Christian Unity: A luxury we can't afford?

I'm speaking at a Christian Union later this week on our value "we're passionate about unity".

I've heard it said: “Unity is a luxury we can’t afford” . i.e. Christians are such a minority that we need to forget about getting along and just get going in mission. Seems to me the opposite might be true when I hear Jesus speaking with his Father. Unity is a necessity we can't dismiss.

Unity vs. Mission isn't a choice Jesus gives us.

“Father... I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21 ESV)

Jesus prayed for a unity that is: • Doctrinal • Relational • Missional

It's doctrinal - its a unity "just as" the Father and Son are united. Everything we do flows from our personal knowledge of God, as revealed in the Scriptures and experienced by the Spirit's indwelling.
It's for relationship - "be one" - not just formal or functional but friendship.
It's for mission - observation of it makes the gospel believable.

The story of the UCCF is part of a story of the revival of evangelicalism around a renewed confidence in the authority of Scripture and the centrality of the cross sparked by a move of the Holy Spirit at Cambridge University in 1919.

The basis of the UCCF is intended as an inclusive basis – deliberately non-specific about many important issues. I wont pretend it's always used well - but the intention is to gather not to exclude. We speak of it as The Doctrinal Basis of The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship of Christian Unions. A basis of fellowship, rooted in doctrine. The personal knowledge of God as the basis of relationships for the sake of mission together. This is churches united, family together.

With some variation in phrasing its the same basis as most evangelical churches and the Evangelical Alliance use. Its standard mainstream Protestantism. The goal being to unite as many as possible to give as many as possible the opportunity to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Most division in CU’s is reckoned to concern the CU’s weekly Team Meeting… which represents about 1.5 hours of the 168 hours in the week! Anything that's only about 1% of our time isn't something to fall out over.

Today’s top issue is often whether women can preach, followed by the use of charismatic gifts (the latter was the hot issue when I was a student 15 years ago). Neither is unimportant but neither should be allowed to divide our witness. (For what its worth I think in most CUs you see a pro-women speaking pro-charismatic position today... but it comes and goes like the tide, driven by the local church scene in most cases.)

1. Do make much of the gospel. 
2. Don’t pretend these “non-gospel” issues aren’t important. They are. 
3. Do be ultimately generous on “non-gospel” issues. Rather be wronged for the sake of gospel-loving and gospel-mission. Don't say - Unity only if we do the "secondary things" my way.
4. Do keep it in perspective. No one is obligated to be at everything the CU does – though learning to bear with others a little will do wonders for your Christian character. 
5. Don’t bind your conscience too tightly on “non-gospel” issues – recognise that thoughtful evangelicals come to a range of conclusions on the roles of women, on divine sovereignty, on charismatic gifts, on baptism, on church practice, while still holding firmly to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
6. Do embrace diversity in team meetings and in mission. By all means possible let’s take the gospel to people.

Much as what happens at a weekly meeting matters I’d like to ask whether we've crossed the divides that The Cross bridges. A university is inherently elitist – but when you’re in church do you connect with non-students and non-gradautes? What about your non-student neighbours - have you considered how to love the young family or pensioner living on your street? And in and out of University what about those of different ethnicity. A Christian is a global person but are we?

Where the battle for unity really rages…

The real issue is us – as our new hearts battle with our old flesh. The only answer is to repent to the crucified Christ and see more of the Spirit’s fruit in our lives. Death to self and life in Christ is the only way to real unity. The big issues of unity are LOVE ONE ANOTHER… BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER… PREFER OTHERS AHEAD OF YOURSELF… RATHER BE WRONGED… We might like to fight our corner on x,y,z doctrines of church practice - but love is a primary gospel issue.

I'm the big problem when it comes to unity, because I love things to be done my way. And I seem to find it so easy to say to someone else - "you're not really welcome here" rather than letting myself feel uncomfortable.

In Christ, I'll make the first move to relationship.
In Christ, I'll only compare the worst of me with the best of someone else - rather than vice versa.
In Christ, I'll go out of my way to be generous.
In Christ, I'll show hospitality to those unlike me.
In Christ, I'll be quick to repent, quick to forgive.
In Christ, I'll be slow to assign bad motives.
In Christ, I'll rejoice WHENEVER Christ is preached, even if the motives are bad.
In Christ, I'll assume difference gives me an opportunity to learn before it gives me the opportunity to say I know better.
In Christ, I'll defend those I disagree with because I'll have befriended them.
In Christ, I'll pursue unity so that the world might see the Triune God - the Father at one with his Son.

Christ himself was wronged for us in his death and when we share in his death we begin to get the kind of unity that makes no sense apart from Christ. A unity that exists as we collaborate in mission, standing shoulder to shoulder loving one another. A unity that is not necessarily doing everything together but pulling in the same direction, on the same team - no lone rangers. Christian Unity is participation in the divine life.

We sabotage our mission when we spend our time in-fighting. The answer isn't divide, it's learn to love and find our unity in the unity of the Father and the Son. Then the world will see...

Image: Durham CU.

Video: #5 Trinity matters for today (Mike Reeves)

Trinity was the hot topic in the life of the early church - and we need it today too as Mike Reeves shows here:

 
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Why God Loves Halloween

It's Halloween (or, Reformation Day) tomorrow.

Pete Dray wrote this for a 2011 event at Durham University. One of the most helpful reflections on Halloween I've seen... Why God loves Halloween. Read the whole thing, or just taste this extract

 "What has happened for centuries on All Saints’ Eve – or Halloween – is quite simple. God’s people act out a drama – a drama in which the demonic realm tries one last time to achieve victory, but is seen for what it really is. What is the means by which the demonic realm is seen for what it is? In a word: mockery. 

According to the Bible, the devil’s great sin (and our great sin) is pride. And so, to remind themselves of Satan and the evil realm’s ultimate defeat because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christians ridicule them. In fact, this is why the Medieval custom arose of portraying Satan in a ridiculous red suit with horns and a tail. Nobody thought that the devil really looked like this; indeed, the Bible teaches that he is a fallen arch-angel. Rather, the idea of portraying the devil in this way is to ridicule him because he has lost the battle with Jesus and he no longer has power over us. 

 Similarly, on Halloween, the custom arose of mocking the demonic realm by dressing children in costumes. Because the power of Satan has been broken once and for all, children can mock him by dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches. The fact that Christians dressed up their children in this way shows our supreme confidence in the utter defeat of Satan by Jesus Christ – there is no fear!"

Video: #4 Trinity changes Prayer (Mike Reeves)

Trinity matters for the way we pray - because it's about who we're praying to and how welcome we are. Mike Reeves explains:

 

Listen: Mike Reeves on How to Enjoy Your Prayer Life
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Video: A message from Becky Pippert to Exeter

On the weekend of 30 November - 2 December Becky Pippert author of Out of the Saltshaker will be in Exeter. Don't miss out on the opportunity to benefit from her training. Saturday 1st December - Saltshaker day conference is open to all - cost £15 including lunch.



More information here:




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Leaders who form a culture of grace and change

In the last few weeks Jesus has been teaching me about being weak. I'm freshly reminded that I'm in the middle of my sanctification not at the end of it, and as an unfinished person I'm not strong - despite my own deep sense of self importance.

I felt that afresh preaching on Sunday - probably the second illest I've been when preaching. For the second time in two months I was the fourth victim of the family cold - there's only so long you can spend in the company of illness before you get ill too! I have to ask myself did I fall ill because I've been burning the candle at both ends but I think the honest answer isn't that on this occasion. The weakness of my voice yesterday and its absence this morning is a helpful reminder of my lack of strength in myself and that Christ who became weak for me is my strength.

"Self-disclosure from church leadership is a wonderful thing that can be done to inculcate a culture of grace and change."--Lane #ccefcon
— ccef.org (@ccef) October 27, 2012

We don't want leaders who don't know the gospel - what use would that be... but we must not confuse knowing the gospel with the absence of weakness and struggle and sin. A blameless man isn't a sinless man - but someone marked by transparency, growth and struggle with his own sin.

It's important for those who lead to remember that they're just on the journey with everyone else. Paul Tripp's phrase about a pastor being someone in the middle of their own sanctification liberates me to fresh generosity with others...  when the DNA of a church includes that conviction of unfinishedness in ourselves (along with the utter finishedness of Christ's cross-work) there is liberty to bear with one another and carry one another's burdens.

According to the Strengthfinder test one of my top 5 strengths is 'Achiever'. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm good at achieving, but it implies that I like to accomplish things every day. The gospel disarms me completely. Here I come with my hands full of good works and knowledge and Jesus, smiling, takes my hands and turns them over letting all my stuff fall to the ground, inviting me to simply look to him, to receive from him.

Eternal life isn't for good people or geeky people... it's a free welcome into the life of God.
Sermon: The Life of God #5 - Dave Bish

Video: #3 The Heart-Winning Trinity (Mike Reeves)

Knowing the God who Christ makes known changes us right to the heart, as Mike Reeves shows here. With Trinity we don't have a single person god who is alone. With Trinity we have a God who is inherently relational - a Father loving his Son forever. So, forever God is love. Here is a God who knows how to love...


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Video: #2 Trinity and our good news (Mike Reeves)

In my early days as a Christian I was told Trinity was the thing you don't want to talk about when sharing what you believe with others people. The advice was well meaning but deeply disturbing. Without Trinity isn't god just God is Ruler and We've broken the rules... with Trinity things aren't like that...



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Video: #1 The God who is Trinity (Mike Reeves)

Can you make sense of the Trinity in one minute?


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If Darius had written Galatians...

I'm enjoying The Gospel According to Ezra at the moment with the CU Staff team, working through the the book of Ezra month by month. I've been struck by a refreshing resonance... hardly a surprise since all Scripture sings the same song.

Paul wrote:

Galatians 1:8-9 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."

Which from the mouth of the soundly converted King Darius would surely be phrased....

Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem...”(Ezra 6:11-12 ESV)

As Darius decrees the effectual rebuilding of the temple, urged on by the prophetic ministry of Haggai and Zechariah, paid at great cost to himself, so that it should have it's daily sacrifices to bring a pleasing aroma to the LORD until The True and Greater Darius comes. Darius, converted by the gospel preached by Cyrus anticipates the letters to the Hebrews and to Galatia, striking New Testament melodies as the temple is rebuilt and good news comes to all who join themselves to the people of God, cleansed as priestly ministry resumes.

A ministry that must continue day after day - until its ended by Jesus. Jesus the one who fulfills it at the cost of having himself impaled and destroyed... only to rise again himself into the new and greater Temple. There are many pages in Scripture but just one gospel testifying to Christ in his personal appearances, in its types and patterns and in its moments of prophetic ministry.

Darius preaches Christ as he calls for the rebuilding of the great shadow of the Old Testament - the temple - so that men and women from all nations might look to Christ their true King, temple, sacrifice and priest who at extreme cost to himself invites the unclean to come in, to flee the curse and find refuge in himself. Darius' costly ministry brings the unclean nations to the house of God, much more does the True King, Jesus the Christ whose crucifixion offers life to all the peoples of the world.

Becky Pippert - Coming to Exeter

Saltshaker Exeter from Dave Bish on Vimeo.

Becky Pippert is a bestselling author of Out of the Saltshaker, accomplished speaker but above all she's a Christian who has given her life to sharing Christ with those around her and equipping the church to love people, to open the Bible with those who don't yet follow Christ and see Jesus walk off the pages of the Bible into our lives. She's an evangelist. And she's spending a couple of years in the UK to equip University Christian Unions and the wider church. This term she's touring round the UK and this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear her speak in the South West.

If you live in the South West book online at http://uccf.at/saltshaker-exeter. Saltshaker Exeter is for students and is for those who aren't students. While it'll have the feel of training Christians it'll be accessible to those who don't know Jesus --- Becky will be speaking about Jesus.

Transformission 2012: Adopted

Today we gathered in Exeter for our sixth Transformission day conference. The aim is simple - look to Christ. It's my privilege to host the day.

Our theme for the day - adoption into the family of God, with Mike Reeves, Glen Scrivener, Peter Mead and Dan Hames speaking, a veritable band of Christ pursuing brothers.

• Main Session 1 - Mike Reeves - 43mins
• Main Session 2 - Mike Reeves - 45mins

• Peter Mead workshop: Adoption and the Bible - 94mins
• Dan Hames workshop: Adoption and church history - 67mins
• Glen Scrivener workshop: Adoption and Evangelism - 75mins

Watch this space for some extra media from the day. 
You have no idea how worth-the-wait it'll be...

We're thanking God for all those who came - we would've enjoyed Christ without you but it was great to have you there! Thanks for the UCCF South West staff and Relay who did all the behind the scenes work. Thanks for Mike, Peter and Glen for preaching Christ - and Dan who did that and led worship in our main sessions. Thanks for our good friends from IFES, Student Alpha and Cor Deo who joined the party and for Belmont who allowed us to book their building.  

Photo by Joshua Cassidy.

Where the battle for Unity rages

My work with the UCCF is founded on the prayer of Jesus that we should have the same kind of unity that He and his Father enjoy. A mutual indwelling, rooted in the life of the Father and the Son - a unity of in the Holy Spirit.

You can describe this unity doctrinally - but it's meaningless if it's just a formal unity. It needs to be experienced relationally. I've been reflecting on the way I fail to do this. I'm probably known as someone who unites of people - I love to introduce people to one another. Yet so many times I screw it up.

As a wise friend has said: "some of us are prone to be broader than the gospel when it comes to unity and some to be narrower."  I'm sure I do both....

I know I've definitely been overly narrow... which given how dodgy some people probably think I am would almost be amusing if it wasn't so painful and sinful. Truth is, I've approached others with suspicion and defensiveness rather than with generosity and joy.

I am, as Paul Tripp notes, a man in the middle of my sanctification so I hope I'm progressing in this as I follow Christ but I'm flawed, I stumble, I sin...

Last week I went to seek forgiveness from a gospel minister, who did the same in turn. It was a wonderful moment of healing and I hope the beginnings of renewed brotherly affection and partnership in the gospel. It'll be a slow road to recovery but I look forward to the opportunities, forged in the fires of forgiveness, to labour together to make Christ known.

There is a wonderful liberty in having the Holy Spirit show me that I screwed up, and to know him turning me to repentance. I wish it happened quicker. Too many relationships just grow cold. Too many hearts are hardened. Too many partnerships that could be cultivated are disregarded.

We can't necessarily work with everyone, but we can be friendly. We can't necessarily unite with everyone - but we can often unite with more people than we think we can. And when we do finally have to say no to some that no is clearer for the yes's we've been able to say to others.

 A unity that is rooted in shared dwelling in the life of God has room for vast differences, transcending cultures and class, rising above differences in practice and even important Biblical convictions on more disputable matters. A unity in God is a unity that can express in prayer together, and can learn what it means to bear with one another.

The battle for unity rages not over the ministry of women or the continuation of charismatic gifts, the battle for unity rages in the hearts of men and women as the desires of the flesh fight with the desires of the Spirit. Unity is a battle won with weapons of love and kindness, of patience, of preferring others ahead of myself and of rathering to be wronged than to insist on my own way. Those are Biblical convictions to die for, because Christ has died for me and for you and for the people we're not reaching when we're fighting one another.

Christian Unity hurts because its a word to describe the mutual relationships between those who follow Christ. We're weak people on the way. We're people who hurt one another. People who know that even as we do harm to one another Christ keeps hold of us. So when I sin against you, please bear with me and pray I'll do the same for you when you sin against me. Our repentance is good soil for beautiful gospel plants to grow in. And when we disagree on important but disputable matters or differ in so many others ways, it's Christ who breaks down the walls and liberates us to make the first move towards another as he has to us.

What's your story? Where does the battle rage for you?

Creationism Conspiracy?

Andrew Maxwell gathers some companions to take them on a Conspiracy Road Trip to crack the nuts. In the first episodes he attempts to persuade his travellers that 7/7 happened. In episode two he turns to Creationists.

Watch at BBC iPlayer until 22nd October.

I'm intrigued on a number of levels - not least that holding to a young earth view of the world is in the category of crazy conspiracy theorists! Gulp...

I don't want to be harsh on the believers, who knows how much or how little they've been edited to tell a story... but the Creationists don't exactly come across well.

Some of them keep quiet and some are definitely stronger than others - I was most impressed with Sam, who I've subsequently discovered is a CU Leader. Phew! Perhaps they've submitted themselves to something of a fools errand and some seem not to be particularly well equipped for the challenge. Why no one suggests (in the clip we're shown) that whales wouldn't have been in the ark because they'd be in the water defies reason...   Its strange that Maxwell things 6000+ years isn't enough to grow a large population...  even a fairly low birth rate produces huge multiplication quite quickly...  but it's easy to pick holes in anyone elses arguement when you're not in the room eh!

The big frustration is seeing unnecessary dichotomies set up. The suggestion that if you can't hold to Young Earth Creationism you might have to bin Christianity is annoying... it's really not the make or break issue.

Andrew Wilson is ably showing that the question is complex and needs careful consideration... offering 10 evangelical approaches.

Not all questions are equal...   did God create is more important than the process and date of creation... a historical Adam is vital to the good news about Jesus more than determining his date of birth...   It matters that there was a flood but there is room in the literature of Genesis for a number of possible readings about exactly what happened. The text of Genesis 1 is less concerned with dates than it is with showing the character and personality of a relational God of spreading goodness...

I'm glad that this TV show exists and it provokes me to make sure we - the church - equip people well to engage with issues and questions that matter. Questions that can be stumbling blocks but need not always be so. Serious evangelicals hold to a range of views on how to read Genesis and answer questions.

Personally there are some questions on which I have a strong answer, some where I don't know and some where I'm really ambivalent. I don't mean it doesn't matter - I mean there are questions on which a lot hangs and there are questions whose answers don't necessarily make much difference.

Ultimately the resurrection of Jesus is more important than exactly when the world came into being. The resurrection is the chief article of the faith, and I'd love to see Andrew Maxwell run a Conspiracy Road Trip on the suppression of the evidence about the Resurrection, though reading Acts would uncover most of that.

I'm really interested by Andrew Maxwell himself. He's funny and thoughtful, and shows his hand at the end of this programme "My idea of God is a giant eternal loving being who must be in all the texts or none of the texts." (Now there's a 21st Century conspiracy...) Everyone has commitments and beliefs about the world and about God... Maxwell included. And he wants to win people to his viewpoint, why is that? Where does Maxwell's idea come from - and what stops that just being a crazy conspiracy theory too? I'd love to hear Maxwell more. How has he got to where he is? Why does he care about this issue? Why does he passionately care about truth? (He should!) And why does anyone believe what they believe (whether in the 7/7 or Creationism episode)?

And I have to say I quite like the concept of a road trip in which big questions about life are asked. We need more of that!

Did you watch it? What did you think?

The God who Gives to Give

I preached today for our church on John 17:2 in which we see that the Father gives authority to his Son, and the Father gives people to his Son, and then the Son gives Eternal Life to people.

MP3: The Life of God #4 - The God who Gives to Give - John 17:2 (30mins)

A Christian who doesn't look weak is faking it. Last week we recognised a new church elder and in being introduced to the church he shared that he struggles with anxiety. Jesus says, don't worry because your Father in heaven cares for you. But this leader struggles with Anxiety.

A Christian who doesn't look weak is faking it. I don't struggle there. I struggle with friendliness, relational sin. I don't make a good friend impression though I warm up in the end. I struggle to be interested in others.

This is because of our sin, this is because of the gods we worship. And we become like what we worship.

Everyone worships - not everyone calls what they worship "god" but we all give our hearts to something or someone. Many of us worship celebrity. Or we cast God like a celebrity...

We worship celebrity.
Celebrity is rich.
Celebrity is beautiful.
Celebrity is impressive.
Celebrity is disinterested in us.

We become like what we worship.
We don't become rich and beautiful.
We pick up the characteristics and personality we experience.
We try to impress people rather than admitting weakness.
We become disinterested in others.
We become those who take rather than give.
Our gods destroys us relationally.

Relationship becomes more like fact finding than friendship - catch up on a student's summer on facebook instead of over a meal? People struggle with porn because life becomes about pixels more than personality. Taking more than giving. Perhaps the real issue is prayerlessness not porn, lack of relationship with God??

Hear Jesus and you see something different. Relationship, flowing with life.

The Father gives authority to the Son. Authority seems bad but is good - think of good teachers, the doctor who can prescribe to you, the police who protect you. Yet, it's abused - and my first experience of leadership was abusing others as a leader in the scouts... bitter at being overlooked I led as a bully. I wasn't a Christian, I didn't have the Holy Spirit... thankfully I'm being changed but it's an ongoing battle to love people well. Father gives authority - he gives and gives.
And you might want to take him aside and warn him of the risks and folly of giving away authority - but he says... look at my Son, who only does what he sees me doing, who trusts me, who gives himself even to death... who thirsts to quench the weak.

The Father gives people to the Son. I'm a Dad of boys. Having boys is different to having girls - I observe from church Dads and in the community Dad's group. Christian Dad's want their kids to become Christ-followers... but after that Dad's of daughters are concerned for the occasion when a lad will come in and ask permission to marry her... they banter about pinning him to the wall and grilling him... but it's because everything in their Fathering leads to that day when they give her away to another man.

Call it traditionalism but it's written into reality... similarly that conversation is significant because a few months later he'll walk her down the aisle and the official will say "Who gives this woman to marry this man" - he wont ask me if it's my boy getting married, just the Father-of-the-bride.

God the Father takes the role of "Father of the Bride" giving the church to Jesus. The Bible calls it election...

And we're given to the Son who has authority - authority to give eternal life... which is to say, to give himself and relationship with his Father to people. And John tells us this isn't given to those with the right heritage, family, class etc. Nor for those who choose rightly. It's for all who will receive Jesus.

Do you receive? To start following Jesus - and to keep following.
Receiving from Christ is the A-Z of Christianity.
It's the answer to my unfriendliness - to see that I'm received by this weak God who gives himself to me...
It's the answer to anxiety - to know that the Father truly cares, so much that he gives. And it transforms a community to love, to know Christ giving through us to one another.
The Father gives to the Son, the Son to people, people to more people.
The God who gives to give.

Over to you? What do you make of this authority? How does God shape you? What does weakness look like for you?

We're Unfinished People

Please listen to Paul Tripp's testimony of his own weakness:


Dangerous Calling from Paul Tripp Ministries on Vimeo.

He's not just talking about problems for pastors, though he is talking about that.

We drive leaders into hiding.

We let people hold Scripture without bringing it to bear on our hearts and lives.

We need communities of pastoral care not just academies to train leaders.

We need to be interested in others lives.

We're all sinners.  We're all in the middle of our sanctification.

We easily live with a huge disconnect between our public persona and our private lives.

God has decided to use unfinished people. And that's very good news.

As I hear Paul Tripp's testimony I can relate to his story about his own anger. I feel my own struggles with relational sin and self-righteousness (which can often burn away inside as anger), my failing to value people and give myself to them while delighting in my own interests. Each day I need to fight to look to Christ and know his life through me. I'm not a lost cause - I'm being changed and Christ loves through me, weak and fallen as I am.

I am unfinished. And the blood of Jesus covers everything.

Read: Paul Tripp: Dangerous Calling (extract) 
Read: Vaughan Roberts - A Battle I face
Read: Alex Tylee: I am a gay Christian

Over to you? Why do we cover up? How does it feel to be found in the middle not at the end of our journey?

We are all Daniel Cui

We Are All Daniel Cui from Facebook Stories on Vimeo.

Our culture preaches independence but perhaps we're more connected than we like to admit. We are Adam's helpless race - all of us broken, fallen, corrupted -- glorious ruins? Facebook isn't evil, but it is a symptom of both an unrelational culture where our pixelated gods make themselves known to us without ever knowing us. As so we become like what we worship. We don't pick up the riches or the good looks of our gods, just the impersonal characteristic. (The problem isn't the actual celebrities we worship but the icons they become...)

On Facebook we're reduced from personality to pixels. You can find out if I had a good summer without talking with me but just by stalking me.

And as Daniel Cui shows the medium can be used to harm and to honour.

But don't mishear me I'm a social media practioner - in part because social media is just communication which is good. Necessary. Deeply human and reflective of the underlying reality that we're made for relationship. And once in a while a "facebook story" breaks through to tell a true story.

We're all in this together. Man is no island - we're Adam's helpless race. We can't just try harder we need someone outside of us to change everything. And someone who will become one of us. Put us to death and raise us to life. One to make our hearts cry RESURGAM!

The helpless race needs a sinless championn who would come one us One who'd be numbered with the transgressors. A living head to replace our dead head. One in whom we can live.
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