Just been talking about one of my long standing dreams with a good friend of mine ... thought I'd write it on here too:
A second hand bookshop/op shop/cafe ... in a groovy part of town like Northcote where I now live ... with a lived discipleship community connected to it (and involved in running it), connecting with the communiy around in many ways but with that as a base ... and with a worshipping community around it ...

I was accused of just wanting an op shop so I can get all the good stuff first ... well maybe ... but no really it's got way other reasons ... truly!

The last few weeks I've been watching God grow excitement in a range of things within one of the communities that I'm part of in Melbourne - it's exciting watching people get passionate about ways of drawing people into the community, ways of sharing our faith in Jesus and contexts to help people keep exploring spirituality.
I've also had a number of moments where I have really known God's spirit's presence in conversations and where things have come together in ways that are way outside our bringing things together.
All spins me out!

Been thinking quite a bit about "individual mission" opposed to "corporate mission" - should we together as communities of faith do the hard work of working out what God is calling us to together or should we encourage each other to go off and do what they feel called too "on their own" - and with others who might feel called to the same thing ... or both. I think that I think both - but I don't know or understand the balence or how's of that. I also wonder if there are no "rights" or "wrongs" - just that different communities will go on the emphasis differently.
I do think though that we need to work hard to make sure that we are not just going off on our own thing but rather making sure that we are in step with the spirit and each other.

It's a couple of days after Christmas - a good quiet time for me this year.

One of the things I have planned for the coming year is to celebrate both Christian and Jewish festivals more as a way of entering into and remembering the story of my faith and my ancestors in the faith. I'm excited by it - and have just been enjoying looking at the different festivals and what they represent and all of that - it will be an interesting time of remembering and celebrating - and hopefully embracing more of the story ...

Long day doing Christmas prep today ...
but lots going through my mind as/through doing that.

Firstly, just did my round of blogs and spun out at something Colin who is guest blogging for Steve Taylor said on the grid blog topic for the week: source ... here it is:
[grid blog :: source]
The source of life {Trinity}
Out::sourced life {Incarnation}
So that we might re::source Kingdom life {Ecclesiology}

Which means that mission, life for others, is at the heart of Trinity. Which means that church, wagons circled, defensive, enjoying itself, enjoying its worship,
is a disjuntive, disordering, misrepresenting of the Source of Life.

How good is that!

Quite separately, been thinking about Simeon's response to Jesus (Luke 2): especially these words he speaks to Mary about him "the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are" ... Jesus brings light to what we want him too - and what we don't!

And separately again- been thinking about faith stages prompted by some thinking someone else in my community has been doing - but I will write about that another time.

As I said in my last post, Christmas is being a very special time this year.

Two thoughts of my day with regard to Christmas:
If you put a picture of a baby on your fridge (all year) and the words "This is your God" with it - how would it change the way you followed Jesus ... mmm ... interesting - not sure really but it helped me reflect on the place of this part of the story in my relationship with God and in my life.

The other thing I've been thinking about is the aloneness that Jesus must have felt - and actually chose in coming to earth. As The Message says: he became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood" - that was a choice! He chose to move into a neighbourhood that didn't receive Him and certainly didn't welcome Him throughout his life ... a neighbourhood where he was shoved into the stable! Whatever he knew at various points of his deity/humanity he certainly must have felt different and must have been profoundly aware of the ways in which he was alone - even when surrounded by people and even when people loved him dearly. Aloneness was something he would have known well - and still does I reckon.

So much to write at the moment - hopefully this will be the start of regular blogging!

Just been to a communion meal with some friends to think about Christmas etc. Having also been on a retreat earlier this week with some other friends I'm really conscious of just how unique a lead up to Christmas I'm having. It occured to me the other day that it doesn't in any way feel like Christmas - but it does very much feel like I'm remembering Jesus' birth and things around that. So I'm extremely conscious of the real celebration but have hardly been around all the other sutff!
I kind of feel like that has been a real privelege and I'm heaps thankful for it.
It is feeling like the most real, special Christmas time I have ever had!