A real superhero!

My real little superhero, Liam!

Good times!

Viral Culture & New Media - is there any value for the Church?

As the man said!

This is a video interview / discussion with Bill Wasik on Viral Culture & New Media @NextSpace Santa Cruz

Before you jump to the video (and you'd best have some bandwidth to spare - but it is well worth watching), I have been reading Malcolm Gladwell's book 'The outliers'. It presents some fascinating research to challenge our views of success! For example, did you know that the overwhelming number of professional hockey players were born in January (in fact most of them in the first three weeks of January!) Did you know that most of the Tycoons of Industry were born in the 1830's, and that the tycoons of the internet (Gates, Joy, Jobs etc.) were all born within a few months of each other in the 1980's?

The point that Gladwell makes from his research is that 'talent' is only a small part of success. What made all of these aforementioned people a success in their fields was that they were ahead of the curve. Think about this for example, if Gates and Jobs had been just a little bit too young they would never have got ahead of the computer revolution and lead their way into the industry. If they were a little older they would perhaps have been married with kids and so not been willing to take the risks of starting up a new enterprise, and so some other younger, hungrier, more daring persons would have done it instead... Do you see the point? Being aware of where you are in history is an important thing!

There is little doubt that communication technology is absolutely revolutionising the world! The world is not the same as it was even 10 years ago. We can connect at no cost, and in an instant, with hundreds of thousands of people all over the world using a computing device that we can put in our pocket! Text messaging, facebook and twitter are changing the ways in which conversations are structured and engaged...

What is the Church doing about it? We still employ a 20-30 minute sermon as our primary means of communicating the unchanging Gospel to an ever changing world! My goodness that is unwise!

Bill Wasik on Viral Culture & New Media @NextSpace Santa Cruz from Allan Lundell on Vimeo.

Here are some other posts (videos and lecture notes) that I prepared on New Media and Ministry... And here is an exceptional reflection and critique by Steve Hayes that consciders a different aspect of technology and its use in ministry.

I would love to hear your feedback, thoughts and insights! How can we use these tools in our ministry? Do you know of anyone who is doing it well? Do you agree with me that our generation must get 'ahead' of this curve or we may just miss the boat?

30 July - The feast of William Wilberforce.

From @Liturgy: 30 July is the feast of William Wilberforce, 1833.

Please follow this link for more detail on this remarkable man and his
ministry http://tinyurl.com/n2g56y

We could do with a few more heroes for the faith and the world!

Who do you think would be a contemporary Wilberforce?

Spiritual discipline - it is the little things that count.

For most of this year the parable of of the talents (Matthew 25:21 in particular) has been living within my heart and mind.

Great achievement is worth very little if one cannot be found faithful in the simple things - perhaps Matthew 25, was in part at least, a reflection by Jesus on the different standards of what matters most in life. What the world regards as great is frequently of little value in the Kingdom of God. Conversely what the world has little regard for is frequently very important in God's Kingdom.

I have tried to use this year to cultivate faithfulness in the 'little things'. These include things such as the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and giving. I have been intentional about spending quality time with my wife and children. I have taken my responsibility for my own body seriously by exercising and watching what I eat.

Amazingly I have found a measure of blessing in these things. As I have sought to be faithful in these disciplines they have brought great peace and satisfaction.

The quote below made quite an impact upon me:

Every spiritual master in every tradition talks about the significance of small things in a complex world. Small actions in social life, small efforts in the spiritual life, small moments in the personal life. All of them become great in the long run, the mystics say, but all of them look like little or nothing in themselves.

- Joan Chittister

Quite powerful isn't it?

The reality is that it will take some discipline and courage to go against the grain; to choose not to conform to the norms of a largely secular society. To be deeply connected with Christ may even require that one goes beyond the traditions and conventions of your Church community.

If you're interested in reading a more in-depth example of one person who did this you're welcome to download a free copy of my book 'An uncommon spiritual path: The quest to find Jesus beyond conventional Christianity'. While this particular approach will not appeal to everybody, I do hope that as you read the pages you will see something of the courage that it took for Henri le Saux to go beyond the commonly accepted traditions (and even doctrines) of his faith to develop an authentic relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

I'd love to hear your feedback!

http://www.spirituality.org.za/books/Uncommon_Spiritual_Path_Forster.pdf

Here is some more information about the book from my website - you can order a copy of the book here if you would like to own one on your shelf.

Are you tired of 'consumer' driven religion? Are you finding that the 'popular' steps to faith no longer satisfy your desire for true spiritual living? Then the novel and courageous approach of this book could be just what you have been longing for.

The truth is that people cannot be whole unless they have an active and deep spiritual life. One of the great shortcomings of many contemporary western cultures is that they lull us into believing that we can find peace, joy, and fulfillment in what we own, or in what we do. Sadly, many people have come to discover that the pursuit of wealth, power, and recognition by one’s peers, are shallow and meaningless against the backdrop of what it means to be truly alive. When one considers that a human person has physical, psychological, and spiritual needs, the pursuit of true and ultimate meaning becomes all the more important in a world that seems so increasingly devoid of depth.

This book charts a different course to the norm. It examines a way of life that may seem quite austere and strange to most of us. However, it will be shown that it is not the spiritual methodology, or even the content of this particular spiritual path, that brings blessing and peace. Rather, it is passing beyond methods, ideas, and even doctrines, that brings us into the presence of the God who gives and sustains true life; the kind of life Jesus speaks of in John’s Gospel (John 10:10)

This book charts this uncommon spiritual path by examining the 'non-dual' spirituality of Henri le Saux (Swami Abhishiktananda - meaning 'the bliss of Christ'), a French Benedictine monk in India. His approach is challenging, courageous, and even unsettling in some instances. However, his deep commitment to finding Christ is an inspiration.

Rich blessing in your daily spiritual discipline. Remember to be faithful in the 'small things'!

The cheapest way to travel in a recession!

Yup, this is the cheapest, and most fun way to travel in the current economic recession!

This picture was taken in my back yard (yup it is large enough to ride my Vespa - you just have to watch that you don't ride into the pool! ha ha! No, it's not that dangerous!) My Vespa, Mertyl, is a 1967 Vespa VLB Sprint 150cc - it was wrecked in an accident in February 2008, but thankfully I had it restored and it looks as good as new!

Man, I love my boy and my Vespa!!!

Enjoy life and be blessed!

Dion

On being blessed and being a blessing...

Have you noticed that Lions never go on a hunger strike! This post will tell you a bit more about that - you see it comes down to consciousness and choice. These are but some of the privileges of human sentience... Read the post below for more detail on these thoughts, and if you feel like it, download the audio recording for a different perspective on freedom, choice and mediocrity.

Being blessed and being a blessing! A sneak preview of my next Radio Pulpit broadcast. You can download the MP3 recording here (6MB).

So much of life is about choices. I find that I can so easily slip into mediocrity. Do you struggle with the same? I either slip into the routines and expectations of my context - simply responding to the most urgent and necessary things that are taking shape around me each day. It would seem that Newton's laws of motion apply to so many aspects of reality! Inertia is a very powerful force in movement. It takes a lot of energy to break free from the direction in which one is traveling (or not traveling) at any moment. My studies in neuroscience have shown a similar trait in the manner in which our brains (perhaps the most powerful organ in our bodies) operate. The brain is not only geared towards survival (see this post for more on the three basic questions that all human brains operate on). Rather, it is geared towards the conservation of energy as a means of survival. Since energy is a fundamental aspect of our physical survival our brains make all kinds of choices (some that we're not even aware of) in order to ensure our most likely survival in a world of pressure, choice, and obstacles.

Think about this, your brain will increase or decrease your body's temperature, slow or increase your heart rate, and at times even cause you not to hear, see or smell things in order for you conserve energy and survive (women call it selective hearing, us men call it survival! ha ha ;-) But there are many other examples of how our brains, a part of our own bodies, fit into the wider set of systems that make up life in and around us.

Of course unlike animals we humans have the power and ability to control our bodies and minds. Have you ever noticed that Lions don't go on hunger strikes? Only humans have the capacity to consider what is MORE important than the momentary urges of survival. So, we may choose starve for some greater cause - of course even that often comes down to the survival of the species (if not our own survival, then at least the survival of our kin and kind).

We can choose! We can choose to become conscious of what truly matters in life. We can choose to become conscious of ourselves and others, and we can adjust our choices and behaviour in order to do more than just what is necessary! We can do what is Christlike, and in so doing find blessing and be a blessing.

So, the reality is that it becomes easy to just 'go with the flow'. The Philips translation of Romans 12:2 says something like 'Be careful that you do not get squeezed into the mold of this world'.

Energy, that's what it takes to be more than just ordinary! It takes a few radical choices, a few small victories, and a couple of little course adjustments and changes to begin to gain mastery over your life, your context and the 'mediocrity' of the world. We can choose to be more than just ordinary.

In this radio recording for my radio show on Radio Pulpit I discuss this notion in more detail.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Rich blessing,

Dion

Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/digitaldion/status/2754585458
Sent from http://www.twitter.com/digitaldion

School of Video Production interview with Dion Forster - On the Orange Couch

Here's a short interview that my friend Shane Vermooten from Media Village did with me for their series 'On the Orange Couch' at the School of Video Production in Kalk Bay in Cape Town.

In this video I discuss some of the issues related to how we can harness new media in Christian ministry. I also discuss some theological perspectives in the mission of the Church and of individual Christians in society as they relate to the Kingdom of God.

Find more videos like this on SVP 2009

Please share any thoughts and feedback!

You can find my original video, powerpoint slides, and post on new media in ministry on this link.

Losing my way... And, finding Christ (in Gauteng!)

One of the greatest personal struggles I face is the struggle of self-determination.  I face a constant battle between the things that matter, and the things that matter most.

I am determined, driven, and constantly seek to 'press forward', sometimes fooling myself that I am pressing forward to 'take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me'.  I know that I get it wrong - it is not a complex test that leads me to this outcome, rather it is simply recognizing how empty achievement and acclaim can be when it is not direct by God's Spirit and directed towards God's perfect will.

My will needs tempering and taming!  That's the simplest way to put it!  In the almost 40 years that I have been alive I have responded to the realities of my life, sometimes with appropriate grace - as a one who should respond to God's call, and at other times as someone who seeks their own satisfaction.  The latter frequently wins the approval of others since the world is geared towards selfishness, greed and gain.  However, it is in the former - responding to God's call - that I find peace, true meaning and the kind of security that cannot be removed.

These are tough times!  I am journeying with a number of people who have lost much because of the economic recession.  These are people at all levels of society.  Some live in informal settlements and have little hope of finding freedom from the struggle of their lives in the next five years, let alone the next months.  They have hungry children, sick families, and they long to be free to live.  Then there are those who are equally bound, accountants, directors; people who have studied and had the opportunity to work.  Yet, when their resources came to an end (whether through poor choices of their own, or by being retrenched and set aside through the choices of others) they have found themselves desperate, alone and afraid.

The one thing that I know to be sure, and I know it from personal experience through great struggle and pain, is that God's love and mercy is sure.  I know that God has chosen to establish a community of faith to enact His loving will, offering hope, life and care to those in need.  This community is the Church.  I have come to discover that the Church includes the churches.  There are many of them that do wonderful work, creating a magnificent balance between worship of God through liturgy, the sacraments and the proclamation of the Good News.  The better ones move that worship 'intro the streets' by caring for their members in their homes, their places of learning and places of work.  And, the very best realize that this care is offered to more than just their members, engaging in work that transforms society without having to 'tag' it with a label 'this belongs to Jesus', or 'this belongs to the Church'.

Today I am flying to Johannesburg (I have been here every week for well over a month) - it has been my joy to visit people in their offices, to get out onto construction sites, and to meet people on our roadwork projects.  I have a simple aim - I move among them to encourage and bless them.  I pray with those who have need, and always try point out the unexpected and unnoticed places in which God's grace can be seen, and made visible to others through what is already being done, and to encourage the notion of seeing work as worship - whatever our task, we can do it for Christ (both in honour of his Holiness, perfection, love and Grace. And also in accordance with the ways and will of Christ so that the Kingdom of God is established) Col 3:23-24.

It has taken me quite some time to find this simple ministry in the corporate world.  I have tried various things and often felt that I had lost my way in taking this challenging post.  I know how to run a congregation.  I know how to teach a class.  So, I have felt inadequate, under-equipped and not capable of doing ministry in this context for some time.  It is not easy to feel lost after many years of feeling 'found'.  It is easy to fall back into what I know - managing projects, initiating groups, planning seminars, developing resources and tools.  These things matter, but they are not what matters most!

There has been a significant realization in this experience.  The realization is that my security, for many years, was founded on my training, my developed abilities, and a measure of 'victory' within certain areas of ministry in the Church.  These are not bad things in themselves, but they can be a distraction from the true intent of being alive, the real reason for being in ministry.

Today I prayed this prayer in my devotions:

Grant, O God, that we may never lose the way through our self-will, and so end up in the far countries of the soul; 

That we may never abandon the struggle, but that we may endure to the end, and so be saved; 

That we may never drop out of the race, but that we may ever press forward to the goal of our high calling; 

That we may never choose the cheap and passing things, and let go of the precious things that last for ever; 

That we may never take the easy way, and so leave the right way; 

That we may never forget that sweat is the price of all things, and that without the cross, there cannot be a crown.

So keep us and strengthen us by your grace that no disobedience and no weakness and no failure may stop us from entering into the blessedness which awaits those who are faithful in all the changes and the chances of life down even to the gates of death; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (- taken from Prayers for the Christian year by William Barclay).

Be blessed today, do what matters, but never at the cost of what matters most!

An Acts 29 story! 'Not by might, nor by Power' the story of the Global Day of Prayer

My friends, Graham Power and Diane Vermooten, have published a magnificent book entitled 'Not by might, nor by Power: An account of Global Day of Prayer, the largest prayer movement in all recorded history'

This book tells the story of the birth and growth of the Global Day of Prayer / Transformation Africa movement from the very first stadium event in Cape Town in 2001 to events in every single nation on earth (220 of 220 nations across the world registered prayer events on the 31 of May 2009!) It is estimated that approximately 400 million people participated in events across the globe.

If you live in South Africa you can order the book locally at a cost of R100.00.
Please CLICK HERE
Tel: 079 183 7164 / 021 802 6809
Address: 8 Stellendal Road, Somerset West, 7130
Office Hours: 8:00 - 17:00 Mon – Fri

If you live outside of South Africa you can order it from Amazon.com by clicking here.

Here's some info from the cover of the book.

Reading the history of the continent of Africa and its people there are many blood-stained punctuation marks – years of colonization, millions of lives sold as slaves, genocide, war and famine. The African story has been told in pain; but through the misery there has always been a song of hope, a deep burning desire that Africa’s time would finally come... A time when Africa would become the bearer of light and no longer carry the burden of darkness.

In February 2000, only one year after Graham Power gave his life to the Lord, God began to speak instructions and a powerful promise into Graham’s spirit. God instructed Graham to call together Christians of all denominations to gather for a day of repentance and prayer. A vision of a united, prosperous Africa began to stir in his heart. Now less than a decade later, what began in South African in 2001 with one stadium gathering has grown into the world’s largest single prayer event, taking place in almost every nation across the globe.

Graham Power’s description of the beginning of the Global Day of Prayer is proof of the power of the Holy Spirit, a testimony to the effectiveness of believer’s prayers, and a guide to cultivating dynamic intercession.

This story will inspire and challenge you!

I've sent hundreds of copies of this book to friends and family (one of the blessings of getting an author's discount) and I can assure you that it is beautifully written (Diane has a remarkable way of telling a story!) and it is a great encouragement indeed to see how simple faithfulness and sheer determination can encourage and bless millions of people across the earth!

Facing a busy week with God's blessing! A cry for mercy...

I have a regular Sunday evening ritual - I take some time to look through my appointments (and travels) for the week ahead.

As I look over each day's activity I consider the people that I will meet, the things I believe God would want me to achieve, and I commit both the people and tasks to Christ in prayer. Somehow this allows me to face even the busiest of times with joy, hope, and meaning.

I'll confess that sometimes I do feel a little anxious about what lies ahead! One of the complexities of my life is the frequency with which I travel - those of you who travel will know that the glamor of travel soon wears off! Each trip becomes another occasion to miss one's family and have the demands and work from the office pile up. This week I will be away from home for another two days (I think I have been in Gauteng for the past 5 weeks in a row). I have a few deadlines to meet (these are good pressures, not bad, but they are pressures nonetheless). As I looked over my diary, and considered the points on my 'to do' list I got a little anxious!

Thankfully, God knows what I can cope with and what I need.

This morning before I went to Church I was doing my daily devotions and came across this lovely reading from Henri Nouwen's book 'A Cry for Mercy' -

I call to you, O Lord, from my quiet darkness. Show me your mercy and love. Let me see your face, hear your voice, touch the hem of your cloak. I want to love you, be with you, speak to you and simply stand in your presence. But I cannot make it happen. Pressing my eyes against my hands is not praying, and reading about your presence is not living in it.

But there is that moment in which you will come to me, as you did to your fearful disciples, and say, "Do not be afraid; it is I." Let that moment come soon, O Lord. And if you want to delay it, then make me patient. Amen.

So, I go into the week with joy knowing that next week Sunday I will have done what I can, and that it will be enough!

I suppose one of the things that I have had to learn is to manage expectations and my own boundaries. Even those who care for us and admire us can put unintentional pressure on us. And of course if you are the kind of person who likes to please others (as I am) you can quickly find yourself overcomitted!

The Benediction in my Upper Room devotional book reads as follows:

Live today in Christ's presence, remember He is near and sustains you as you serve in his name. Amen

The most beautiful City in the world! What do you think?

It's home... Cape Town!

I love my city!!!

(the photo was sent to me via email so forgive me I'm not sure of copyright. Sorry!)

Peace and belonging...

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. - Mother Teresa

Please see this link for more on 'identity', belonging, community and identity (ubuntu).  

Please aslso see this article, entitled, 'Do South Africans exist?'.  It is an academic article on identity, relationship and the African philosophy of ubuntu that I prepared for the Theological Society of Southern Africa.  It gives a fairly good introduction to the African philisophical and theological perspective on identity. 

I would love to hear what your perspective is on the notion of belonging and peace!

[You may have arrived here from a link on Ron Martoia's VelocityCulture site - if not, then please visit Ron's site for the context to my comment written below on 2 March 2010]

Hi Ron,

This is a challenging question indeed!

I think that part of what has made the Church such a significant place of community is the reality of life’s diversity. Joy, sorrow, life and death. When I was still a pastor of a local church I often used to stand in front of the communion table in the sacramental area and marvel at all of the stages of life that are marked in that space.

I would celebrate life and baptise the children of my members there, I would confirm the faith of young people who had discovered Christ since their baptism, I married many of those young people in that same space, and I even had occasion to bury one or two who had passed away at far too young an age.

However, the gravity of that sacred space was seldom recognised. I certainly overlooked it frequently, and I think the members of our congregation (much less the members of our city) hardly ever saw its significance!

In Africa there is a wonderful saying ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngamantu’ [roughly translated it says 'a person becomes more fully human through other people', or 'I am who I am because of who you are']. I have written about the African philosophy of ubuntu extensively (see this link for an introductory articlehttp://www.dionforster.com/blog/2009/7/17/peace-and-belonging.html ). I think there is a critical link between relationships and true identity. We can only become more fully human when we live our lives with others.

In this light I have found the following quotes encouraging and challenging:

- ‘My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.’ – Desmond Tutu
- ‘The holy task is not about becoming “spiritual” nearly as much as becoming human.’ – Richard Rohr

I agree that congregations are often bad at creating community – a lot of contemporary Christianity tends to present Jesus as a combination of my personal therapist and a stock broker… This is a common thread in just about every country I have visited in the world! Christians tend to seek entertainment rather than truth, we want comfort rather than companionship.

However, what is certain is that we need some form of community to tie our lives to the lives of others. Such ‘intersubjective’ interactions make us more fully human, and in so doing help us to become more like the archetypical person, Jesus.

I suppose that like you I am more committed to helping people connect meaningfully than I am about getting people to join churches. But, I am still committed to a local church.

Your insights are challenging as always!

Dion