WALKING THE TIGHTROPE ‘AND GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE’

WALKING THE WALKING THE TIGHTROPETIGHTROPE

‘‘AND GETTING TO THE AND GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE’OTHER SIDE’

CARRYING OTHERS ACROSSCARRYING OTHERS ACROSS

READER MINISTRYREADER MINISTRY

A servant A servant ministryministry

An equipping An equipping ministryministry

A ministry which A ministry which earns trust earns trust through personal through personal exampleexample

CARRYING OTHERS ACROSSCARRYING OTHERS ACROSS

FROM CHURCH TO WORLD FROM CHURCH TO WORLD FROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFEFROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFE FROM PARALYSIS TO HOPEFROM PARALYSIS TO HOPE

WHAT IS NEEDEDWHAT IS NEEDED

Is not more faithIs not more faith But restored hopeBut restored hope Hope includes faithHope includes faith ‘‘Now faith is the assurance of Now faith is the assurance of things things

hoped forhoped for, the conviction of things not , the conviction of things not seen.’ Hebrews 11:1seen.’ Hebrews 11:1

CHRISTIANITY IS HOPECHRISTIANITY IS HOPE

'From first to last, and not merely in 'From first to last, and not merely in the epilogue, Christianity is the epilogue, Christianity is eschatology, is hope, forward looking eschatology, is hope, forward looking and forward moving and therefore and forward moving and therefore also ... transforming the present.' also ... transforming the present.'

Jurgen MoltmannJurgen Moltmann

HOPE MOVES YOU FORWARDHOPE MOVES YOU FORWARD

FROM CHURCH TO WORLDFROM CHURCH TO WORLD(AND BACK)(AND BACK)

GOSPEL AND CULTUREGOSPEL AND CULTURE

‘‘Culture is the context in which Culture is the context in which people find their identity....the gospelpeople find their identity....the gospeljudges every culture....challenging judges every culture....challenging some aspects of the culture while some aspects of the culture while endorsing others for the benefit of endorsing others for the benefit of the Church and the society.’ the Church and the society.’

Lambeth Lambeth 8888

THE GIFT OF REPENTANCETHE GIFT OF REPENTANCE ‘ ‘If the decline of the Church is If the decline of the Church is

ultimately caused neither by the ultimately caused neither by the irrelevance of Jesus, irrelevance of Jesus,

nor by the indifference of the nor by the indifference of the community, community,

but by the Church’s failure to respond but by the Church’s failure to respond fast enough to an evolving culture, to a fast enough to an evolving culture, to a changing spiritual climate, and to the changing spiritual climate, and to the promptings of the Holy Spiritpromptings of the Holy Spirit

THE GIFT OF REPENTANCETHE GIFT OF REPENTANCE

Then that decline can be addresses by Then that decline can be addresses by the repentance of the Church. For true the repentance of the Church. For true repentance involves turning around and repentance involves turning around and living in a new way in the future. living in a new way in the future.

A diocese or parish which, out of A diocese or parish which, out of repentance, grows a new relevance to repentance, grows a new relevance to the contemporary world, may also grow the contemporary world, may also grow in numbers and strength , because the in numbers and strength , because the Spirit of Jesus has been released to do Spirit of Jesus has been released to do his work.’ Bob Jacksonhis work.’ Bob Jackson

DOUBLE LISTENINGDOUBLE LISTENING

‘‘Double listening is the faculty of Double listening is the faculty of listening to two voices at the same time, listening to two voices at the same time, the voice of God through Scripture and the voice of God through Scripture and the voices of men and women around the voices of men and women around us. us.

The voices will often contradict one The voices will often contradict one another, but our purpose in listening to another, but our purpose in listening to them both is to discover how they relate them both is to discover how they relate to one another.’ John Stottto one another.’ John Stott


LISTEN TO THE LISTEN TO THE WORLDWORLD

LISTEN TO THE LISTEN TO THE GOD’S WORDGOD’S WORD

BRING THE TWO BRING THE TWO TOGETHERTOGETHER


Those involved in the starting and Those involved in the starting and sustaining of further and fresh sustaining of further and fresh communities of faith – carry with them communities of faith – carry with them an existing understanding of the faith an existing understanding of the faith and of church. and of church.

They do not come with empty hands, They do not come with empty hands, but the next task is but the next task is to have open ears.to have open ears.


Attention to the Attention to the mission context, mission context, or listening to the or listening to the world, comes world, comes beforebefore discerning discerning how the inherited how the inherited Christian Christian tradition works tradition works within it. within it.


Listening to the Listening to the context of the context of the world shapes world shapes what emerges.what emerges.

DOUBLE LISTENINGDOUBLE LISTENING Then the second aspect of double Then the second aspect of double

listening validates it, through listening validates it, through connection with the Faith uniquely connection with the Faith uniquely revealed in the Scriptures.revealed in the Scriptures.

Double listening is a process that Double listening is a process that enables something to evolve as its enables something to evolve as its context changes. context changes.

It seeks to hold in tension both a It seeks to hold in tension both a creative engagement with context and a creative engagement with context and a faithfulness to the good news in Jesus.faithfulness to the good news in Jesus.

TWO EARS ONE MOUTHTWO EARS ONE MOUTH

READER

FROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFE -FROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFE - From Promise To FulfillmentFrom Promise To Fulfillment

FROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFEFROM SCRIPTURE TO LIFE

Readers are Readers are ministers of the ministers of the Word.Word.

A ministry A ministry centred on and centred on and under the under the authority of authority of scripture.scripture.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE

‘‘Is really a Is really a shorthand for ‘the shorthand for ‘the authority of God authority of God exercised through exercised through scripture; and scripture; and God’s authority is God’s authority is not merely his right not merely his right to control and to control and order the church,order the church,


but his sovereign but his sovereign power, exercised in power, exercised in and through Jesus and through Jesus and the Spirit, to and the Spirit, to bring all things in bring all things in heaven and on heaven and on earth into earth into subjection to his subjection to his judging and healing judging and healing rule.’rule.’


‘‘God is at work through scripture (in God is at work through scripture (in other words through the Spirit who is at other words through the Spirit who is at work as people read, study, teach and work as people read, study, teach and preach scripture) to energize, enable preach scripture) to energize, enable and direct the outgoing mission of the and direct the outgoing mission of the church, genuinely anticipating thereby church, genuinely anticipating thereby the times when all things will be made the times when all things will be made new in Christ.’ N.T.Wright ‘Scripture + new in Christ.’ N.T.Wright ‘Scripture + the Authority of God’the Authority of God’

THE BIBLE IS OUR THE BIBLE IS OUR CONSTITUTIONCONSTITUTION

‘‘The constitution of an ongoing The constitution of an ongoing community’ Francis Fiorenzacommunity’ Francis Fiorenza

The way God's people move ahead The way God's people move ahead into his future while remaining rooted into his future while remaining rooted in and governed by what He has done in and governed by what He has done and revealed in the past.and revealed in the past.

THE BIBLE AS THE THE BIBLE AS THE CHRISTIAN GRAND STORYCHRISTIAN GRAND STORY

… … the biblical story of the world from the biblical story of the world from creation to consummation. It is the story creation to consummation. It is the story of the Trinitarian God's relationship with of the Trinitarian God's relationship with his creation. his creation.

It sees God as the beginning and end of It sees God as the beginning and end of all things, their source and their goal, all things, their source and their goal, Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Renewer, the one who was and who is Renewer, the one who was and who is and who is to come. It is a story which is and who is to come. It is a story which is not yet completed. not yet completed.

OUR DIRECTION IN LIFEOUR DIRECTION IN LIFE

The end of the story is still to come, with The end of the story is still to come, with the God who is also to come to his the God who is also to come to his creation in the end...creation in the end...

This means that those who live by this This means that those who live by this story live within it. It gives us our story live within it. It gives us our identity, our place in the story, and a identity, our place in the story, and a part to play in the still-to-be-completed part to play in the still-to-be-completed purposes of God for his world.' Richard purposes of God for his world.' Richard Bauckham + Trevor Hart Bauckham + Trevor Hart

GOD’S STORY IN USGOD’S STORY IN US

‘‘To enter the world of scripture (is) to To enter the world of scripture (is) to become a part of its story.’become a part of its story.’

‘‘We are not so much enjoined to get We are not so much enjoined to get inside the text, as to let the text get inside the text, as to let the text get inside us, so that we are nourished by inside us, so that we are nourished by its word and enabled to perform its its word and enabled to perform its story.’ Gerard Loughlinstory.’ Gerard Loughlin

SCRIPTURE AS PROMISESCRIPTURE AS PROMISE

They are Israelites, and to them belong They are Israelites, and to them belong … the … the promises.promises. Romans 9:4 Romans 9:4

For in Christ every one of God's For in Christ every one of God's promisespromises is a "Yes.” 2Corinthians 1:20 is a "Yes.” 2Corinthians 1:20

Thus he has given us, through these Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great things, his precious and very great promises,promises, so that through them you may so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine natureparticipants of the divine nature .. 2Pe 1:4 2Pe 1:4

FREEDOM FOR CHANGEFREEDOM FOR CHANGE

'The Holy Spirit brings forward a 'The Holy Spirit brings forward a reality which is grounded in divine reality which is grounded in divine promise rather than in human thought promise rather than in human thought or achievement.' Doctrine or achievement.' Doctrine CommissionCommission

'I am determined by the future God 'I am determined by the future God has promised rather than by the past I has promised rather than by the past I have made.’ Doctrine Commissionhave made.’ Doctrine Commission

DON’T MISS OUTDON’T MISS OUT For God is not unjust; he will not overlook For God is not unjust; he will not overlook

your work and the love that you showed for your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.do.

And we want each one of you to show the And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize same diligence so as to realize the full the full assurance of hopeassurance of hope to the very end, to the very end,

So that you may not become sluggish, but So that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who imitators of those who through faith and through faith and patience inherit the promisespatience inherit the promises. .

Hebrews 6:10-12Hebrews 6:10-12

WORD AND SPIRITWORD AND SPIRITTOGETHERTOGETHER

A MEANS OF GRACEA MEANS OF GRACE

'Scripture is a means of grace by which 'Scripture is a means of grace by which God's Word continues to come to us. It is God's Word continues to come to us. It is not so much a static collection of timeless not so much a static collection of timeless oracles as it is the place to stand when oracles as it is the place to stand when one wants to be in God's presence and one wants to be in God's presence and learn of him.learn of him.

WORD AND SPIRITWORD AND SPIRIT

Through the Bible we can orient Through the Bible we can orient ourselves to the objective revelation ourselves to the objective revelation that has been given and through the that has been given and through the Spirit enter into it personally and Spirit enter into it personally and dynamically.' Clark Pinnock.dynamically.' Clark Pinnock.

WORD AND SPIRITWORD AND SPIRIT

'The Spirit acts as a kind of 'time 'The Spirit acts as a kind of 'time machine' via the Word, enabling the machine' via the Word, enabling the believer to travel backward and believer to travel backward and forward in salvation history and to forward in salvation history and to imaginatively participate in the events imaginatively participate in the events that have been and are yet to be.' that have been and are yet to be.'

Steven Steven LandLand

TRAVEL IN SALVATION TIMETRAVEL IN SALVATION TIME

TWIN TRACKTWIN TRACK

WORDWORD God’s gift from God’s gift from

the pastthe past SPIRITSPIRIT God’s gift from God’s gift from

the futurethe future

THE MINISTRY OF THE THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRITSPIRIT

The Spirit as 'The The Spirit as 'The certain evidence certain evidence that the future that the future had dawned, and had dawned, and the absolute the absolute guarantee' of its guarantee' of its final final consummation.' consummation.'

Gordon FeeGordon Fee


'The Spirit has 'The Spirit has given both the first given both the first fruits and the fruits and the hope of full hope of full liberation, and we liberation, and we are stretched are stretched between the two.' between the two.' Peter HockenPeter Hocken


'The action of the 'The action of the Spirit is to Spirit is to anticipate, in the anticipate, in the present, present, and by means of and by means of the finite and the finite and contingent, contingent, the things of the the things of the age to come.' age to come.' Colin GuntonColin Gunton


'In this activity of 'In this activity of the Spirit the new the Spirit the new creation is already creation is already being anticipated in being anticipated in provisional forms in provisional forms in human life.' human life.' Richard Bauckham Richard Bauckham + Trevor Hart+ Trevor Hart

THE ANTICIPATION OF THE THE ANTICIPATION OF THE SPIRITSPIRIT

'It is a vital part of a Christian 'It is a vital part of a Christian perspective on this world to identify perspective on this world to identify within it scattered acts of recreative within it scattered acts of recreative anticipation of God's promised future, anticipation of God's promised future, as the same Spirit who raised Jesus as the same Spirit who raised Jesus from death calls into being life, health, from death calls into being life, health, faith and hope where there is otherwise faith and hope where there is otherwise no capacity for these and no accounting no capacity for these and no accounting for them. for them.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRITFOLLOWING THE SPIRIT

Christians are called to identify and Christians are called to identify and to become involved with God's Spirit to become involved with God's Spirit in all that he is doing to fashion a in all that he is doing to fashion a genuine presence of the new within genuine presence of the new within the midst of the old, drawing it into the midst of the old, drawing it into self-transcendent albeit partial self-transcendent albeit partial anticipations of what will ultimately anticipations of what will ultimately be.be.

HERALDS OF GOD’S FUTUREHERALDS OF GOD’S FUTURE

Such anticipations are to be found in Such anticipations are to be found in this world, but they are not of this this world, but they are not of this world. They belong to God's future of world. They belong to God's future of which they are heralds and towards which they are heralds and towards which they direct our hopeful gaze. In which they direct our hopeful gaze. In such happenings the power of the such happenings the power of the future-made-present is manifest.’ future-made-present is manifest.’

Bauckham + HartBauckham + Hart

HOPE RESTOREDHOPE RESTORED

If this Spirit of God If this Spirit of God is ‘the Spirit of the is ‘the Spirit of the resurrection', then resurrection', then we are possessed we are possessed by a hope which by a hope which sees unlimited sees unlimited possibilities possibilities ahead, because it ahead, because it looks to God's looks to God's future. future.

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HOPE RESTOREDHOPE RESTORED

The heart expands. The goals of hope The heart expands. The goals of hope in our own lives, and what we in our own lives, and what we ourselves expect of life, fuse with ourselves expect of life, fuse with God's promises for a new creation of God's promises for a new creation of all things. all things.

This gives our own finite and limited life This gives our own finite and limited life an infinite meaning.’ Jurgen Moltmannan infinite meaning.’ Jurgen Moltmann

WHEN FAITH BECOMES WHEN FAITH BECOMES HOPEHOPE

'Faith, wherever it develops into hope, 'Faith, wherever it develops into hope, causes not rest but unrest, not patience causes not rest but unrest, not patience but impatience. It does not calm the but impatience. It does not calm the unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet heart in man. heart in man.

WHEN FAITH BECOMES WHEN FAITH BECOMES HOPEHOPE

Those who hope in Christ can no Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict itbegin to suffer under it, to contradict it

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WALKING THE TIGHTROPE ‘AND GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE’