We're being born again, or perhaps converted again at church! (Hence the picture of the eggs - imagine that they're being broken!)On our community reading of Acts 10 & 11 there is much interesting reflection and action ongoing and we're not sure where it is all leading.
On Sunday evening 6 of us met and shared with local author Tony Scally at SoulSpace on the theme 'Summer:seasons of our lives' and it was interesting to hear from him living with the label/condition schizophrenia. He has written about it in his first book 'Eyebrows and Other Fish' which is available for just £2.85 to download or about a tenner otherwise. See http://stores.lulu.com/eyebrows We need to be converted again in our labels, language and incusion in church. We need to be converted to new ways of being church locally which are not present in Wythenshawe as much. These are being explored in our community in and out the church by church members, partners involved in Woodhouse Park and other local people. We are having to re-learn from Acts 10 & 11 that the good news of Jesus is for everybody and it needs every one of us to be actively involved in sharing this good news of hope and freedom and new life with new ways, forgotten ways and ways being rediscovered.
So, more on Acts 11; Luke retells the story to signify its importance, so that the reader gets it. Gentiles are part of the deal. Good Jews need to get with the programme and get on board with God's new way of doing things - where everyone is invited to the feast of life, the heaven on earth party, the freedom which comes from Jesus Christ.
The birth of the Antioch church, as part of the Way, is amazing. It looks uncontrollable, chaotic and unstoppable. But then I am re-learning to see with new eyes as one elder at st. marks puts it. One of the things we noted about st. marks community is that we need to make more effort in supporting new believers, those young in the faith, than we do at present. In Antioch Barnabas and Paul are sent for to give some support and teaching to steep folks in their newfound faith, allowing them space to share in that bustling, buzzing, fleshy city. We're told that the Antioch church there grew and grew - in no small part because it was every member ministry or everyone got their hands dirty. Its where newbies go off into the city and get incarnationally involved in sharing its life and the good news of Jesus who was affecting transformation in their lives. I think it is in no small part that God's kind of community grew and grew. Even though they had fled persecution in Jerusalem and settled in Antioch it seems that Luke wants the reader to know about the drastic change in direction due to Peter's re-birth or re-conversion.
Whilst we're exploring Acts 11 several things have been happening in Wythenshawe:
- a local person was jumped in Woodhouse Park by two people
two shootings in different Manchester areas
a handful of people are interested in becoming Church Members
a Taiwanese friend of st. marks comes to visit & comments that the church is growing
the food group things are coming together for bulk-buying
Wythenshawe FM supported Wythenshawe Forever sustainability project staff wrap up but local follow-up about climate change is going on
a small group are getting ready to get involved in volunteering at Parklands High School in the autumn people are working behind the scenes about Hope08 in several churches
Tree of Life Centre are exploring expansion possibilities about the furniture shop and the groups and courses run
2 church members have bought composters & got others locally involved in composting together to reduce waste
progress on our Zambia partnership is being made with promotional material, website, sponsored walk and office fundraising going on
- a Manchester-based broad-based organising movement is developing across the city with 4 planning groups in the pipeline
Interpreting and connecting these events, seeing with new eyes and still getting with Acts has been strange and life-converting. It's really challenging for me to sleep in Heald Green and try and live alongside and amongst people whose lives are passionate, fragile and very up and down. The people are affected by many challenges and, in my opinion, physical and structural violence are serious issues for us still, in spite of all the economic regeneration and investment in Wythenshawe. Money does and does not change lives. Conversion of the heart and mind yes, but also of this Wythenshawe we struggle to live in and thrive in and bring children up in is a big deal. It is not difficult to preach the gospel here in Wythenshawe. It is sometimes difficult to share the gospel outside the zone of the church building for fear of what will happen. This is why Acts is affecting us so much - persecution, prison, passion for Jesus and God's Way can't but grab us. It is where we are too. Pray for us and come and see us here in Wythenshawe - but be prepared to be affected, changed...converted even.
We're being born again, or perhaps converted again at church! (Hence the picture of the eggs - imagine that they're being broken!)
