Books/Articles

Building for God’s Kingdom in Retirement…

Posted by David Ward on 12/08/2024
Posted in: aging, Books/Articles, Personal thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Those of you who have stuck with my spasmodic blog posting for some time will be well aware of the way that sometimes things I’m reading, conversations I’m part of and experiences I share come together to crystalise something I’ve long been mulling over and motivate me to finally commit those thoughts to writing. Sometimes they remain thoughts that are for my life and growth alone, and you, the reader get a glimpse in what’s going on in the mind of Dave. Sometimes, I’m told, they strike a chord with others.

So, I’m reading a book called  “Jesus and the Powers” by Tom Wright and Michael F Bird (SPCK, London 2024). We’ve just had an election in the UK, and the USA and parts of Europe are also in a period of elections. My colleagues in the Northumbrian Collective (www.northumbrian.org) have been blogging about this and other things that are making our world an unstable and uncomfortable place to be. So, I thought I’d better catch up a bit, and this is one of the books I’ve chosen to read. The book sets out to “address the pressing question: how can Christians engage with the turbulent politics of our time while remaining true to the teaching and example of Jesus?” It’s a book that should make uncomfortable reading for those in the West who are compromising their faith and selling out in order to have a seat and a say at the table of power.

The book contrasts the Bible’s teaching about the ongoing growth of the Kingdom of God since the resurrection of Jesus inaugurated a new creation of spirit-filled people whose task it is to build for the Kingdom (notice, not “build the Kingdom”…only God can do that, but he has chosen to partner with new humanity to do this…what we do and the way we do it matters) with the way others try to build ‘kingdoms’ or even try to build God’s Kingdom for him.

The passages that I read, that spoke into things that are significant to me at this time are these:

“Whatever your age, ableness, sex, education, limitations, fears, stage of life or self-doubts, you have something to contribute to the coming kingdom. Why else is the spirit given, other than to convict us, inspire us and empower us to do what we would not ordinarily be able to do by ourselves? Let your heart be burdened by the needs you see about you. Let your mind be haunted by a great missionary task that remains unfinished. Let your conscience be pricked by a grave injustice that goes on blighting your land. The, as far as you are able, in your season of life, pick one ministry in your church to help with and one cause to partner with…Look around. We live in interesting times, dire times, dangerous times, tragic and terrible times. What will you do with your life? Give it over into staring into some luminous screen or do something that echoes in God’s new creation. The world needs kingdom-minded Christians now more than ever.” P88 and 89

I have arrived at that time of life we call retirement. I’ve already retired and then returned to work once, mainly for economic reasons. But a recent enforced move of home and locality have taken me away from the place I’ve lived and worked for the last 14 years. This has led to an unexpected loss of focus, direction and purpose in my life, and I’m working hard to try to put things back together. The fact that I’m also ‘old’ now is not helping. In case you think this is just an opportunity for me to have a good moan, I came to where I am now fully open and expectant that God would bless this new stage of my life and give me fresh opportunities to build for the Kingdom; that is why I describe my experience as “unexpected”. I’ve been praying and working, talking and listening to people but have struggled to fight off the overwhelming sense of being in limbo and to find God’s way forward.

A Zoom meeting with the support group someone I pray for regularly has really helped me to put some structure on my jumbled thoughts, and I offer it here with thanks to my friend and in the hope that it may be useful to others who are navigating the waters of the retired life, especially, but not solely those who have been in some kind of paid role in a church, Christian organisation or charity.

Some things to help us discern the way forward as we age:
CALLING
Under God’s guidance, what has been the thing that our vocation and passion has revolved around?
For example, a friend once said to me, “It wouldn’t matter what you’re doing, you’ll always be a teacher”, reflecting my passion to help people grow in understanding and knowledge, which hopefully results in changed behaviour.

CAPABILITY
As we age, we begin to be aware of limitations that weren’t around in our younger years.
Don’t think I need to comment on this one.

COMMITMENT (to family)
At this stage of our lives, we have more time available for our partner and our children and grandchildren (if we have them).
I still have a working wife, and I think that the way I respond to this one is probably different to  if I was part of a retired couple or a single person.

CHOOSING
Taking the first three factors into consideration, what things we’re doing do we need to put down and what new opportunities do we need to pick up or say “no” to.
Nowadays, I find that if I over-commit myself I rapidly become anxious, and often end up pulling out of whatever I’ve committed to, which isn’t a good way to be. I’m getting better at saying ‘no’, even to things I would enjoy or have been good at in the past.

“Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean I should”, has become a bit of a mantra for me.

What about you? No matter what stage of life you’re in, how do you make decisions about the things you give your time to?

Apprentices of Jesus…

Posted by David Ward on 08/04/2024
Posted in: Books/Articles, discipleship, Spititual Practices. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

A brief review of “Practicing the Way…be with Jesus, become like him, do as he did” by John Mark Comer.

This book builds on some of the ideas introduced in John Mark’s previous book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”.

It focuses on three questions:

  • Who or what are you following?
  • Who or what are you becoming?
  • Who or what are you entrusting your life to?

The fact is, we’re all building our lives on someone or something, it’s an inevitable part of being human. There are people or philosophies of life we admire and seek to emulate; it’s not just religious people. And it follows that as people we are becoming like the people or things we admire…they affect our thinking, our behaviour and our relationships. In fact, every part of our lives.

In the world of the New Testament, such a person in Jewish culture would be called a rabbi (teacher). Jesus was a rabbi, who went around saying, “Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4:19). But what does that mean? John Mark Comer writes:

“Contrary to what many assume, Jesus did not invite people to convert to Christianity. He didn’t even call people to become Christians (keep reading…); he invited people to apprentice (disciple) under him into a whole new way of living. To be transformed.”

“Practicing the Way” p xvi

The rest of the book investigates how Jesus did this and suggests three “Goals” to pursue so we can be transformed into Jesus image by being with him, becoming like him and doing what he did.

The final bit of the book looks at the practical ways we can pursue the three goals, focussing on a having a Rule of Life lived out through nine spiritual practices that Jesus followed in his life.

A number of my friends found John Mark Comer’s “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” to be “a bit legalistic”, and I dare say might level the same criticism at this book.

However, it’s important to note that the close relationship to Jesus is key. Without it copying the things that Jesus said and did will not really change us one bit and is in danger of becoming a box-ticking kind of legalism.

I found this to be a most helpful book, and one I would not hesitate to recommend to new followers of Jesus or those mentoring them. There is even a helpful online course for groups (it might be possible to use as an individual too); you can find it here: https://www.practicingtheway.org/course .

Power and Warmth…

Posted by David Ward on 30/03/2023
Posted in: Books/Articles, church, Community, discipleship, Personal thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

A review of “The Church of Tomorrow” by John McGinley and “Lighting the Beacons” by Jill Duff.

One of Aesop’s Fables tells the story of a competition between the Wind and the Sun. The challenge is to make a man remove his cloak. The two competitors go about it in totally different ways. The Wind blows harder and harder, but simply causes the man to wrap the cloak even more tightly around him. The Sun, on the other hand, simply shines more and more brightly upon the man, until he is so warm that he sheds the cloak.

I have been reading two books, both with the same end in view, but written in very different ways to achieve their objective…the renewal of faith in a church appropriate and fit for the post-Covid world. Both McGinley and Duff are Anglicans and associated with New Wine. McGinley is a church planter and builder of missional communities, whilst Duff is a Bishop, working in Lancashire and St Asaph, Wales, and was formerly a founding director and lecturer at the ministry training college of St Mellitus North West. They have much in common.

Their approaches are, however, quite different, with McGinley focussing on “Power” and Duff on “Warmth”. Both point to a renewed dependence on the Holy Spirit (who is described in scripture as both wind and fire) and a return to our first love for Jesus (Revelation 2: 4).

McGinley’s approach is more analytical. He begins by reminding readers that every 500 years the church seems to go through a period of change, often brought about by a combination of factors in our cultures…external crisis + inner conviction + God-given momentum = church reformation. He looks at each of these in detail, then goes on to examine eight landmark practices that will characterise the changing church, devoting a chapter to each.

He finishes by saying:

“This book has been an invitation to hold the plumb line of Scripture, the Church in revival in history and the rapidly growing Church around the world up against the Church that you and I belong to in the West and to note the differences.”

Duff’s approach is much more narrative, flowing from her apparent hands-on style as a bishop in the C of E. She examines much of the cause and effect of decline and renewal that John McGinley does.

Her first chapter, which sets out the heart of the book, is summed up by:

“The fire in God’s heart, which lights the beacons, is all about sending this message, ‘We miss you, please come home’”

She examines the work of the Spirit in the life of believers, key people in lighting the beacons, fanning the sparks of the Spirit into flame, things that might quench the flame (a powerful chapter) looks at the battle we’re in and looks forward hopefully to a renewed and revived church.

She uses images from Tolkien’s “The Return of the King” to introduce the biblical themes and illustrates the themes and practices with stories about real people living for Jesus in the here and now.

“My hope is that each of us, warmed by fresh fire of the Spirit, finds new faith to see visions and courage to dare to dream dreams. Dreams of the heavenly version of the places where we live, the spheres of influence in which we find ourselves, the communities we belong to, the countries we love…And then with gutsy courage and determined faith we offered our lives unreservedly  to be God’s junior partners, fired by all his ‘incomparably great power for us who believe’ (Ephesians 1: 19), to see that heavenly blueprint begin to break in as a reality while we are still alive”

John McGinley came across as a bit stern and left me with a sense of a steep hill to climb and more than a little guilt/conviction (probably a good thing), while Jill Duff is warmer and more personal, and produced in me a real sense of the powerful love of Jesus and the response of “I can do that”.

Both books are worthy of serious consideration as they will unquestionably impact people of different temperaments, and both contain much to convict, teach and encourage us as we are becoming the Church of tomorrow.