Another thought on mystery, faith, and certainty...

My friend Neville Richardson, in speaking on the 'post foundationalist' perspective on Christian ethics (ala. Stanley Grenz) made the following incredible statement...  Our foundation is not reason, nor is it, knowledge or even a secure system.  Rather, it is faith in a transcendent God who carefully shapes us, and courageously trusts us to get some things right, and other things wrong - but in the end the faithful and loving person is close to God than the 'informed' knowledgeable, and certain!

The opposite of faith is not doubt... It is certainty!

At the end of the day we can point towards truth, work towards it, and strive to make it real and tangible, but there will always be a sense of mystery in which we meet an all powerful and ever loving God.  In the end, however, we can look back and we have 'fruit' to show, lives that have been changed, systems that have been restored and changed for good.

For anyone who's interested in reading something thought provoking and challenging in this regard you can go here Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context (by Stanley Grenz)t:  http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Foundationalism-Shaping-Theology-Postmodern/dp/0664257690

God and mystery... There is comfort in NOT knowing everything!

From time to time I feel a little uneasy when I can't quite 'get my head' around the nature, person and will, of God!  God is sometimes mysterious, always powerful and loving.  At times I struggle to understand why bad things happen to good people, and why bad things go unpunished!

In recent months I have met many people who present such a certain and authoritative perspective on the person and will of God.  At times I have found such certainty comforting - it is great to know that there are people who feel so sure about the God whom we love, and whom we know loves us...  But more frequently it unsettles me since I am not always that sure and certain about this incredible God!

As a thinking with that strange mix of the empirical (science) and the phenomenological (faith) I frequently find that one has to critique and enrich the other.  So, when I found this quote below it encouraged me to realise that sometimes it is OK not to have everything 'buttoned up'... God is ultimately God, and I am only human!  

We are talking about God. What wonder is it that you do not understand? If you do understand, then it is not God. 

- St. Augustine

Indeed, if one is able to fully understand God, then God would be contained within one's mind - then God would be limited by the size and capacity of one's intellect.  So, there is comfort in knowing that God is bigger than my limited mind and understanding!

DEWCOM same sex and civil union conference.

It has been some time since I have had the opportunity to devote more than a few hours to researching, debating, and praying about the important issue of the Christian faith and persons with a same sex orientation.

I still serve on the Methodist Church of Southern Africa's (MCSA) Doctrine Ethics and Worship Commission (DEWCOM), and so I was invited, together with a host of colleauges, to participate in a two day conference on civil unions and the Church's response to the same sex debate. The Conference of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa asked that the DEWCOM reconsider our stance of 'radical' unity on this matter.

The MCSA adopted a courageous stance in 2005 when we affirmed that we would remain one and unidivided as a Church, even if members of the Church did not fully agree with one another on all matters. Wessel Bentley and I wrote that statement, together with Rev. Prof. Neville Richardson - you can follow some of the documents here.

It was wonderful to pray together, to study the scriptures, and to seek to find a position that is both Christ honouring, just, and that can be held with integrity by persons from various sides of this debate.

Tomorrow we'll continue with our work. By Thursday we hope to have something constructive to forward to our Bishops for consideration. Please pray for us as we engage in this critical work.

Angus Kelly and I have been recording the Audio, we will make it available for download in MP3 format for anyone who is interested in listening to the Bible studies, debates, and discussions.

By the way, I have also just submitted a chapter I was asked to write for a UNISA ethics textbook on the subject of the the Bible, ethics and the same sex debate. As soon as it is published I'll let you know!

Beating London's congestion charge!

I was going through the photos on my Nokia E90 this morning and saw this one that I took on SOHO common (or is it called SOHO square!? You know, just off Oxford street).

Here's a great way to beat London's congestion charge! Get a car that looks like kids toy! These two little cars were parked in a single parking bay! Amazing! Does anybody know what make this is? It wouldn't stand a chance on the wide open motorways of South Africa!
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It's such a perefect day!

It is my first Saturday home in more than a month, in fact it is my first Saturday home since we've moved into our new home! And, it's a PERFECT day for a swim!

Here's Liam at our lovely blue (ish) pool!

Morality and justice - tolerance, courage and wisdom

The following quote moved me:

Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. 

- Martin Luther King Jr.

There is some necessity within our 'moral universe' to apply both restraint and generosity when it comes to persons, institutions, and systems with which we differ.  However, two important friends, Kevin Light and Pete Grassow, have taught me that this tolerance must come to an end when it impinges upon justice.

I frequently pray that I would have the grace to give enough space for others to 'be', and the courage to act when the choices of others need to be engaged and challenged because they are the cause of abuse and injustice.  And, of course, I also pray that I shall have the wisdom to know the difference between these two...

Meeting with the Lausanne central committee on world evangelization

Today we're meeting with the Lausanne central committee on world evangelization at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. We're preparing for the 2010 conference in Cape Town in 2010. It was wonderful to meet up with friends such as Bishop Hwa Yung (whom I met in Malaysia two years ago) and Blair Carlson who I got to know earlier this year. There were many new faces as well.

I have the joy of serving on the hosting committee, and also serve on the world Theological committee. It is such a joy to see things fitting together for this wonderful event. My particular inputs relate to the logistics and arrangements (of course). However, on the theological committe I have input on the African and two-thirds world perspective, African theologies, liberation theologies and also the 'emerging' movement conversation.

New Apple Macbooks have landed! They're a strange mix!

So, the new Macbooks have landed indeed! They're something of a strange mix between the stylings of the new iMac (metal finish with black plastic) and the Macbook Air (thin screen, LED backlit, same black keyboard... Just a thicker base that can accomodate an internal optical drive and all the ports and hard drive space your heart desires!)

All in all I like the new look! I won't be giving up my Macbook Air anytime soon - it is thinner, lighter, has better battery life (and I still owe money on it!) - but for those who've been holding out for a new Mac (or a new notebook for that matter) these are sure to be a hit!

Just a word of caution, I would suggest that you hold of buying the firt generations, Apple has not been all that good with 1st generation products of late... Also, some advice, you may be able to pick up a superb Macbook Pro or Macbook (both 'old style of course') for next to nothing in the weeks to come as the shops try to dump their stock! So, keep your eyes and ears open!

Follow this link for a great, succint, review of the new Macbooks.

It's unbelieveable! I've been nominated as the US President, and I may just win!

How incredible is this!? A friend told me that I had been nominated as the US President, and that I may just win the race!!

Click HERE to watch the video...

Heck, I don't stand a chance ;-)

Encouragement and prayers for all students who are doing exams!

It's that time of the year again! I have been getting quite a lot of prayer requests and notes from persons who are writing exams, so I thought I would post a few words of encouragement for all students who are doing exams and assessments, and point you to the link where you are welcome to download a free copy of my little prayer book for examinations. It is an 'open source' publication, so feel free to copy it, print it, change it, or use it in whatever way you feel comfortable. Could I simply ask that you share some feedback or improvements if you have any?

Preparing for, and writing, your examinations can be a cause for some concern and stress! I want to remind you that you are not alone as you prepare and write your exams.

Of course you need to remember that God, who has a great plan for your life, is with you as you prepare, and as you write. Then there are your family and friends who are praying for you. It is also worth remembering that you have sisters and brothers who are experiencing similar anxieties and concerns as you do, so remember to pray for one another. Lastly, I would like to assure you that I remember you, and all students, in my prayers. If you would like a special or specific prayer please drop me a line on email. I would love to be able to pray for you.

Another point to remember is that these examinations are a marker on your journey towards achieving the plan that God has for your life. Each of us has a responsibility to offer God, and God's world, our very best! So, it is important that you take your studies very seriously (not just to get good marks, but also to be the best disciple of Jesus that you can be)! As with everything that you choose to do for God's honour and glory, there will be temptations and obstacles. So, guard against wasting your time. Make sure to plan your study and revision time carefully. Sleep well before your exams, and do some light exercise to keep your mind sharp and active.

May God bless you richly as you prepare, and write, your examinations!

Rev Dr Dion Forster

Please feel free to download a little copy of my prayer booklet here:

http://tinyurl.com/544bch

Prayer Guide for Exams D Forster 2007 eBook - Upload a Document to Scribd

It has Bible verses and prayers that will offer you hope, encouragement, and comfort. Please feel free to share it with anyone who would like a copy!

Praying for revival but planning for failure...

A friend of mine made a comment the other day that has stuck in my mind.  He pointed out that so frequently we pray for revival and for persons in our communities, cities, and nation, to come to know the saving and healing love of Christ.  We encourage our pastors and our church members to take the work of evangelization seriously, we run outreaches to the young people in our schools, we prepare and plan Alpha courses for the adults, yet somehow we don't truly believe that these would be of any effect...

That may sound shocking to you - certainly shocked me when I first thought about it!  We plan for failure!

Do we really plan our Churches for failure?

Well, let me ask you a few questions that may help you to clarify this shocking thought...

1.  Let's start small - how often do you encourage ALL of the members of your Church to get involved in service activities in your Church?  If you don't do it often, that could already be a problem!

2.  However, let's say you do it fairly frequently, let me ask you what would you do if EVERY member in your Church turned up to serve in some ministry or another one Monday morning!?  Would you have enough work for them to do?  Honestly, would your Church's 'volunteer' systems cope with every person turning up to serve?  Would you have adequate systems to match people's gifts to the needs of your community?  In fact, do you even know what your members' gifts are, and do most of our Churches really know what the felt needs, and real needs, of our communities (cities, towns, schools, businesses, local governments etc.) are!?

...  I would have to be honest and say 'no' to both of the questions above, I never TRULY mean that I want EVERY member in service, after all if I did I would challenge EVERY member, at EVERY opportunity, and I would have systems in place for them to be able to serve IN THEIR AREA of gifting and expertise...

But, let's say that some of you out there were able to answer 'YES' to both questions above...  let me ask a few more questions.

3.  What would you do if EVERY PERSON in you city did come to know Christ!?  Would you even be able to have all of them in worship services in the churches in your city / town (let alone have enough human and physical resources to disciple them!)

Our research in South Africa (with the many towns that our Global Day of Prayer coordinators visit) has shown the following:

-  Even in a country that indicates that 78.9% of all persons in each town are Christian, the seating capacity of Churches in each town is only about 5% of the population (on average).  This is something simple to work out, simply check how many people live in your city or town.  Then check how many Churches there are and either check their exact seating capacity (which we have done in quite a few towns and cities), or work out an average (it would seem that in South Africa the average seating capacity of our Churches ranges between 200 - 350 seats).  You'll be shocked to discover that the average seating capacity of the churches in your town or city is only about 5% of the population!

Now of course seating in the Church is not everything!  But it certainly does count for something - my point is simply this, we speak and preach, and think about the total transformation and renewal of communities, towns, cities, provinces, and nations - yet we don't plan for them!  It's as if we don't believe that it is possible!

So, here's what I'm thinking, and let me say I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter as well, but I'm thinking:

1.  We need to become much more strategic, co-operative, and united in our ministry endeavors in our communities and towns.  Working in the corporate world is teaching me quite a few things about strategic planning, goal setting, and resource management.  We contracted the Stellenbosch University department of theology to do some GPS mapping for our organization some time ago - they got students and volunteers to ride through hundreds of towns, cities (and even some rural areas) plotting and mapping the various facilities, and problem areas, in each region.  So, we were able to supply accurate data to pastors, elected officials, business people, on their region.  For example, how many Churches are there in a region, what is seating capacity, how many of them run child care programs, how many of them have feeding schemes, how many of them have free clinics etc.  In this was the regional pastors gatherings and local government could work together to pinpoint where development and investment could take place in order to have the maximum impact on that area.  The maps also showed where there were 'hotspot' activities, such as illegal pubs (shabeens), brothels, drug houses, prostitution rings etc.  These areas could then be prayed for, churches and social services in the area could then be targeted towards helping to turn around the pain, struggle and brokenness that is either the cause of the problem, or the outcome and effect of it.  In short, knowledge is power, and when this knowledge is used strategically one can actually begin to bring about God intended change in a community, BUT it takes cooperation!

2.  This leads me to my second point - namely that there needs to be a far greater strategic alliance between pulpit ministers (those who serve Christ primarily within the pastoral function of the Church) and marketplace ministers (those who serve Christ in places such as banks, schools, companies, government, health care etc.)  This alliance is necessary for two reasons, first, if you're planning to transform your WHOLE community you had better start thinking of BETTER models of Church than the models we currently have!  We simply cannot (and should not) build enough Church buildings and pews to fit everyone into 'conventional' church settings in our communities!  Rather, we need find ways to create fellowship, worship, discipleship, ministry and service opportunities, communities of care and grace WITHIN the marketplace!  That way, when a person comes to know Christ, they can be care for and discipled within their workplace!  The second reason why this strategic alliance is necessary is because we need a variety of approaches, skills, and resources if we are truly serious about working towards significant and real Christ directed renewal and transformation in our communities!

We need Christian bankers to reform the economic system of our nation, we need Christian teachers to facilitate the development of Christian character in our children, we need Christian doctors and nurses to offer more than physical wellness as a solution, we need every person to live every part of their lives for the Kingdom of God to be realised and established in society... This is not something that can only be achieved by Pastors, Priests and ministers....

So, what's your thought?  Do we plan for failure?

Next year I shall be delivering the Hugh Price Hughes lectures at Hinde Street in London (March 9-11, 2009) - I shall be speaking about notions such as this.  The theme of the conference (at which Walter Brueggemann shall also be speaking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Brueggemann )is Refreshing Church.  I shall be talking about the emerging Church and finding fresh and creative expressions of being Church in our current context.  Any insights, suggestions, and ideas would be very much appreciated!

2.  

On the steps of the Uruguayan centre of government

This was a memorable day. We took time to pray on the steps of the
Uruguayan central government buildings (something akin to the
Whitehouse in Washington, or the Union Buildings in Pretoria).

I was traveling light that day!