we didn't meet

well, it is Monday 5th November and once again life intervenes: only one of the fluid group was able to make it tonight and so we cancelled, rather than become a duologue! As I have had a streaming cold for over a week, this is not so unwelcome although I'd rather meet than not.

Once again, it causes me to reflect on how frenetic women's lives can be juggling home, work, parenting, community and leisure interests. Is it any wonder that the spiritual life can lay dormant for years - and when a yearning is awakened there's no time left in the week to pause and explore it! Interestingly, three of the women who originally expressed a real desire to pause and do just that have found they are too busy to come!

today I've been reading McLaren's More Ready Than You Realize, Evangelism in the Postmodern Matrix ( Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002).
Set in bite-size pieces, it traces the spiritual conversations McLaren held with a casually met person, 'Alice', via email.
Principally, the book challenges Christians to take up opportunities to journey with spiritual seekers: at their pace; listening to their story, sharing one's own and then sharing God's story; being a servant; and demonstrating authentic lifestyle as part of a community of likeminded believers.
He draws a distinction between the modern church's fascination with results based upon firm propositions (apologetics leads to 'conversions') and the need to respond to the postmodern thinker's desire to explore beyond logic and incorporate beauty and mystery...
There follows a brief section on the history of Enlightenment thought and the church's fascination with foundationalism - perhaps superfluous in the context of this book, but overall his thoughts are usefully summarised in the final two chapters and the whole enhanced by an insightful seven-part Bible study on disciple making in the appendices.

Opinion: A thought provoking, easy to read and digest addition to a 21st century evangelist's library.

first reflections

18^th sept.

day after 1^st meeting
an initial reflection:

it takes urgent necessity to bring about action to clear my kitchen! - how easily I find ' ministry' uses all my time and enables me to put off housework!

How often do I put things off until almost zero hour? answer: mmm, frequently!

How easily life intervenes and stops us from doing what we want/intend – on the day, 3 women were unable to make it because of family/acute illness.

How very little can act as a catylist: the most casual invitation led to 1 attending & her hearing one phrase led on to sharing on a deep level.

Partaking in the missio Dei is so relaxed: allowing God to lead and simply co-operating with Him instead of forging ahead with plans, details, etc. - wow! why did we get so into precision campaign mentality in the 80s and 90s?

Spirituality and Women

As part of my MA in Emerging Church, I am pioneering an emerging conversation entitled, 'Spirituality and Women'.

Starting Monday 13th September, a few women will share their thoughts on their identity as women and experiences of spirituality around a table over supper in my kitchen - and we'll see where it takes us.

Why? because frequently women (temporarily?) find their self sub-sumed into their role as partner; mother; work colleague - and there's a longing to re-discover their own identity.
Sound familiar?

The projected idea is to meet twice a month, but this is fluid depending upon members' response, so watch this space.

I'll be keeping a blog of reflections on the process over the coming months and welcome comments and contributions from the group and anyone who's interested...

first thoughts

isn't it exciting when you overcome your reluctance to engage with something entirely new, and despite intitial set backs through lack of confidence and skills - in this instance technological ones - persevere and win through!
well, earlier tonight I would not have believed I''d be able or even want to write this, and yet, here I am and it feels good.
If anyone out there is into emerging church and is interested in a conversation - especially about the place of children & minstry in emerging spirituality, then great to hear from you.