I suppose that just goes to show how far we've bought into the idea that faith and science are mutually exclusive; that faith and the rational mind are opposed to each other.
If you ever get the chance to go and hear John Lennox - do it. He is brilliant to listen to. I can't possible hope to do justice to the content of his talk here. He touched on so much.
His talk was addressing the question 'Should Christians fear science and the new atheism?' You know - people like Richard Dawkins and his book 'The God Delusion'. Lennox's answer to this question is a resounding 'No'. Instead of fear or shame we need to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have (see 1 Peter 3:15).
Just one snippet to whet your appetite. In the modern world we put such authority and trust in science - in the rational mind. Yet, if you ask the atheist, 'what is the mind?' they will talk about the brain. But what is the brain? It is the product of evolution - the product of a mindless and random process. So, if the mind is the product of a mindless process, why do we trust it? If this is what the mind is can it be reliable or trustworthy? So we find the intellectual theories actually ultimately undermine the minds and rationality that made them.
But, that's enough from me - why not listen for yourself.
Catalyst Live, John Lennox, November 2013 Reading from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.
The first speaker of the day was John Lennox, a professor of mathematics, at Oxford University.
I guess there are quite a lot of people who would be surprised to discover that a professor of mathematics at Oxford would be a Christian and speaking publicly about his faith. But I suppose that just goes to show how far we've bought into the idea that faith and science are mutually exclusive; that faith and the rational mind are opposed to each other.
If you ever get the chance to go and hear John Lennox - do it. He is brilliant to listen to. I can't possible hope to do justice to the content of his talk here. He touched on so much.
His talk was addressing the question 'Should Christians fear science and the new atheism?' You know - people like Richard Dawkins and his book 'The God Delusion'. Lennox's answer to this question is a resounding 'No'. Instead of fear or shame we need to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have (see 1 Peter 3:15).
Just one snippet to whet your appetite. In the modern world we put such authority and trust in science - in the rational mind. Yet, if you ask the atheist, 'what is the mind?' they will talk about the brain. But what is the brain? It is the product of evolution - the product of a mindless and random process. So, if the mind is the product of a mindless process, why do we trust it? If this is what the mind is can it be reliable or trustworthy? So we find the intellectual theories actually ultimately undermine the minds and rationality that made them.
But, that's enough from me - why not listen for yourself.
Catalyst Live, John Lennox, November 2013 Reading from BMS World Mission on Vimeo.
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