The Journey

A New Season

2009-09-05T11:19:00.001+01:00

This past summer was quiet for The Journey. Many of our core members were out of the country. We did, however, still manage to engage in many of the larger events going on in our community, from supporting a Camino walk to helping out with Urban Soul. It was a quiet season.

It's now, however, as a new season begins that The Journey is in the midst of re-asking God what he'd have us do. We are entering a period of commissioning. Because The Journey is a church of mission (ie. not a church with a mission) we seek to constantly re-evaluate the tasks we feel God has for us. This is a really exciting time! It's a time of listening and prayer. It's a time of dreaming and discussing. It's a time of planning and preparing.

Anyone who considers themselves "on mission" is welcome to be commissioned with us. We usually have one or two individuals share about what they feel God is asking them to do in the coming year, they share how The Journey can tangibly help in that mission and then we spend time praying for the individual.

By the end we usually have a pretty good sense of where God is leading our group. We also grow in community as we embrace and help in one another's missions.

This is perhaps my favorite season in the Journey's life. I can't wait.

Journey to Les 2 Alpes

2009-02-05T22:22:00.001Z

We made it back from this year's Journey University Snowboard trip. Our first two days we were snowed-in which meant that our last four days were amazing snow. In the evenings we sat around and discussed Rob Bell's book Sex God which often took us into the early hours of the morning. I really enjoyed this trip because it was with seven guys who I've come to know quite well through the past three years. The conversations were deeply personal.

Photos of the University Trip

Technorati Tags: Photos, Travel, Youth Work

Secondary School Snowboard Trip

2008-12-11T13:11:00.001Z

Sign-Ups are officially open today for The Journey 2009 Snowboard Trip to France. We will be joining forces with Champfleuri, a Christian-run camp just outside of France. The cost will be €350 plus the cost of your flight (details in the brochure). Days will be spent snowboarding and in the evenings we will discuss life and faith from a Christian perspective.

Download the Brochure for more information.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Blog Readings

2008-12-09T10:22:00.001Z

Phil has been digging up some great posts on church and mission:

Exit Strategies & Empowerment Strategies for Christian Leaders by Neil Cole
Does our leadership enable and empower those around us to join in God's mission for the world?

A True Seeker Service by Neil Cole
Neil turns the phrase "seeker" on its head: rather than providing a space for those searching for God, we become the seekers and go to the places where Jesus would hang out.

Three Questions for the Attractional Practitioners Who Question the Fruit of Missional by David Fitch
Fitch explores the paradigm shift required when transitioning between attractional and missional forms of church in the form of questions.

And finally, a video from our friend Michael Frost who wants us to get our heads around what it means to be missional:

Camino Trip

2008-12-09T09:52:00.001Z

The Journey is joining up with Agape to organize the trip of a lifetime. June 13-27 2009 will provide the opportunity to bring students and young adults on a pilgrimage in Northwestern Spain, on the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James).

Go HERE for more information.

"The normal course of day-to-day human interactions locks us into patterns of feeling, thought, and action that are geared to a world set against God."
- Dallas Willard

The Camino de Santiago is the only long-distance footpath to be recognized by the United Nations, and given World Heritage status because of its historical and spiritual significance. The June 13-23 walk will take us 150km (92 miles), through a truly spectacular part of Spain, and will give us an authentic pilgrim's experience!

Our vision is to make this a fun and 'safe' place to invite friends, as we exercise our bodies (with lots of walking), broaden our minds (with new cultural experiences), deepen our souls (as we hear from the Word each evening, and dialogue with one another about it along the way), and nourish our hearts (as we pray for and serve one another and those we meet along the way).

Our guide will be veteran, twelve-time pilgrim, and 'Camino' expert, Kelly Mulholland.

The project will also nourish our hearts and deepen our souls as we will use this pilgrimage to raise funds for an orphanage in Portugal.

This could be the most rewarding thing you do next summer. Check it out!

"Just take a look for a moment at our daily routine. In general we are very busy people. We have many meetings to attend, many visits to make, many services to lead. Our calendars are filled with appointments, our days and weeks filled with engagements, and our years filled with plans and projects. There is seldom a period in which we do not know what to do, and we move through life in such a distracted way that we do not even take the time and rest to wonder if any of the things we think, say, or do are worth thinking, saying, or doing. We simply go along with the many 'musts' and 'oughts' that have been handed on to us, and we live with them as if they were authentic translations of the Gospel of our Lord."
- Henri J.M Nouwen

Clean Newpark Day

2008-12-09T09:33:00.001Z

We're joining forces with our friends at Serve the City to clean up Newpark Secondary School in Blackrock. From the STC website:

"Coming up on Saturday, 13 December, there'll be an opportunity for anyone and everyone to serve at Newpark Comprehensive School in Newtown Park Avenue. Projects will range from painting to gardening. The project is being led by some parents and teachers who would like to improve the appearance of this underfunded local school in order to create a more pleasant environment for staff and students alike. So if you're available or if you can get away from that Christmas shopping in Dundrum or the city centre for a few hours of serving, e-mail Cormac Shaw at cormacandkaren@eircom.net.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The group will begin tidying up the school at 9.00 and go for about 4 hours, finishing up around 13.00. The only thing you might need will be gloves for the gardening. All other supplies will be provided, though a smile and a willing heart are also highly recommended. =) Expect to hear a special solo rendition of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" from our friend Cormac."

The Journey University Snowboard Trip

2008-12-02T16:25:00.001Z

We're taking applications for The Journey University Snowboard Trip Jan. 22-29, 2009 for those 18 and older. If you're up for coming along, please download the brochure and let us know of your interest. Look forward to seeing you on the slopes and discussing God.

Bells

2008-12-02T16:20:00.001Z

The Journey has begun a new initiative to be intentional about how we live out the Gospel. It's called BELLS. We've decided to insert weekly rhythms into our lives in an effort to define what it means to be a follower of Christ in Blackrock. These are less a set of rules we must do and more a set of commitments we've chosen to do as a reminder that we're all not crazy and are, in fact, a part of something bigger happening in Ireland. So, without delay, here are the BELLS*:

Bless at least 3 people each week. Blessing someone could be as short and simple as a kind word or email or as extravagant as a gift or celebration for someone.

Eat with at least 3 other people each week. If you read about the life of Jesus, you'll see he ate with people a lot. Try to share at least one of these meals with a person who is a not-yet Christian.

Listen to the promptings of God in our lives. Commit specific times of solitude for active listening to God. It's hard to stop so we need to be intentional about doing it.

Learn from Jesus each week. Make sure you spend a significant time each week learning from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). If we're hoping to be like Jesus we must know Jesus.

Sent (Journal). This is an affirmation that we are to be missional or "sent" in our nature. We must seek out acts of hospitality, just use of our money, fights for justice and ways to help the poor & marginalized. Take time each week to journal and praise God for how he's sending you.

*We've taken these commitments from Michael Frost's book Exiles - an excellent resource for those searching out how to live missionally.

Snowboard Videos

2008-05-01T08:12:00.001+01:00

I've finally gotten around to posting our snowboard videos online. Feel free to check them out.

The Journey Snowboard Trip Feb. 2008 (Secondary School Students)

The Journey Snowboard Trip March 2008 (University Students)

Technorati Tags: Travel, Video, Youth Work

God is in Cervinia

2008-03-26T14:17:00.001Z

Got back late Saturday night after seven days in Italy. The trip was tough on many levels but perhaps the most personally satisfying too. We were hit with a lot of set-backs. Back home Hailey, watched Eoin contract a muscle virus (giving him sore legs) along with scarlet fever (again!) and Moia battled a head and chest cold giving them all many sleepless nights. In Cervinia we had injury after injury - one student sprained their wrist, another tore his ligament, one knocked himself out cold, another found it hard to walk after he popped his hip and yet another found it hard to sit after severely bruising his tail bone. Perhaps the crescendo was when the rescue helicopter had to be called in to save two of our students from falling into a large crevasse in which someone had died just 30 minutes earlier. They hung on to ice for 20 minutes before being rescued.

Midway through the trip Cormac and I looked at each other and asked, "Can we afford to do these trips?" By the end of that night our question was "Can we afford to not do these trips?" So many of these university students have questions, deep questions, life questions. Our theme was "living life to the full," and we looked at the many ways Jesus reorients our life not so he can rule us like a tyrant but so that we can become our true selves and join him in his plan of world reconciliation. We were reminded that these lads don't often get to wrestle with the deep questions of life. Like many of us, it's not often that they stop and ask why they're living their lives they way they do.

It was such a blessing to be able to hang with guys who have become good friends and meet others for the first time. It was encouraging to see some of the lads desire to pursue God more for the first time. It was good to know that even with all the hard times this trip endured we could say at the end, "God is in Cervinia."

A few pictures from the trip.

Technorati Tags: Travel, Youth Work

In Manchester

2008-03-06T16:02:00.001Z

Yesterday I awoke at 4am to join six others from Dublin jumping on a plane to Manchester for the day. We were there for a conference put on by RUN on cafes as ministry. While I appreciated the conference and was introduced to some new resources I'll be honest and say I wasn't that impressed. What was valuable, however, was the time spent with others of like-mind. Not only did we have a great laugh but we were able to encourage one another and share our visions for working in the cafe culture emerging in Dublin. Although only seven of us flew over from Dublin I was shocked over the past few months to meet individual after individual who had similar visions. I think we counted 10 different initiatives to start cafes in Dublin! Each vision is different but the heart is the same - to see God's kingdom realized in the lives of Dubliners. We were able to visit Nexus, a new cafe focused on art culture and also the meeting grounds of Sanctus1. While there we bumped into Mark Berry who a few knew from Sojourners this past summer. He was randomly speaking that night but we decided to miss it in favor of some lovely Chinese food.

All-in-all the trip was fantastic and much needed. I'm excited to see where these initiatives go and how we might be involved in the process.

The Journey Feb Snowboard Trip

2008-03-06T15:55:00.000Z

We made it back from Italy (well almost - more on that later). The trip was amazing. Any time you spend seven days snowboarding over 6 hours each day and incur no major injuries, it's amazing. The beginners did well and kept up with those who'd been before though they took many a fall (two finally gave up and went back to skiing). The weather was phenomenal. We had 7 days of sun. This meant we didn't have much powder but to be honest it allowed us to enjoy ourselves that much more. The night discussions we especially powerful this year, with each of the students feeling free to share and engaging deeply from their hearts. I was on holy ground hearing what they had to say. Thank you to those who helped make this trip possible and who prayed for it.

Towards the end of the week I was thanking God that no major problems had occurred. A few hours later a student walked up to me and informed me he didn't have his passport. We ran back to the hotel, looked everywhere but found nothing. Once at the airport, we were informed that we needed police approval to fly. After speaking to the police they (he) said it wouldn't be possible to fly (the stewardess told us contrary - hmmmm). So, after much debating we had to leave the student and Cormac back in Milan. They made it home the next night just before midnight.

We're running this same trip again in March with another 20 students. Can't wait.

Check out some photos of the trip.

Matt

Advent Conspiracy

2007-12-14T09:26:00.001Z

Well, we're signed up. Advent Conspiracy is advocating that we spend worship more, spend less, give more and love all this Christmas. Churches from all over the world are signing up and seeing as this has been a major theme for us at The Journey this Christmas, I thought I'd add our name to their list. Check out their brochure and resources (podcasts, videos, etc.) for encouragement and info.

Technorati Tags: Justice

What is The Journey?

2007-12-12T07:49:00.001Z

It's been a long hiatus on the blog scene for The Journey but we've still been active. As I look back through the posts it's fun to see how we've grown. Along the way each member of the group has come up with ways of explaining to people just who we are or what it is that we do. This is my standard answer to the question, "What is The Journey?":

The Journey is a church of mission. To be a part of the core means that you too have a mission. On the broad scale this is obviously the mission of Jesus but how that plays out is different for each of us. Each year we let the community know where we feel God is calling us, how the community can pray for us and how they can become involved in our mission. Missions range from joining local neighborhood councils to befriending our neighbors to raising our kids in the Way of Jesus to coaching basketball, etc. After this we live out these missions and come alongside one another in support, weather it be child minding, house cleaning before a party, praying, financing, etc. In this way our missions become intertwined as well as our networks of friends. We have values as a community too. We value the centrality of the Bible and how it speaks into the life of our community. When we gather on Sundays for brunch someone usually has prepared to lead a discussion centered on a chapter or two of Scripture. In discussion we try to work out how the passages apply both to our last week and our next week of ministry. We also value our involvement with those who normally wouldn't find themselves in institutional churches. We each aim to have about 50% of our network be people who would not yet consider themselves followers of Christ. To do this we tend to live life outside the institutional church and become intentional about spending free time in third-spaces such as pubs, coffee shops, etc. We also value service and believe that unless we serve our local community in tangible ways we are not actually following Christ. We value fun and believe that life in Christ is exciting and fulfilling (even though it can be extremely stretching and challenging) so you will often find us hosting or attending parties, concerts and pubs. As a group we hold each other accountable to these values as well as try to encourage and support one another as Christ would. I have never felt so alive in church then I do now. This is because church is not a noun but a verb. We never go to church, we just church. When one of us is life-coaching, she is churching, when I'm meeting with a teen, I'm churching. When we party with our neighbors, we church. Church has become alive and vibrant and integrated into our daily lives. What's more, if I don't church then The Journey suffers. I have never felt more empowered of enabled to be a disciple of Christ than I do now.

Technorati Tags: Church, Theology

Easter: We Are Brought Back

2007-04-08T10:24:00.000+01:00

“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer." Isaiah 54:7-8

The brief moment has passed. Sunday is here. The Christ is alive. We are gathered back. Scattered humanity is returned to their appropriate place through the power of Jesus' resurrection. We had abandoned God and He brought us back.

The real truth of Easter is that God holds us fast, whoever we are, whatever we've done and whatever our situation, however you and I may feel or whatever we may think, no matter how bad a mood we're in, God chooses us. He abandoned Christ and now will never do the same to us. This is the good news. And this is good news for me by the very fact that I still choose again and again to abandon Him. In spite of this, He is present, he does not abandon us, even when we cannot help thinking ourselves abandoned. The truth is that He is completely and utterly ours and we may be completely and utterly His.

He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Technorati Tags: Missional, Theology

For a Brief Moment: Good Friday

2007-04-07T02:14:00.000+01:00

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34.

Easter is on the horizon but we have nothing to celebrate on Easter if we have nothing to contemplate on Good Friday. We can not understand the joy, the glory and the hope of Easter if we do not dwell on Good Friday. What will happen on Sunday is the explanation, the revelation, of the mystery which takes place today on Friday. But it is a 'Good' Friday because we know our Friday has a Sunday. It would be a day of mourning if there were no day of resurrection ahead. By the same token however an Easter without a Good Friday could only be a day of empty festivity, which it has become to so many these days. So let us celebrate Easter properly and remember his death today.

What do you think it was like on Good Friday? What was the moment like when God breathed his final breath? Matthew describes it this way:

"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

And then later,

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit."

Now I've often been shocked to think that in the last moments of Christ's life he'd cry out these words of abandonment, especially considering he'd just previously prayed, "Not my will, but your will be done." But I believe that we must hold on to this cry of abandonment, that to remember Friday as Good is to hold on to this abandonment. Here's why - Jesus shouted out that question in that way at that point because he literally could not help but feel and experience the abandonment of God for a brief moment. And this abandonment was horrific. It is the father turning his back on his Son, knowing the Son has done nothing to deserve this and knowing that he could stop it and knowing that his Son knows that he could stop it. It is the Father choosing to abandon a Son who has done everything he can to follow and obey Him. It was not Jesus abandoning his Father. No, in fact by being willing to be abandoned Jesus was determined to let only God's will be done. Christ set upon a journey that could only lead him to the place where God wanted to, and only could, abandon him, and actually did abandon him.
This is Friday. This is that brief moment.

So what journey was it that led Christ to this abandonment? Why would a Father choose to abandon his innocent Son? It was his journey to humanity; his journey to you; his journey to me. He journeyed into darkness, where Israel remained because of their great unfaithfulness, where all of humanity belongs because of our constant rebellion in the face of our Creator. It is His journey to us who have chosen to abandon Him and abandon Him again and again. God defies our decision to abandon Him and in Jesus, God entered into our godforsakenness.

Why does He do this? Why does He journey to those who have chosen to abandon Him? The answer is simple and profound and why we can call Friday 'Good.' God is for his people Israel. He is for the whole of humankind. He is for you and He is for me. And in the place of us He is the one struck by God's wrath and abandoned by God so that apart from Him no one need suffer again in the same way. He journeyed into our willful abandoning of God which should have been our due, to take it upon Himself and in the divine power granted to Him, to remove it, so that it would not be necessary, or permissible to come our way again. Jesus shouts the question, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" so that neither you or I would ever be able to.

Today is Friday and, “For a brief moment I abandoned you..." Isaiah 54:7

Technorati Tags: Missional, Theology

Dáil30

2007-01-24T12:28:00.000Z

Ever wonder who's representing you in the government? A new site hopes to interview and podcast each of the elected TDs for your viewing pleasure. Check out Dáil30 and see who you voted for.

Soliton

2007-01-23T14:41:00.000Z

A few of us will be making the trip up to Belfast to take part in the Soliton discussions happening up there. The event will actually go on from Feb 1st-4th but I think we're only going to be able to make the day trip on Thursday. Anyone interested in a lift up there from Dublin, send us an email.

Who are We and Where are We Going?

2007-01-23T14:13:00.000Z

Those who have been involved with The Journey at the core level know that we have no idea what we're doing. In fact there's even skepticism as to whether we can call what we do church. Well, last Sunday the questions of identity arose again and will be carried on next Sunday for those wanting to join us in discussion. Here are some of the questions on the table:

What are some rhythms which might be useful/beneficial for us as a community?

Of course any rhythms we actually practice will grow out of the things which we hold dear, which are valuable to us. What would you say are some core values we currently hold?

Should we aim to create a community in which to bring others into or should we aim to bring Jesus into communities that already exist? Is there a difference in the approaches?

Borg on John 3:16

2007-01-23T14:06:00.000Z

Beliefnet.com has a great video piece with Marcus Borg who helps us rethink our understanding of John 3:16. He asserts that John wasn't talking about some future time when we might attain eternal life but that John was asserting that we can have eternal life now. In other words, this verse isn't about getting to heaven, it's about heaven getting here.

100th Post and a New Feel

2007-01-23T14:04:00.000Z

Well I've gone and upgraded the website again. We are using a new version of blogger so it only seemed natural. Oh, and this is the 100th post. Feels like a milestone.

Matt

Resonate

2007-01-14T15:10:00.000Z

We gathered again this Sunday morning but instead of our regular brunch and Bible chat we listened to a talk given my Mike Frost somewhere in Canada. Marilyn had found it online at resonate.ca. There are in fact 13 talks by Frost there as well as others (N.T. Wright, McLaren, etc.).

Christmas in Glasthule

2006-12-24T17:28:00.000Z

A few of us from The Journey joined up with members of DEC and Serve the City this Christmas to remind others (and ourselves) that Christ cares little for consumerism and much for people. So, we bought mass amounts of luxury and basic food items (we had your sugar, your tea, your jellies, your can 'o beans, your After Eights, etc.) packed them into re-usable shopping bags, tied a ribbon on the end and distributed them to a community in Glasthule. I had a great time. In fact I think my son Eoin (2) summed it up best when we were driving back home. I asked him if he had a fun time and he replied with excitement, "YA, FUNNNN!"

I think that when we start to re-orient our lives (i.e. our actions, our desires, our feelings, our relationships, etc.) to the way that Jesus lived - we start to see the World as God intended it - and that is FUNNNN. It gives you a joy, a joy that I believe is contagious.

Check out some pics of the day. You'l see pictures of Eoin putting Brandon and myself to shame with his mad guitar playing skills.

Matt

Operation Christmas Child 2006

2006-11-15T23:38:00.000Z

Once again this year we went to neighbours and friends and collected many shoeboxes full of goodies for children in countries in Eastern Europe and in Southern Africa as part of he Operation Christmas Child appeal.

In the following weeks we invited people to join us in Operation Christmas Child's warehouse in Sandyford Industrial Estate to check, sort, pack or stack many of the thousands of boxes which had come in from all over Dublin. Afterwards we went out for a milkshake at the local Eddie Rockets or McDonalds where we could talk about the experience and get to know each other a little better.

It was great to see the enthusiasm of the volunteers and the willingness to give their time to make it possible for many children in poor communities to receive a gift at Christmas. This reflects the gift that God gave the world over 2000 years ago. This gift was Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, who was born in Bethlehem in humble circumstances. He would ultimately give His life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and thereby make it possible for us to enter into God's presence for eternity. We simply have to accept God's gift, just like the children accept the gifts offered to them through the Operation Christmas Child initiative.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (NLT)

Bono

2006-10-18T11:03:00.000+01:00

I remember talking to Andrew Jones one time and he suggested that Bono was the Pope of the emerging/missional movement. Not sure Bono would see himself that way but his personal commitment to see the AIDS crises met and unjust debt cancelled in Africa is challenging the church to be who they say they are. And what's more, many are listening. All this from a rock star? Bono said in an interview that it's simply a sign of how bad things are in Africa that it takes a silly rock star to bring our attention to them. He noted that we shouldn't be listening to him, we should be listening to the professionals but in this crazy world that values celebrity he's willing to leverage whatever fame he has as currency to get people interested in Africa and to get them to get their governments interested in Africa.

I mention Bono because he spoke at the leadership summit a few of us attended from a little over a week ago (well he didn't exactly speak - he did an exclusive interview with Billy Hybels and we watched the video but since the whole thing was in video for us at the Belfast satellite, it didn't really matter. This is all besides the point). The interview was excellent. There's a rumour going around that we may get a copy but until then I thought I'd let you all hear Bono in his own words:

USA National Prayer Meeting, 2006

Bono Interview in Africa, 2006

Erwin McManus

2006-10-09T11:18:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder to those of you who want to attend the Erwin McManus event on Nov. 4th. You can buy your tickets online at the EAI Website (click on events). You can choose to spend your whole Saturday there (€20) or opt for just the evening session (€10). Erwin will be speaking on Uprising.

Leadership Summit

2006-10-05T00:03:00.000+01:00

Looking forward to the upcoming Leadership Summit. A good crew of us are going to be taking the weekend up at Belfast to be challenged and learn. Rumour has it that there is going to be a video of a video of an interview with Bono! Seriously though, really looking forward to the weekend and the conversations it begins.

Link: Leadership Summit

Snowboard Trip Informational Meeting

2006-09-29T10:52:00.000+01:00

The Journey lads-only Snowboard Trip happening in February 2007 will be having its informational meeting on Wed. October 4th at 8pm at Cormac & Karen's home in Blackrock. Send us an email: journeycommunity [at] gmail [dot] com and we'll pass you on the info. Also, if you know of any lads in 3rd-6th year who would like to come along, please let them know.

Snowboard Camp 2007

2006-09-21T13:18:00.000+01:00

Well after a summer of searching and praying we finally found the location for this year's snowboarding camp. It will be In the lovely town (I've never been there but almost everything in the Alps is lovely) of Valtournenche in Northern Italy. Those who know their geography are well aware that this puts us only 9kms away from the Breuil-Cervinia-Zermatt ski resort (ya, that's the place with the Matterhorn). This resort is one of the top ranked ski resorts in the world. What's more, the place that we found gives us reduced rates on snowboard rental and ski-passes meaning it looks like it should fit into our budget. We also have 40 beds this year which gives us a much greater capacity than last year. Just wanted to let you all get excited with us.

Serve The City Basketball Camp

2006-09-21T12:52:00.000+01:00

A few of us from the Journey will be helping with Serve The City's first basketball camp in Stillorgan. It will be a day for kids ages 10-14. There's something for all skill levels. If you're new to the game, come and learn the fundamentals of the game. If you've played the sport before, come ready to develop and strengthen those skills. Irish basketball star Jerome Westbrook will be leading the one-day camp. If you have a child aged 10-14 who you think would be interested in the day please send us an email at journeycommunity [at] gmail.com.

Details:
Location - St. Benildus College, Stillorgan
Date - Saturday, 23rd of September 2007
Time - 9:45am - 4pm

3 Days With 3 Events

2006-09-12T19:58:00.000+01:00

1. Marriage Day - Saturday, Sept. 16th 2007. There is still some space if you would like to join us as we take a day to invest in our marriages. It will be held at the Ramada Woodland Court Hotel, Southern Cross Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow from 9:45am to 4:30pm. The cost is €20 per person but please don't let the cost stop you from attending. We will be happy to cover it for you if needed. The sessions will be led by Mark and Carol Rathe who are visiting Dublin from Filmore, California. Mark is the pastor of a church there and he and his wife, Carol, lead marriage weekend retreats for couples at their church each year. Some of us from The Journey spent time with Mark and Carol when we were in the US last summer and we invited them to help us run a similar type seminar next time they came to Ireland. We'd love to have you join us.

2. Celebration Day - Sunday, Sept. 17th 2006. We will be gathering at Urban Junction (map) for a time of worship, teaching and eating (not necessarily in that order). We'll be meeting/eating from 6-8:30pm and will be blessed with a trad session for those who want to stay a bit longer. There will be an activity for the kids as well as a creche. Come along if you can.

3. Inaugural CS Lewis Lecture - Monday, Sept. 18th 2006. Join those of us attending this session with Michael Schluter entitled "Mere Christianity: A Private Matter?" The event is being organized by the Evangelical Alliance Ireland (EAI) and will be held at Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street. From the website:

Michael worked as a consultant economist with the International Food Policy Research Institute and the World Bank in East Africa for six years, after completing a PhD in agricultural economics at Cornell University. In 1982, he established the Jubilee Centre (a Christian think tank focusing on social and economic issues) followed by work on reconciliation in South Africa. He established the Relationships Foundation in 1994, being Chief Executive until becoming Chairman in November 2000. Michael has co-authored The R Factor (1993), The R Option (2003) and contributed to Relational Justice (1994), Building a Relational Society: New priorities for public policy (1996), Christian Perspectives on Law and Relationism (2000) and Christianity in a Changing World (2000). He now has special responsibilities for developing and communicating the Foundation's core message.

The cost for the night is only €10 (payable on the night). Please email EAI and tell them if you plan to be there.

They Keep Stealing our Name!

2006-08-25T08:08:00.000+01:00

Saw another church community with a great name: The Journey. They seem to be slightly more tech savvy. Their site reminds me that this blog needs a face lift.

Serving the City

2006-08-13T22:34:00.000+01:00

We were delighted to support the Serve the City initiative which was introduced to Dublin this year and led by our friends Alan & Sheryl McElwee. Visiting teams from the US were joined by local volunteers to undertake various d.i.y. projects around Dublin. In all, about 50 volunteers took part. Projects included lots of painting - inside and outside, flooring an attic, putting up shelving, gardening and playing music in a nursing home. Volunteers gathered each day for 1 week to serve and show loving kindness to those who are not in a position to do these jobs for themselves - disabled people, single mums, the poor and the sick.

What a great opportunity to let people know that we care and to serve others as Jesus would have done. As volunteers, we were blessed by those who served alongside us, by hearing the stories of those whom we served and by bringing some joy into their lives. We are looking forward to serving some of these people again and we will also be looking for more serving opportunities in our communities in the weeks and months ahead.

Why not join us on one of these projects or let us know about a project you think we could help with or simply pray for us and for those we are serving. Thanks.
Cormac

New Mike Frost Book

2006-07-12T14:09:00.000+01:00

Thought all would like to know that Mike Frost has a new book coming out in about a month: Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture. According to the Amazon.com blurb Frost essentially tries to put forth a worldview for those living in a missional manner. Should be a fun read.

HT: Bob Hyatt.

The Festival They're All Talking About

2006-07-10T23:48:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about Greenbelt, even if you can't attend. Mark it in your calendars for Aug. 25th-28th.

Matt

Gathering Together

2006-06-20T12:56:00.000+01:00

A few Christian communities in the Dublin area gathered together last Sunday for some worship and fellowship. Here's a photo of the day:

Ireland to Kenya on a blog

2006-06-14T12:04:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to let you all know that you can keep up to date on how the City Gates mission trip is going on their blog.

Summer Reading

2006-06-14T11:45:00.000+01:00

Andrew Jones has put up a list of books that he feels are essential reading for those in and thinking through emerging forms of church. If you're looking for some summer reading, check Andrew's post out.

Andrew Journeys Home

2006-06-11T19:22:00.000+01:00

We had a great time with Andrew again this morning. He led us through Luke 8-9 (apt, seeing as we looked at Luke 10 as a model for mission in Ireland on Saturday). Great insights. It was a great ending to a fun and thought provoking weekend. The whole weekend was very unstructured in format, allowing for a multitude of questions and conversations. The hostel worked out great, the food was wonderful and Phil cooked up some great chicken wings on Saturday night. Good times. Below are some pics of our time together. We look forward to the next one.

Andrew Jones Itinerary

2006-06-08T19:19:00.000+01:00

THE WEEKEND PLAN (so far)

Friday 9 June

For those who can come earlier on Friday:

Try to get to Glendalough as soon as we can (leave Dublin 11ish), lunch on the way or at Glendalough Hotel. We’ll try to walk the monastic site and lake walks together and have some time with AJ. This is for anyone who can make it up that early.

Everyone else should try to arrive by 6. Settle in at the hostel (details below).

Dinner 7ish at the local pub

After dinner and till Saturday mid-afternoon, we are under AJ's tutelage. This means we will engage with several pertinent questions about church planting, ecclesiology, the Irish cultural and spiritual scene, and whatever else, during this time. Andrew is adept at leading groups like this with no pre-ordained agenda, so this will, we suspect, be his forte. Phil has a list of questions that have been pre-submitted: we'll look them over then tweak them. The tweaked questions will likely provide a starting place for our discussions.

IMPORTANT: What’s are the key questions you would love to see addressed over these days???

Bring them along with you and we’ll try to make sure they get raised.

Overnight at Glendalough International Youth Hostel

We’ve got rooms reserved for 17 (2 six person rooms; 1 five person. All ensuite).
Cost is €22.50 per person. Breakfast €6

Glendalough International Youth Hostel
The Lodge
Glendalough
Wicklow
Phone: 0404 45690

Past the Glendalough Hotel and the Monastic Site gates; on the left before you reach the first lake. http://www.anoige.ie/directory/wicklow

Saturday, 10 June

Breakfast at Hostel / (€6 for the full Irish Breakfast..)

Time with Andrew and each other. Breaking for lunch; then on till mid-afternoon finish and departure.

7:00pm Saturday evening
There’s an open gathering at Phil and Cheryl's place (in Shankill) for pizza, chat, and a chance for all to interact with AJ. May let him speak or do a Q and A time.

This is open to any interested parties who either were or were not at Glendalough with us.

Sunday AM, 11 June / @ Journey in Blackrock

9 or 9.30 AM gather at Nyquist's for the customary Journey Sunday Brunch, some worship time and a teaching time.
We'll ask AJ to teach us from the Word that day. Also open to any interested parties.

Usual time for kids with Matt and Hailey after our gathering.

Surf Trip Update

2006-06-08T19:18:00.000+01:00

We had a great time on the West coast of Ireland for The Journey Surf Trip in Lahinch. I was once again reminded about how cool these lads are. It's always amazing to be hanging out in Clare but feeling like we'd flown to Tenerife. It was hot enough to make you want to get in the water to cool down and once you did you found that it was actually quite pleasant. Great conversations, great food (thanks Hailey) and great company made up for the poor surf. Almost all the guys got up on a board on the first day but the second and third days didn't have enough push. Also, just let me say, I've never seen so many teens covered head to toe by so much shaving foam. I have no idea what the woman at Centra was doing selling 10+ cans of shaving foam to a bunch of students with nothing more than peach-fuzz to show a need for them. But she did it and a foamy mayhem ensued.

Brian McLaren in Ireland

2006-06-08T18:57:00.000+01:00

We never posted anything about our day with Brian McLaren. So let me do that now. He was in Ireland to speak with about 90 of us on the issue of church in a changing paradigm/age. As we read and prepared for his visit it became apparent that a lot of what he's proposing is really applicable to the situation here in Ireland. His talk didn't dissapoint. Let me explain.

McLaren noted that throughout history the forms of church have been in constant change, like a dance with their culture but that there are certain periods in which a huge change takes place (I think he noted Constantine's proclamation of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and the Reformation in the 1500s as two major examples of this). He used the analogy of creating an omelet - the egg is liquid, getting warmer (small changes throughout history) but all of a sudden a huge change occurs in an instant as the egg becomes solid.
McLaren's talk really resonated with the Irish leaders present, especially when Ireland's recent history was taken into consideration. Sean Mullan - president of Evangelical Alliance Ireland - noted how Ireland was very much pre-modern in the sense that truth was imparted from the Pope in a hierarchical fashion up until around 1980 (Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in 1979). The Modern period in Ireland was actually very brief and the country found itself thrust into the post-modern/emerging period very quickly (a quick liquid-turning-to-omelet change). Much of this was due to the Celtic Tiger, increasing the economic prosperity of Ireland and seeing new cultures actually immigrating into Ireland (Ireland had a long history of emigration prior to the mid 1990s - indeed, I've been told that there are more Irish passports in USA than American). So, when McLaren started to point out some of the transitory changes that the church in Ireland might find/is finding itself taking, people in the room really seemed to resonate with the ideas. We were encouraged and challenged. I hope a lot of the conversations he got going/moved on will be furthered during Andrew Jones' visit.

Brad has put up the mp3s of Brian Mclaren over at EmergentIreland.com. Brad also included the powerpoints from the session. Enjoy.

Matt

John Ortberg goes iTunes

2006-06-06T14:52:00.000+01:00

OK, I'm way behind on this but just to let you all know that you can now download/subscribe to a podcast of John Ortberg's church: Menlo Park Presbyterian.

HT: Menlo Park Podcast

Matt

Communication

2006-06-02T17:20:00.000+01:00

Just thought I'd mention that you can contact us at journeycommunity at gmail dot com if you need to.

Journey Through the Summer

2006-06-02T16:57:00.000+01:00

Well, we have been doing a horrible job keeping this blog updated. But we haven't given up. Here's what's going on over the next month:

June 3rd-5th Surf Trip Beach Excursion to Lahinch. It seems the surf is non-existant at the moment. No matter. We'll have a laugh over there.

June 9th-10th Andrew Jones will be leading a group of us through a time of discussion/dreaming/vision about how the church in Ireland could look. It will be great to bounce ideas from the McLaren event and other readings with each other and with a tall skinny kiwi. Let us know if you'd like to join us for the weekend. We'll be in

June 18th - Journey Gathering. Location TBA. A few groups will be getting together to worship.

June 24th - For those reading Pete Rollins' new book, he'll be down on Dawson st. to chat about it. (check out Emergent Ireland for more info)

There will also be some pilgrim walks later in the Summer that we'll keep you updated on.

Any other events we should be aware of. Let us know.

Matt

Church as Service

2006-05-17T11:16:00.000+01:00

Hailey and I are big fans of the TV show King of the Hill. When I was in college, Hailey would get home, turn on the telly and watch her 3:30 episode every day. We often said that what we appreciated about the humor was its ability to give insight while keeping you laughing. I was shown a recent episode of the Hills looking for a new church and it reminded me of the dangers of viewing church as service. Often times we get into the habit of seeing church as a product - "what can this church offer me?" we think. The reality is that church is the opportunity for service. Let me know what you think of the clip.

Da Vinci Code on the Late Late Show

2006-05-17T10:57:00.000+01:00

If you missed the discussion on the Da Vinci Code on the Late Late Show last Sat. night, you can watch it for the next few days on the RTE web site, see http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/

A couple of hundred thousand Irish people would have watched it! Have a look at what they saw and listen to the arguments they heard.

God bless,
Matt (for Cormac)

Surf Trip Update

2006-05-07T17:18:00.000+01:00

We have moved the dates of the Surf Trip to June 3rd-5th. This is to accommodate for our get together with Andrew Jones June 8th-9th (location still pending). I will have brochures available for the surf trip on Wednesday. It looks like we will have enough leaders for the trip. We are still sorting out rental issues and lessons.

One huge need: We are looking for a driver. We have been offered the use of a 15 passenger van. This would be ideal not only for transporting teens down there, but for transporting equipment. However, we need a driver who is licensed to drive such a van. Let me know if you know of anyone who is both qualified and willing.

Matt

Dancing Evangelism

2006-05-05T09:22:00.000+01:00

In preparation for his upcoming visit, I've been reading some of Brian McLaren's writings. I'm in the middle of "A New Kind of Christian" at the moment. The book reminds me of works like Plato's Phaedrus that I studied in Rhetorical Theory back in College. Just as the Phaedrus uses dialogue between characters to discuss issues of the gods, philosophy, rhetoric and art, so McLaren addresses issues of being a Christian in a changing age through the lens of a story, or perhaps the journey, of two men. Dan and Neo (silly name, I know). The benefit of this method is that concepts and ideas are not left without context. The issues become practical rather than disembodied ideas. As I've been reading I've been marking areas in the book that challenged me and left me thinking ("thinking" in the sense that I wonder off in my brain for about 5 minutes contemplating a phrase, then snapping out of it, telling myself I'm never going to finish this book if I keep doing this). I thought I'd share one of those areas in the text. Neo and Dan are on a walk in nature, Dan is a pastor who is ready to leave the pastorate. Neo is a teacher in a local secondary school, helping Dan think through some of his reasons for leaving. At one point the topic of evangelism comes up. I love what Neo says:

"Instead of conquest, instead of a coercive rational argument or an emotionally intimidating sales pitch or an imposing crusade or an aggressive debating contest where we hope to 'win' them to Christ, I think of it like a dance. You know, in a dance, nobody wins and nobody loses, Both parties listen to the music and try to move with it. In this case, I hear the music of the gospel, and my friend doesn't, so I try to help him hear it and move with it. And like a dance, I have to ask if the other person wants to participate. There's a term for pulling someone who doesn't want to dance into a dance: assault. But if you pull someone in who wants to learn, and if you're good with the music yourself, it can be a lot of fun!" (p.62)

I love the idea of evangelism as providing opportunities for participation.

The Struggle of Downfall

2006-04-30T13:53:00.000+01:00

This past year has been a dismal year of film watching for me. I was spoiled in California by Blockbuster's "watch as much as you want for $20 a month deal" and a father in law who loves a rainy day schedule of movie watching (Sean - may we always be "film dudes"). I must have watched about 2-3 movies a week back then. When we moved to Ireland cheap movie viewing became a thing of the past. My list of "movies to watch" was growing while my "movies watched list" remained stagnant. So, upon returning to Ireland I have decided to change all that and have signed up for screenclick - an online DVD renting company. I'm in my first-month-free trial period and so far so good. I just sent back my first two DVDs. Here's hoping that the notoriously slow Irish postal service doesn't ambush any possibility of watching more than 4 DVDs a month (the bare minimum one would have to watch to justify the cost of the monthly service).

One of the movies we rented and watched was Downfall - a German movie chronicling the final days of Adolf Hitler's life and the lives of those around him in his bunker and in Berlin. It was a hard movie to watch - very graphic. One of the hardest scenes to watch (and fathom) was that of Joseph Goebbels and his wife systematically killing their six children because "a world without National Socialism was not a world worth living in." The thought kept us awake late into the hours and the conversation quickly turned us to the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis. Why would a loving God ever ask a parent to do such a thing? Hailey and I sat in bed a wrestled with the text, tried to imagine what Abraham was thinking - did he presume God would stop him? - what Isaac was thinking, what God was thinking? What was God thinking? I mean, would I even trust it to be the word of God if I was asked to do such a heinous act? Oh how the relationship between Abraham and Isaac must have changed in the process. I wonder how long it must have been before they even talked to one another again?

The more we discussed the more unsettled we became. There was no way we were going to sleep even though it was late. We were sitting up in bed running through different scenarios. In verse 5 he notes that both he and the boy would return to the servant but did Isaac hear this? Was it said to calm the servant? Was it a sign of Abraham's belief that God would not let him kill his son?

Slowly but surely as we struggled with the account in the Scriptures and with each other's interpretations, parts of the story began to make sense for us. Indeed, the story of Abraham and Isaac quickly distanced itself from the horror of the Goebbels' murders which had sparked the discussion. In fact, by the end of the night our wrestling with God had left us more in love with him.

First off, Abraham was a man who had spoken with the Lord and knew his voice (cf. Gen. 15; 17; 18:16ff). Indeed, he had wrestled with God on many occassions. However, Abraham was particularly aware that he had in an act of disobedience and disbelief tried to have an heir through Hagar, his wife's servant (cf. Gen. 16) in an attempt to accomplish God's promises in ways outside how they'd been promised. It was an act of defiance that came from Abraham's very soul. Thus, when Isaac was born, Abraham's faith needed to be reborn lest his faith be in his son. So, as Hailey and I struggled through the text we presumed that Abraham must have been in agony and in torment over what he should do. But Abraham knew why God had asked him to kill Isaac. It wasn't as though this request was put to just anyone. Isaac was the future of God's covenant with Abraham. Isaac was thus also central to Abraham's relationship with God. Abraham's hope was in Isaac, not in God and thus the relationship needed to be restored. But going through the act of attempting to kill your own son must have been tortuous. And yet, it was going through the act that was required. Just as it had been a full-bodied act of disbelief with Hagar, so it also had to be a full-bodied act of belief in obeying God's command. It wouldn't have done for Abraham to just say "I believe in you God, sorry I doubted you." No, he had to engage his belief in the physical act of following God. The two - belief and act - cannot be separated. What we do is what we believe.

Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Gen. 22:10-12).

Oh, how sweet those words must have been to hear those words. Abraham's hope was back in God not in his son, and in giving up his son, Abraham found out what it was like to actually receive his son as a gift from God.

As Hailey and I finished our wrestling session with God, we sat there having fallen more in love with God. We began to discuss the similarities between this story and the story of the Father sending his own Son to die on a mountain (let me just say that there are many similarities) when all of a sudden Eoin started to cry and it was a race to see who could hug our very own gift from God first.

He is risen! Says who?

2006-04-16T00:07:00.000+01:00

Here is a list of post resurrection appearances of Jesus in the Bible.

He appeared

to Mary Magdalene, in John 20:10-18

to the other women, in Matthew 28:8-10

to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:13-32

to eleven disciples and others, in Luke 24:33-49

to ten apostles and others, with Thomas absent, in John 20:19-23

to Thomas and the other apostles, in John 20:26-30

to seven apostles, in John 21:1-14

to the disciples, in Matthew 28:16-20

to Peter and then to all twelve apostles, in 1 Corinthians 15:5

to five hundred people at once, in 1 Corinthians 15:6

to James and all the apostles, in 1 Corinthians 15:7

to Paul, in Acts 9:5, 1 Corinthians 9:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:8

And He was with the apostles at the Mount of Olives before His ascension, in Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1:4-9

(taken from The Case For Easter by Lee Strobel (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; 1998, 2003)

Easter Morning on Sandymount Strand

2006-04-15T23:32:00.000+01:00

On Easter Sunday morning The Journey community are planning to gather at a Sonrise service at 6am on Sandymount Strand. Afterwards we are all invited back to Cormac MacF's place for breakfast. Come and join us if you can.

We will be celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, is risen, having suffered and died as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind - and that includes you and me. He conquered death and offers eternal life with God to all who believe this good news and who put their trust in Him alone.

Churches from different traditions in the surrounding areas regularly participate in the Sonrise Service. It is also traditional for those churches who use a Paschal or Easter candle to bring their new candles and light them from the fire which is lit on the beach. This symbolises that just as Jesus is the one light for all, so the light which is brought to the different churches, originates from the one flame, shared by all.

Surf Trip June 2006

2006-04-05T18:26:00.000+01:00

I am in the middle of planning a surf trip for this summer for teens in the area. A lot of lads who joined us for the snowboard week are showing interest in coming to this. We are in need of a few things. 1. Some surfers/leaders. Right now only myself is committed to coming. We will definitely be needing more and it would be great if those leaders could surf. I'm looking into some possibilities over in California while I'm here. 2. Could we start bathing the week in prayer? The dates are tentatively June 8th-12th. Please pray for safety for those coming and that the heart of Christ would be expressed throughout the time there.

Brian McLaren Speaking

2006-04-05T18:13:00.000+01:00

For those of you who have registered for the Day with Brian McLaren, you need to get your €20 registration fee in to Brad Anderson because it is well past due. He is threatening to give away reserved spots to people on the waiting list so I guess this means that if you aren't on the waiting list and would like to go, this might be a good time to get on it. Info over at Emergent Ireland.

Also, those going should be in the middle of reading some McLaren works. Brad has put together a good list with both offline and online resources. Hey, even if you're not going, enjoy the reading.

Matt

Singer Songwriting Workshop

2006-03-31T14:22:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to let everyone know of a Singer/Songwriter Workshop in Culturlann na hEireann, 32 Belgrave Sq. Monkstown, Co. Dublin on Monday 10th April from 7:30pm 'till 10pm. Wish I could be there to learn a thing or two. Let me know how it goes if you go.

Learning About Blackrock

2006-03-23T02:55:00.000Z

Just saw that Wikipedia has a great article on Blackrock. Read it when you get the chance. There might be something in there that you didn't know about our little town.

Free Blog Editor

2006-03-22T11:54:00.000Z

I'm still an Ecto man myself but it ain't free, you have to cough up about 16 Euros to get your hands on it but I just came across a different blog editor that some of you may want to try. Oh ya, and it's free. It is called Qumana and is available for both PC and Mac. Qumana is a free blog publishing application that offers you the ability to create posts on your desktop like you would use Outlook for mail. Qumana helps writers quickly capture, organize and edit chunks of content. Users drag-and-drop pieces of text, links, pictures or images. Then, with one click you can add Technorati tags. Edit and publish the blog post … to as many blogs as you wish … or save it as a draft to work on later. Turn your content into a draft Word document by saving it as HTML or RTF and opening the file in Word. If you want to get into blogging, here is an easy and free way to get there.

Matt

Worship

2006-03-17T22:38:00.000Z

I've spoken to a few who desire more worship at the Journey. I agree and that's why I really liked Ryan Bolger's latest post on the subject: Emerging Worship is about Who Gets to Play. Emerging worship is not about being artsy or making sure you have candles, it is about creating space for individuals to praise and cry out to God without feeling they have to go through anyone (like a priest or worship leader).

What is the Gospel?

2006-03-17T22:12:00.000Z

Considering my last post, I thought it wise to point out one of my favourite articles Scot McKnight has done on the subject of the gospel, aptly titled What is the Gospel? He elaborates on the idea that the gospel can't simply be simple.

Matt

When Has Someone Heard The Gospel?

2006-03-12T21:48:00.000Z

Maybe this is a silly question but it is one that I have been thinking about for the last few days. On Thursday before we met to discuss Patrick, Karl had me do a quick video interview with Cormac. The question he was asked: when did you first hear the gospel? Although he grew up Catholic, knowing and hearing much of Scripture and having godly parents, he said it wasn't until much later in his adult life that he really understood the gospel. He had the chance to ask some tough questions, get clarifications and then decided he wanted to live life like Christ through the power of the Spirit.

I had asked this same question about a month ago when I was reading Alleluia America!: An Irish Journalist in Bush Country by Calole Coleman about a month or so ago. Carole was the Washington correspondent for RTE from 2000 to 2004. She noted that after George W. Bush's re-election, pollsters declared the vote was swung by moral values and the Republican's courting of religious America. Carole decided to explore those groups and States that voted red in the last election and see for herself just who re-elected Bush. The book is an account of those interviews and experiences and is a good read.

At one point she interviews an Evangelical from a Baptist church in Monroe, Georgia. She had arranged to meet Stephen, the preacher's son on a Friday night when a gospel concert was going on at the church. They spoke for a bit about gospel music but then moved on to Stephen's testimony...

"When I was five years old I accepted Jesus Christ as my saviour and from that time everything pointed me in the direction to serve in a ministry," he told me. I didn't know children needed to be saved or born again, but here in Georgia it is not unusual.

"Yes. It happens at different ages for different people. You have to realise you are a sinner... God's word tells us that the penalty for sin is death, and death is hell, so there is no way out but through Jesus Christ. Some people see it at a young age, others never do. At five years old I heard this and I realised I didn't have a way to heaven except through Christ. So I accepted him as my saviour. That is, 'born again', saved - same thing."

The idea of being born again is not new. It dates back to the Bible itself. In John 3:3, Jesus mentions the idea to Nicodemus, who is startled and wonders if Jesus is asking him to get back into his mother's womb. But Jesus explains that he is talking about entering into a relationship with God, through faith. Virtually all Americans who say they are evangelical claim to have been saved. Millions who are not evangelical or part of the Christian right also claim to be "born again" or to have experienced a spiritual conversion. "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." This one line from the Bible convinces evangelicals that no matter how much money a man gives to charity or what good work he does, if he doesn't accept Christ as his personal saviour, he has no hope of making it to the next life. President Bush claims to have been born again in his early forties"

(p.44-45).

I read this and the thought crossed my mind that here is a journalist who has essentially written down the four spiritual laws via Stephen's testimony and yet I'm not convinced has encountered the gospel. She is aware of who Jesus is, again growing up Catholic and being taught by nuns in school but for Carole, as she expresses in her book, her faith is something deeply personal and familial, perhaps even national but not necessarily based in her understanding of Scripture or in a relationship with Jesus Christ. And how could it be? I mean she heard the four spiritual laws straight up: But the message "God loves her - She is a sinner - God has paid the price for her sins - She must accept it personally" doesn't make much sense to anyone who can't relate to it. I know there are some who hear that presentation and it resonates with them, with how they have been experiencing the world, with how they perceive themselves, with how they perceive God but usually they have some experience in their lives that allows them to do so. Many do not. If they cannot relate to the gospel, how can they really understand it? How can it have any meaning in their lives?

Is it possible to hear, grasp, and encounter the gospel but still reject it? I mean could Carole by all means really get it and just not want anything to do with it? Yep. She could. But our aim in presenting the gospel (and I don't mean just by words but by actions too - the gospel is much bigger than the four spiritual laws) only occurs when it is done in a way that it can be understood. I think that the four spiritual laws method often falls on deaf ears, even ears that can reproduce the main points word for word back to you. When has someone heard the gospel? When they have experienced it. When it is not simply a bunch of nice ideas, or a good way to live, but when someone shows up at your door to help you clean your house when you're sick, or when someone sits and lets you just vent and doesn't try to give you advice, or when a friend shares about how God has shaped their life. This is the reason I believe relationships are so important in missions (and by missions I don't mean going any farther than next door). If we have no relationship with people, with a culture, then how can we present the gospel to them?

So here's to presenting the gospel of love in our community. May it be heard.

Lessons From Patrick

2006-03-12T00:36:00.000Z

For those who missed it we had a great meeting last Thurs. night learning about the life of St. Patrick and reading his few but insightful works. I must say, the time really was both educational and inspiring for me. After some chat, tea & bickies we sat down to watch the first half of Patrick, a documentary about the Saint, looking at his background, his culture, his struggles and achievements. It allowed us to see through the fairy-tale version of Patrick - the Patrick who cast snakes out of Ireland, who wore funny hats, had a funny staff and had a glowing halo, the Patrick who makes sense to have in a Paddy's Day parade. The DVD not only brought the readings to life for me, but brought the individual to life.

So, what did I/we learn?

Patrick grew up a Roman citizen in Wales, part of a very affluent family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest but in his early years he admits the faith really meant little to him. He was about 16 when Irish slave traders kidnapped and sold him in Ireland. At that time Ireland was not part of the Roman Empire. Ireland was a land of waring tribes and its unwelcoming ports and rocky shores made it hard to invade (the town of Blackrock is famous for many of its early shipwrecks on its own rocky shores). Thus, when Patrick arrived on the beaches of Ireland, making his way up to the Northwest of the country (Co. Antrim), he knew there was no return, that there was no way his family would come and get him and that he'd probably spend the rest of his life as a slave. His owners put him to work minding sheep which gave him tons of time to do some deep soul-searching and it was in these times he remembered the faith passed down to him from his family. He states that in these times his love and fear of the Lord grew. He came to the point in his relationship with God that he was praying, "from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number."

In times of solitude you learn not only to speak to God, you learn to listen. After six years of slavery he heard a voice telling him to flee and so he made his way across the island believing that a ship would be at the end of his journey, ready to take him back to Britain. I write this rather easily but for Patrick, this was a life-and-death decision. To flee as a slave was to commit a crime punishable by death. What's more anyone abetting an escaping slave through shelter, food, or travel was deserving of the same sentence. So even here, young Patrick find's himself dependent solely on God for his survival. Most likely only traveling at night, Patrick finally arrived at the Southwest coast of Ireland and found a ship there waiting for him. He begged it's owners to let him aboard but they denied him. Rejected, he again turned to God in prayer and began to leave when suddenly the men started shouting after him to come back and get in the ship.
He wasn't home long before he heard the call to return to Ireland. He devoted himself to study in the church and once in his thirties finally returned to Ireland as one of its first missionaries. He was preceded by Palladius who had fled Ireland after receiving severe opposition from a Wicklow chieftain. But Patrick was a different kind of missionary. He knew the Irish culture - could speak the language, knew the customs and etiquette and knew the Druidism, so prevalent in the country. For example, Patrick knew the gift culture of Ireland and quickly went to the king of the area and gave gifts, asking for permission to be there. Patrick was able to speak to the Irish in their native tongue, presenting the gospel in ways that they could understand. Their pagan religion taught that lakes were holy places. Patrick saw this as a connecting point with the Irish people, inviting them there to be baptized. This unorthodox approach to missions brought forth claims of unorthodox teaching, which is why Patrick wrote his confession, to make sure his brothers could see his intentions and his heart.

We're only half way through the DVD (will be finishing it next Thurs. night if you want to join us) but a few main ideas were discussed last Thursday night and I've added a few more questions I've been pondering since then:

1. God chooses the unlikely. Looking at Patrick from a conventional standpoint you'd assume that he'd have been better off if at the age of 16 he evaded the kidnappers and finished out his years in Wales (or wherever seeing as the Roman-Empire was coming to an end at this stage many families were moving throughout Europe). The reality is, God ended up using an unbelieving boy-come-slave to express God's love to a Nation. Patrick wouldn't have been the obvious choice to return to Ireland. Even after schooling, Patrick was quick to note that he didn't have the eloquence of many of his peers who probably seemed like much more likely candidates but God had uniquely trained Patrick to uniquely minister to the Irish. Have you ever had one of your perceived weaknesses become a strength? How about your perceived strengths, have they ever proven to be weaknesses? How is God using your life-experiences to encourage others?

2. He was Christ-like in mission. His experiences in the culture as a teen had allowed him to communicate the gospel to the Irish in a way that made sense to them. Just as Christ came to humanity, speaking in terms we could grasp, so Patrick looked to the Irish culture for ways to express the gospel. The reality was that the gospel was already in Ireland. Christ had (and has) already died for the Irish. Patrick looked for the means available within the culture to express this ultimate reality to the Irish. What means are available to us today? Do we view the gospel as an import rather than something Irish?

3. Patrick had to defend his actions to the majority of his Christian contemporaries and the Church as an institution in general. His whole reason for writing the "Confessio" of St. Patrick was to defend himself against assertions that he was unorthodox: "6 I am imperfect in many things, nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul's desire." How much of our orthodoxy is dictated by our Irish culture, by the Christian sub-culture?

For Further Study of St. Patrick:
The Catholic Encyclopedia on St. Patrick
Wikipedia Article on St. Patrick
The Confession of St. Patrick
A Letter to Coroticus (PDF)
Patrick (DVD)

Irish Blog Awards

2006-03-10T18:05:00.000Z

Next Saturday Ireland will be hosting its annual blog awards. I was skimming through the list of nominees and have enjoyed myself in the process - many funny, many insightful. The blog awards are on at 6:40pm this coming Saturday at the Alexander Hotel in Dublin. It costs you 5 Euros to get in the door but you might win one of the few door prizes in the process. Should be a good night and a great way to connect with the blogging world of Ireland.

Matt

Update: I missed going (I actually thought it was next Saturday for some reason). Pity but someone has put a video of the evening online if you would like to check it out go here.

Patrick

2006-03-08T23:45:00.000Z

Thurs. night we will be studying the writings of St. Patrick over at Cormac & Karen's home. We start at 8:30pm. Email us at journeycommunity@gmail.com for directions.

Ryan Bolger Interview

2006-03-04T11:13:00.000Z

Found this interview with blogger, professor of Fuller Seminary, and co-author of Emerging Churches Ryan Bolger on KPCC. He gives a quick overview of what he's found in the physical structure of Emerging Churches and their theological differences from mainstream American evangelicalism.

Return From Absence

2006-03-03T15:12:00.000Z

Hey everyone, we're back (well, sort of - I'm sick). I'm sure you've all heard through Cormac about just how amazing the snowboarding trip was. We really had a great time meeting the lads. They had me laughing harder than I have in years. Just a great bunch of teens. A few of us even learned to snowboard on the trip (imagine that!). Each day Cormac invested in further safety, from helmet to butt pads, he was one mean-snowbaording-machine. We only had one serious injury but it turned out to be only a severe sprain and Paddy was back on his snowboard a few days later. I think the teens probably caught on to the whole snowboarding thing quicker than the rest of us because they all had one thing going for them: no fear. The rest of us were all aware that a broken bone here would mean our wives would kill us when we got home!

I've also been thinking about how we could use this blog more and one of my thoughts was to highlight books that we are reading, would like to read, are intending to read, or just want to mention. To start us off, let me mention this book I saw: Shaped by God’s Heart – the passion and practices of Missional Churches by Milfred Minatrea. Alan Hirsh recommended it to Phil Mcredden, so I thought I'd highlight it here. I know Dad is also well into Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures and has a post about it here. Any other books?

Matt

James in The Journey

2006-02-05T09:55:00.000Z

We have been reading through James as a community and it has been a great experience. But the fear in reading James is that it simply remains that - a fun experience. If nothing changes in our lives then reading James must be a scary experience. James is pretty clear that faith is a physical act. And so I was happy to find this post. In it the author (Weekend Fisher) notes 10 places Christians should visit:

Your family members (I Timothy 5:8).
Your neighbors (Luke 10:27).
The person you always say Hi to at church, and think someday you should call (Acts 2:42).
The foreigner that works at the corner store (Exodus 23:9)
A nearby soup kitchen or food pantry (Matthew 25:35)
A social outcast that you know (Luke 7:34)
A nearby hospital or shut-in (Matthew 25:36)
The breakdown lane of the highway (Luke 10:33)
The old friend you lost touch with years ago (Proverbs 18:24)
The person you're avoiding who holds a grudge against you (Matthew 5:23-24)

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22)

Cleaning up the Park

2006-02-04T18:51:00.000Z

The Journey will be meeting tomorrow @11:30 to pick up some trash at Blackrock Park. Come on by and bring a trash bag. We would love to have you join us.

The History of the Emerging-Missional Church

2006-02-01T22:02:00.000Z

Ever wonder where all this Emerging-Missional talk came from? Well Andrew Jones took a stab at answering that question. Enjoy a quick history lesson. I like his conclusion:

The term, "emerging-missional church", favored by Australians and Kiwis, seems to tie together the two strands of missio dei and missio ecclesiae in one phrase. Without the missional, emergent is just style. Without the emergent, missional pours the new wine backwards into old containers, and often without regard to context.

Matt

Prayer & Financial Support for Winter Camp

2006-02-01T01:18:00.000Z

Had a great time tonight on the artificial slope in Kilternan, learning to snowboard with 12 other guys who are coming on The Journey's winter snowboarding camp. Only 12 days to go before we leave. Still many loose ends to be tied up but in general, everything seems to be coming together pretty well, thank God.

Please pray for Matt, Steve, Patrick and Omar who are leading the trip with me. Please also pray for all the guys who are coming on the camp. Pray that the snowboarding will be fantastic, that there will be no serious injuries, that we will have a fun time together and that our evening discussions will help the guys to think differently about Christianity.

Any donations towards the cost of the camp would be gratefully received. The Journey is looking for sponsors to help subsidise the cost of the week and make it as affordable as possible. You can contact us about sponsorship at the following email address: journeycommunity@gmail.com

Thanks for your support.

Cormac

Snowboarding in Dublin

2006-02-01T00:37:00.000Z

Just got back from another great night of lessons. Cormac will be a boarder yet! The lads had a great time and I think it got us all excited for the trip to France in the coming weeks. I am wrecked. Please continue to pray for the trip, for safety and that we (the leaders - Cormac, Omar, Peter, Steve and me) would be able to be Christ to these teens.

Matt

The Power of Ecto

2006-01-29T01:31:00.000Z

For those that didn't already know, I recently had my hard drive crash. Bummer? Yes. Luckily I had my wife's PC to play around with while my Mac was in the shop. But what the PC doesn't have is a great application I use for blogging called Ecto. Ecto is kinda like Microsoft Outlook for blogs. You can manage and create your posts offline, it gives you more control over photos and makes linking a snap. But most of all it makes posting easy. You never have to log in again. You simply type what you have to say and post it. It automatically spell-checks everything, AND it handles all of your html needs. Ecto helps reduce my excuses for not blogging, and for that I'm thankful. Best 16 Euros I've spent online. So, if you're thinking of getting into this blogging thing, get Ecto.

Matt

Field Trip To Ikon

2006-01-23T20:03:00.000Z

I wanted to put the word out on the street about a field trip up to Ikon on the 26th of Feb. Ikon is a community in Belfast exploring what it means to be "emerging." They meet once a month at Whites Tavern (see website for directions). The night starts at 6:30pm.

As those trying to figure out what it means to be missional in todays culture, I think there is a lot we could learn from this bunch.

Let me know if there is any interest out there. Would love to have a few conversation partners along for the ride.

Matt

Sunday Worship @ the National Gallery

2006-01-23T16:37:00.000Z

This Sunday we will be heading over to the National Art Gallery for a time of community and reflection. Afterwards, weather permitting, we will go over to Merrion Square Park for a picnic. This is a bring your own lunch event but it would be great if we brought stuff to share as well. We are planning to gather at the gallery at 11:30am. Hope you can be there.

Frost on The Shaping of Things To Come

2006-01-20T22:46:00.000Z

Had a great meeting with Roy and Scott today. Great guys doing some awesome things in Dublin. Roy pointed me to some Mike Frost lectures in which he goes through the main themes in his book. Download and listen to the mp3s when you get the chance.

Neil Cole on Church

2006-01-19T17:20:00.000Z

Dad brought this to my attention:

From Neil Cole:
In our organic church movement we have come to understand "church" as this:

The presence of Jesus among His people called out as a spiritual family to pursue His mission on this planet.

Granted, this is very broad, but I like a broad definition of church. The Scriptures don’t give a precise definition, so I’m not going to do that which God has not done. I want something that captures what the Scriptures say about the Kingdom of God. In one of only two places where Jesus mentions church in the Gospels, He says: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." (Matt. 18:20) His presence must be an important element of church.

From The Organic Church page 83

Emerging Church on ABC

2006-01-18T13:41:00.000Z

ABC Television in the USA recently did a spotlight on the Emerging Church.

Thank Andrew for the link.

New Calendar

2006-01-12T13:30:00.000Z

Just wanted to point out the new calendar available on the sidebar under "Journey Stuff." Get in on the Journey action.

Getting Missional Online

2006-01-11T21:48:00.000Z

Well I just read about this site called Favorville and decided to check it out. Essentially it is a place where people come to offer favours and seek favours. Guess what, they have a Dublin, Ireland location. After checking it out it seems to not be specific to Dublin, Ireland however. That said, the site is still in its beta phase and I'm sure they'll fix it. It's kinda like a craigslist for favours. Both of these sites rely on web-community for existence. I wonder what the possibilities are for missional movements within these (and other) sites?

The Missional Church

2006-01-11T10:45:00.000Z

Thanks Dad, Andrew Jones and a host of others for highlighting this post by Larry Chouinard. He gives 16 Features of the Missional Church:

“A missional church is one whose primary commitment is to the missionary calling of the people of God. . . it is one that aligns itself with God’s missionary purposes in the world. . . The missional church is a sent church with one of its defining values [incarnating Jesus’ life and values in the culture it is embedded]”.
(Frost and Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, p.229)

(1) A missional church is externally focused.
(2) A missional church is culturally engaged without being absorbed.
(3) A missional church is incarnationally not institutionally driven.
(4) A missional church is about discipleship not church membership.
(5) A missional church is patterned after God's missionary purpose in the world.
(6) A missional church seeks to establish Kingdom outposts to retake territory under the control of the Evil One.
(7) A missionary church seeks to plant,grow, and multiply missionary communities.
(8) A missionary church trains and equips new leaders to enter territories under seige by Dark Forces. We learn in the context of mission not in the security of our comfort zone.
(9) A missional church highlights character, virtue, and compassionate deeds as the most effective witness to God's Kingdom.
(10) A missional church connects to Jesus through mission not doctrinal precision.
(11) A missional church adopts an organizational structure and internal forms based on mission not ecclesiastical traditions.
(12) A missional church sees itself as organic and not in static institutional forms.
(13) A missional church pursues relationships across generational, ethnic, economic and cultural lines of distinctions.
(14) A missional church seeks to partner with the community to "seek the shalom" of the community.
(15) A missional church assembles to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.
(16) A missionary church seeks to reawaken a movement ethos as together we engage our cultural context.

Emerging Church Postcards

2006-01-07T08:53:00.000Z

Steve Taylor over at Emergent Kiwi is in the process of putting together some Emerging Church Postcards - basically short snippets of emerging churches from all over the world. So far the countries include Germany, England, Malaysia, Australia and Denmark but more arrive every week.

Andrew Jones in Next Wave Magazine

2006-01-07T08:41:00.000Z

Thought I'd point us over to Andew Jones' latest work for Next Wave Magazine. The Magazine is a great resource if you have never read it. OK, I'm off to take care of a screaming kid.

Plunging Into the New Year

2006-01-02T12:32:00.000Z

Some of us awoke New Years day well aware that it would not be a relaxing morning. We had arranged a few weeks prior to take a dive into the freezing Irish Sea as a fund raiser for the snowboarding trip we're taking in Feb. In all the busyness of the holidays almost everyone forgot. But a few of us decided to follow through with the flopped fund-raiser and simply make some good memories. So we suited up early in the morning and took a dip in the ice cold water with the ice cold wind. It was so cold getting out that I couldn't feel my legs. Good times. Check out the pictures of the plunge.

Simeon & Anna

2005-12-17T02:17:00.000Z

In the advent spirit I thought I'd point us back over to Scott McKnight's blog where he has reflected on what Christmas meant for Simeon and Anna:

Simeon & Anna 1
Simeon & Anna 2
Simeon & Anna 3
Simeon & Anna 4
Simeon & Anna 5
Matt

A Night @ Kiltiernan

2005-12-15T09:43:00.000Z

We went up for some snowboarding lessons with Cormac, Steve, and a bunch of the lads going on the trip in Feb. If I get any pics, I'll put 'em up for ya. It's always fun learning to snowboard on millions of toothbrushes in the hills of Dublin. And we did look like idiots but as Steve said, "I felt really uncool, until I walked passed the skiers." It was great craic. We walked away from it getting to know how to snowboard a bit better and having some quality time with some quality lads.

Matt

Mary & Elizabeth

2005-12-11T09:03:00.000Z

Scott McKnight has a great blog I've bee reading quite a bit lately. He is doing a short "series" on it about the meaning of Christmas for Mary & Elizabeth and shows quite some insight in his observations. Link below to read:

Mary & Elizabeth 1
Mary & Elizabeth 2
Mary & Elizabeth 3
Mary & Elizabeth 4
Mary & Elizabeth 5

Matt

Back to the Hospital

2005-12-10T08:45:00.000Z

Well, we have decided to take Hailey back into the hospital. She just hasn't been doing well and could benefit from some more time on the drip.

Update: When I left Hailey at the hospital tonight she was in good spirits. She hasn't vomited much today - a HUGE blessing - and she is doing a lot better now with the I.V. Please pray that she would be able to sleep well there tonight. Last time she spent the night at the hospital she found it very hard to sleep due to hearing woman after woman go into labour.

Narnia Tip

2005-12-10T08:25:00.000Z

Hey, it doesn't look like Hailey and I will be able to join you all for the Narnia adventure but I did want to let you guys know that rumour has it that you'll want to wait around after the credits. Supposedly there is an important scene there. So don't leave early.

Hailey and I are so thankful for your support in both prayer and provision. We are considering taking her back to the hospital today. I'll let you know what we end up doing.

Matt

Christmas Re-imagined

2005-12-06T14:54:00.000Z

One of my personal prayers this Christmas has been to hear the story of the birth of Jesus anew. There is a tendency for me to hear the story I grew to know as a child and to close my ears to what really happened. Biblical story slowly turns to fairy tale. Recently, I found the CD "A Christmas Story You've Never Heard," reviewed over at The Ooze. I was thinking it might be fun to listen to this as a group as we try to hear the story with fresh ears.

Matt

Seattle Metro Church

2005-12-06T14:16:00.000Z

Seattle Metro Church seems to be doing community similar to ourselves. Thought I'd put the link up here so we can explore it together and see if we can learn from these guys.

Matt

Being Available for God

2005-12-04T10:32:00.000Z

I mentioned to some of us how I had really appreciated the testimony of Nick Vujicic (the guy with no limbs). You can check out his life and testimony on his website, or listen to him here (mp3) or even watch him here (quicktime). This is a guy who in many a person's eye would be simply a pity case but he is not. Nick is a guy who I've only listened to once but who has inspired me to a more missional mindset in life. His message is "be available to be used by God" and that means in the grocery store, or in my car, keeping my radar up and prayerfully asking, "God use me." I was brought back to this message after reading a quote from Bono in an interview with Q Magazine. He was their person of the year. You can read the entire article here (just click on the images). Here's the quote:

"Q: Money. Irishness. God. Which one couldn't you live without?

Bono: Wow. Well it's an easy question to ask but... here's a thing. When I was 16, my head was exploding. I just felt my life was going nowhere. I didn't fit in. I couldn't get a job. I didn't know how I could do my exams and I wasn't even sure I could concentrate at college. In those days, I remember, a prayer came up inside me. I said "I don't know what I'm going to do with my life but if there's a God out there, and I believe there is, and You want me to do something, then I'm ready. I don't have any plans for myself and I'm available for work." Pretty much within a few months of that epiphany I had joined U2 and started going out with Ali. A pretty good two months! Now had my destiny been -- if the God in heaven had said I want you to become a fireman and run up very dangerous buildings and save people's pets, I'd like to hope I'd have gone at it with the same gusto. So -- I couldn't let go of my faith. But what's more interesting is that I don't think God will let go of me. I love it when people on bar stools rub their chins and say do you believe in God? That's so presumptuous. A much more important question is does God believe in us?

Q: That sounds like you believe you were chosen.

Bono: No, no, no, I don't believe that. I do think God gets a laugh out of using some very poor materials. I volunteered is what I'm telling you."
--Bono in Q Magazine

And so as we enter our daily lives lets do it with the attitude of availability, with the desire to be be used by God.

Matt

Will Narnia Sneak Past our Dragons?

2005-12-04T09:46:00.000Z

Read an interesting article in USA Today this morning concerning the religious tension in America over The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. It asked if the film was to be viewed as fantasy adventure or as religious allegory and answered that we should see it as both.
I wonder with what attitudes we are going to see the film in a weeks time (do you think we need to pre-book?).

One of the quotes is from a professor of Hope College (an evangelical college in the USA) states, "Let story be story. Don't go explaining it, don't ask kids, 'Does this remind you of something? Do you find something deeper here?' Let them discover it on their own, if they ever do."

But some of us might be thinking, "why?" Isn't this a great opportunity to discuss the gospel message of Christ with our kids and neighbors, and Aslan is such an obvious Christ figure... But I think we might do well to listen to the words of C.S. Lewis before we go and slip in the gospel through the backdoor with our friends, kids and family. The USA article quotes Lewis at length here:

"Lewis, who died in 1963, gave the clearest explanation of the books and why he wrote them in an essay titled "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said."

"I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past certain inhibitions which had paralyzed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ?

"I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. The whole subject was associated with lowered voices, almost as if it were something medical.

"But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could."

I think Lewis got it right. He always argued that his story was not an allegory but an experiment playing around with the idea of what it might have looked like if Christ had come into a world of furry animals and talking beasts. If we let our kids, family, & neighbors feel the power of the story I think it might just get past their inhibitions, their dragons, and lead to much greater conversations down the road.

Just some thoughts

Matt

Link: Is that lion the King of Kings?

Satan's Sinners in the Kingdom

2005-12-03T11:10:00.000Z

Read a great article today at Relevant Magazine entitled Barnyard Births in the City. I love this quote from it:

"At its core, however, Christ’s birth was unseemly (single mothers were capital criminals); unsanitary (born in a barn, surrounded by farm animals, stench and bugs); controversial (astrologers were the first to perceive it, by reading the stars); lowly (shepherds got it, innkeepers did not); dangerous (it provoked the ire of a villainous king); deadly (the king slaughtered innocents in response); not to mention politically radioactive (Jesus was “king” of an occupied people) and religiously scandalous (“Messiah”). "

As we study the incarnation on Thursdays (i.e. the Christmas story) I think it's important to remember that this story is a messy one, it's not the sanitized one our Christmas cards, shopping sprees and family dinners speak of. The Incarnation is the trumpet sound of the beginning of the end. It is this story we celebrate 2000 years down the road.

As we said last Thurs. night, Christ's birth brought peace between humanity and God but Christ's presence in our lives also brings up a lot of junk that we need to deal with.

The article discusses the New York gang Satan's Sinners, and how pastor Rick and his congregation continued the ministry of Christ coming into the messy lives and communities of Bethlehem and the Middle East in their local community.

The birth of Christ is a reminder that what God has called us to is messy business but in being messy we announce “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Lk. 2:14).

Matt

Taking "church" to our community

2005-12-02T19:55:00.000Z

Sun 4th Dec.
Meeting at Matt & Hailey's at 11:00am and walking to Knox Hall, Monkstown where Monkstown Educate Together National School (where Lauren & Robert go) are having their School Christmas Fair. The fair runs until 2:30pm but we can leave at any time. Stalls will include home cooking, face painting, cd's, dvd's, books, etc. As usual on these occasions, there will be a Santa knocking about & there will be a raffle - you have been warned!!. Tea and coffee will be served. Come and hang out with, and get to know some people from the area.

Sun 11th Dec.
Going to see 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe' at the Ormonde Cinema, Stillorgan starting at 10:30am. Tickets for this showing cost €4.50 each for adults and children. This is a movie we can invite friends and neighbours to come see with us and should lead to some interesting conversations. Don't miss this opportunity to see this amazing film just days after it is released (9th Dec). If you wish, you can reserve your tickets in advance using your cedit card, by calling the Ormonde at (01) 278 0000.

Cormac

Ask and Ye Shall Receive...

2005-12-01T00:48:00.000Z

Found an mp3 of Alan Hirsch to add to your list and another one here (again haven't yet listened to them myself). Again, it was Andrew Jones who pointed this stuff out to me. Hirsch is releasing a new book entitled "Dangerous Stories," a book asking why the House Church Movement has done so well under persecution.

Matt

How We Journey

2005-11-27T11:31:00.000Z

One of the great things about The Journey is that it is not a "journey wherever you like journey." The journey we are on, even though it will look radically different for us than from another church, or even between those of us in the community, is specific. It is centered around Christ as our starting point and end point (and he's even there as we journey in between those points). Much of what this blog does is allow us to share our journeys and encourage one another in Christ centerdness.

I emailed around this description of core values from a church called The Living Room which is in Australia.They list their three core values:

1. inner journey (worship, prayer - spiritual formation),
2. outer journey (mission, justice, service) and
3. together journey (community, fellowship etc).

Cormac used these for his IBI assembly presentation. I think these are some great centre points for our journey (personal and missional and communal) specifically because they are all points close to the heart of Christ.

Matt

Defining the Emergent Church

2005-11-27T11:04:00.000Z

No definitions available. Sorry. But for those wanting to discuss and think through the conversation, you can head over to Andrew's Blog (do I even read any other blog?) as he has just updated his "On Defining Emerging Church" post. I've read a few of them and it's a good place to just dig in (but please don't get lost in - at some point we actually have to be who we are) to the conversation.

Link: On Defining Emerging Church (updated)

Matt

Bible School Cliff Notes

2005-11-27T10:39:00.000Z

I was on Andrew's blog (surprise, I know) today and came across some articles he pointed too. I quickly noticed they were excerpts/thoughts from a book my Dad has been reading:

"Church Without Walls: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries" (Jim Peterson)

The excerpt is HERE and an explanation of how this thinking relates to the emerging conversation is found HERE. I also did a little snooping of my own and I found this review of

"The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church" (Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch)

I also found this synopsis of a Mike Frost lecture, as well as some MP3s by him (haven't listened to them yet). If either Mike Frost or Alan Hirsch have blogs I haven't been able to find them yet (even though I have noticed that Alan does post on a lot of people's blogs, c.f. HERE and HERE).

Well there it is, for those of us horrible at reading/finishing books (I think I'm in the middle of 7 or 8 at the moment), here are some Cliff's notes of the ideas. Enjoy.

Matt

Housekeeping: Something New

2005-11-25T01:20:00.000Z

Well, I decided to take a moment and re-do the Journey Blog. The biggest change is the overall look. It was pink, now it's blue. I also amended the description of The Journey based on some email discussions. I've also organized the links, as well as have added some new ones.

Matt

No More Church for 'Them'

2005-11-24T18:15:00.000Z

Karl emailed some of us this post by Ryan Bolger and I thought here might be a great place to discuss it. Ryan argues that it is pointless to create "relevant" churches or church services because the reality is that they simply will not be. Church is weird. Lets face it. He goes on to argue (and I totally agree with this) that,

"What Christians need to do is create meaningful worship through bringing their very own lives to God. Worship must reflect the culture of the community that is currently part of the church, not replicate current worship CDs, nor 1980s soft rock, nor 18th century hymns. Instead of mimicking other church cultures, the community collectively brings their own idiosyncratic ways of life to God, whatever they may be."

I have been thinking the same thing recently. Not only should the structure/form of the church emerge out of those in it, but the worship too should come from those involved. Thus we don't rely on the newest worship songs out there (nor the oldest ones) to facilitate our worship but we bring the ways we worship God to the community (which indeed may be those worship songs but I hope there are many more ways also), creating a unique expression of worship. Unique in the sense that it emanates from the gifts God has given specifically to us to return to him.

Bolger continues by pointing out that evangelism is not brining people to church, but is being missional, going to the 'them,' presenting Christ in everyday life and not in our evangelical sub-culture.

Bolger goes on to note that by focusing on the Church services as the core of what church is simply perpetuates the the mythical secular/sacred divide, it perpetuates the laity/clergy split (implying that only those paid for ministry do it), and it perpetuates a producer/consumer faith.

Bolger finishes up by presenting some alternatives.

This post was great, in my mind, at distinguishing the main differences between the seeker sensitive models of church and the emerging/organic model we are finding ourselves in conversation with. In other words, it helps explain why the picture below is a bit confusing.

(I found this pic. over at Andrew's Blog)

Matt

Emrg Newsletter

2005-11-23T16:35:00.000Z

Click here for the latest EMRG Newsletter.

Matt