Eden - the antidote to loneliness

Missio Dei

Last week a few of us headed down to Oxford to hear Mike Frost speak on Incarnational Mission. One of the most striking things he said concerned the character of God as innately 'on a mission'. He referenced Bosch's idea of the Missio Dei, that the mission of God is not merely something he does to pass the time but in fact is essential to his character. Our God is a pursuing God, sending himself out again and again, restless until he finds us.

This image springs up time and again throughout scripture, in his pursuit of Israel God comes as close as they will let him until they back away in fear; through the prophets we see God eyes ranging the earth for a heart; and in the incarnation, the ultimate pursuit God refuses to let flesh and sin separate him and embraces the frailty of humanity to keep up the chase.

Mike Frost concludes that in response to the Missio Dei we must become innately missional ourselves; driven and informed by an imitation of Jesus and allowing our Christian communities to be organised around mission as we build relationships, grow in discipleship and worship in time with the rhythm of the sent and sending God.

To read more check out Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture.

A Theology of Place

Our Scriptures that bring us the story of salvation ground us unrelentingly in place. Everywhere and always they insist on this grounding. Everything that is critically important to us takes place on the ground. Mountains and valleys, towns and cities, regions and countries: Haran, Ur, Canaan, Hebron, Sodom, Machpelah, Bethel, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Samaria, Tekoa, Nazareth, Capernaum, Mt. Sinai, Mt. of Olives, Mt. Gilboa, Mt. Hermon, Caesarea, Gath, Ashkelon, Michmash, Gibeon, Azekah, Jericho, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Emmaus, the valley of Jezreel, the Kidron Valley, the Brook Besor, Anathoth. And heading the list, Eden.
What we often consider to be the concerns of the spiritual life – ideas, truths, prayers, promises, beliefs – are never in the Christian gospel permitted to have a life of their own apart from particular persons and actual places. Biblical spirituality/religion has a low tolerance for “great ideas” or “sublime truths” or “inspirational thoughts” apart from the people and places in which they occur. God’s great love and purposes for us are all worked out in messes in our kitchens and backyards, in storms and sins, blue skies, the daily work and dreams of our common lives. God works with us as we are and not as we should be or think we should be. God deals with us where we are and not where we would like to be.
People who want God as an escape from reality and the often hard conditions of this life don’t find much to their liking in this aspect of our Scriptures, our text for living. But there it is. There is no getting around it.
“Eden, in the east” is the first place name in the Bible. It comes with the unqualified affirmation that place is good, essential, and foundational for providing the only possible creation conditions for living out our human existence truly.

From 'Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places'
By Eugene H. Peterson

A vision of Community

Favela da Providencia was chosen to host the project for its strong historical relevance – it was the first favela of Rio de Janeiro and carries the title of the most dangerous one of all. It also has a recent history of murders of innocent people by the war between the corrupt local army and favela drug dealers.

Using portraits of women from the community, all from different origins and generations, a bigger story is expressed in the midst of the conflict. In each photo you can face a different part of the woman’s expression of life. This perspective unites the haphazard geometry of the shanty homes to give a face to the favela.

This art project is completely independent and not sponsored by any institution or brand. The technique used is simple – the photo portraits are blown up to oversized prints which are pasted on the architecture with the help of the community.

WKD = Wasted Kid's Despair

Empowered at New Wine

New Team Leader Vacancies

With two new Eden teams due to be launched in September we're currently on the lookout for new team leaders. These are full-time paid positions carrying the responsibility for building up the team and pioneering the new work.

Whilst experience of incarnational ministry is not essential an appreciation of the complexities that accompany deprived urban communities would be very helpful. A background in youthwork is important but the key thing we are looking for is leadership. There is potential for a couple to job-share this role.

For a full job spec drop us a line to: eden@message.org.uk

More here

Out of Sync

Beyond dependency

Yesterday we got together for the monthly Eden team leaders meeting. The topic for discussion was discipleship - what have we learned about helping young people not simply come to a place of making a decision to follow Jesus but to become established and consistent as young adults?

As usual we had a lively an wide-ranging conversation which would be very hard to summarise but one theme did emerge as really important: We must always beware of unhealthy dependencies.

The challenge for us is to offer all the love, support and encouragement we can, over the long term, but to do so in a way that carefully avoids creating a relationship where everything depends on us. It seems that over and over again, all over the city, whenever we can help young people to stand on their own two feet, living out their god-given potential, relying on the holy spirit, the fruit will last. And after all, that's the Jesus model isn't it? We build releasing relationships with the intention of getting out of the way as soon as possible so that they can get on with living the full life God has in store for them.

Shane Claiborne - Provocative and Humbling