The nights are a soul-warming cold. A crisp breeze blowing through the Achilles heel of your coat and gloves, and also into your eyes causing the slightest tears. It's not hard for you to see your breath, especially under the characteristically British streetlights, and for a brief moment you imagine yourself as Lucy first walking into Narnia. The sight of the stone city streets and coloured Christmas lights brings you back out of the wardrobe of your imagination to appreciate how wonderful a night it truly is. The stars brightly shining and the moon not quite full, but closer to the end than the beginning. Old Church steeples tower into the sky, getting darker as they rise out of the light, seemingly trying to reach the stars. And above it all, through the simple sidewalk radios, the sound of Christmas Carols gently easing your mind into memories, as you walk through the empty streets of Coleraine at night.
Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;
Oh night divine, Oh night, Oh night Divine.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Starbucks
It's been too long since I've been here writing a new post - I apologize for my lack of updates. Do be comforted in the fact that this lapse of posts has not been out of laziness, but purely out of busyness - the fruitful sort as far as I know. It's been a very eventful past few weeks, good to say the least. I have finished off my work with Small Group leading until January, and Teen Church will have our last day tomorrow until the new year as well. These ministries end here for a month as a type of mini-sabbatical for both the leaders and those who come and participate. I was surprised by this different way of doing things because I would usually see this time of year as being a prime-time for ministry work. I have no arguments at this point though, and I am looking forward to recharging the physical, emotional and spiritual batteries which I feel are beginning to run low.
In the last week I've had many meetings with various people, some from Small Groups concerning accountability and Spiritual Growth, others with non-Christians with tough questions and harsh histories. Starbucks is becoming my second Church office, and I'm letting it happen without complaints. I can think of two of the people I've met there this past week who I originally acquainted myself with during an hour of street evangelism, one of whom is coming to Church this Sunday with me because of a new extreme level of interest in Christianity. The other, is a young man who is unbelievably learned in Theology and Christianity as a whole, but is struggling through many difficulties in life and pain and is now seeking answers from God. It was amazing to sit down with him for a couple hours over coffee and share life and struggles, and I hope to continue to bump into him and share God's love as best I can as he seriously journeys this. Above all else if you could pray for these two people and for my connection with them - I know God is working in them, and perhaps, to my great excitement and joy, through me.
In all of these new experiences for me I am still working through a lot of new points of view concerning God and Church, as well as culture and living in community. Which has been fun. It's the little things that really let you know you're in a different country, like when you're out to buy deodorant and they just don't have any stick form, only weird liquid things. Or when you go to sit down for dinner at 5p.m. and it's already been dark for half an hour. Or when you go to cook a can of beans only to discover all the pots are left dirty. Or when you go to a ministry called Healing on the Streets and you expect to be helping out with covering graffiti or picking up garbage and you end up witnessing people being healed by God, of things like Cancer or broken bones. My life here as been far from dull, and my mind even during times set aside to be still has had difficulty doing so, when there's so much to try or learn, or to read or listen to. On a personal level please pray that I would be able to cope with all that is happening around me and in me and that in it all I'd find times of peace with God.
In the last week I've had many meetings with various people, some from Small Groups concerning accountability and Spiritual Growth, others with non-Christians with tough questions and harsh histories. Starbucks is becoming my second Church office, and I'm letting it happen without complaints. I can think of two of the people I've met there this past week who I originally acquainted myself with during an hour of street evangelism, one of whom is coming to Church this Sunday with me because of a new extreme level of interest in Christianity. The other, is a young man who is unbelievably learned in Theology and Christianity as a whole, but is struggling through many difficulties in life and pain and is now seeking answers from God. It was amazing to sit down with him for a couple hours over coffee and share life and struggles, and I hope to continue to bump into him and share God's love as best I can as he seriously journeys this. Above all else if you could pray for these two people and for my connection with them - I know God is working in them, and perhaps, to my great excitement and joy, through me.
In all of these new experiences for me I am still working through a lot of new points of view concerning God and Church, as well as culture and living in community. Which has been fun. It's the little things that really let you know you're in a different country, like when you're out to buy deodorant and they just don't have any stick form, only weird liquid things. Or when you go to sit down for dinner at 5p.m. and it's already been dark for half an hour. Or when you go to cook a can of beans only to discover all the pots are left dirty. Or when you go to a ministry called Healing on the Streets and you expect to be helping out with covering graffiti or picking up garbage and you end up witnessing people being healed by God, of things like Cancer or broken bones. My life here as been far from dull, and my mind even during times set aside to be still has had difficulty doing so, when there's so much to try or learn, or to read or listen to. On a personal level please pray that I would be able to cope with all that is happening around me and in me and that in it all I'd find times of peace with God.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Mini-Essay on Youth Culture
What is there to say on the youth culture of the Coleraine area, in Northern Ireland, and it’s relation with ministry efforts in that same area?
A difficult question to ask, because one cannot just begin by describing a culture; in the same breath, describing a specific ministry cannot start it either. They are both far too broad for brief explanation. They do overlap though, and that would be a fine place to begin. One of the main goals of a healthy church, or a healthy ministry, would be to be explaining what Christ has done, and bringing people into an awareness of that. In essence, they want to be leading as many people to Christianity as possible; it is a fundamental part of their doctrine. This is how they overlap – the youth culture in Coleraine is a goal for the Church’s in the same area, they want to saturate them with the message of the gospel. It is common knowledge as well that the traditional ways of doing this no longer effectively work – or in other words, it is essential that a church be relevant to a current culture so that it’s message be relevant to the people. Which leads us to a second question - how can a church be relevant to a youth culture in modern society whilst still maintaining it’s fundamentals and not watering itself down? The answer is in the people.
The people, the culture. If there’s anything that connects a Christian and a non-Christian it is that they are both people. The both like or dislike different sport teams; the both like or dislike certain music, books, politics, styles… the list goes on; they both are submerged in some kind of culture. The Youth culture in Northern Ireland, or more specifically the Coleraine area, is something to be observed now in this case, what makes a Colerainer a Colerainer? Which is yet again a broad question to be asked – an outsider could assume very quickly that it is a culture that prefers Football of all the sports, Fish and Chips of all the foods, Westlife or Snow Patrol of all the bands and has a very traditional church background – always rooting into either a Catholic or Protestant stream. But once again you find that generalisations are hardly ever true to the individual, and this is purely the case in the Coleraine area. The culture is complex just like anywhere else in the world, and nothing can be assumed about anyone. The internet and global media has helped in dimming down specific cultures and just adding them to a global culture that just changes slightly with geographical changes. But yet again there are consistencies, the internet being one of them with huge culturally influential web sites like YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, all connecting people in some way – the mass percentage of Youth culture would be involved somehow in these things – Christian and non-Christian alike.
People again, we share joys and we share pains. Love and pain is what very often brings people together. Youth cultures around the world are alike just beginning to experience these things in their fullest, things like dating, divorce and death are all becoming real to them – and a comfortable place with answers to the questions these things develop will always be welcomed. Church would be effective in approaching these subjects as they approach youth because immediately they can on some level connect and share. Once people connect and share on a personal level they become more relevant to each-other and to each-others opinions and beliefs. That is the place where a relevant ministry wants to be, sharing and connecting. The same applies to youth even in the Coleraine area, they are not immune to the difficult aspects of life like death, or the emotions or pains that are associated with love - no one is – Christian and non-Christian alike.
People dislike injustice, people dislike falsehoods, people crave truths. Nobody wants a sleazy, lying politician leading them. Nobody wants to hear of innocents dying on the news and criminals walking free. People connect in certain fundamental morals. There’s a standard of living that Christians are called to live at that can either be appealing or completely un-attractive. They live very moral lives in a very immoral world. Fortunately for them immorality is not portrayed under good light, even by the clearly immoral who typically disagree yet rebel even against themselves (and portray it as being cool). Youth are just beginning to explore these things and figure out where they stand. They are bombarded by different messages; typically it would be the up-tight teacher or parent who would offer the moral way of living and the cool celebrity types who advertise the opposite. This combined with a youthful desire to explore, to learn, to experience, and to self-fulfill is what really combats a Church’s ministry and it’s relevance. Youth don’t want to be told “no”, they don’t want to be bored, and the youth of Coleraine are no exception. They do not connect on this level but they do connect on a parallel that people everywhere are looking for more in life, the more in life that Christians have found. Youth don’t want to be told no, but in the same breath they also always want the best, to portray the message that in saying no to certain things and yes to other things that are so much more is the course of action that needs to be taken for a Youth based ministry. Youth are looking to the future, looking to see what it offers; morality plays a big part in that, and so could Christianity. Cause everyone wants the best, everyone wants more – Christians and non-Christians alike.
So, what is there to say on the youth culture of the Coleraine area, in Northern Ireland, and it’s relation with ministry efforts in that same area? That youth in the Coleraine are fundamentally no different from youth anywhere else in the world and then when approached with the ministry efforts in that it was asked - how can a church be relevant to a youth culture in modern society whilst still maintaining it’s fundamentals and not watering itself down? By connecting and sharing with them in a focused cultural way, using broad tools like MySpace and connecting with the big issues like bands and music, or big football matches. Showing that Christians are culturally relevant and not disconnected, or in other words showing that Christians are people too. Also in connecting and sharing with youth on the universal topics of life, and death, love and hate, happiness and sorrow, comfort and pain, showing that Christians aren’t immune and that they’re people too, just with an all surpassing joy and new-life. And then in offering them to live in a higher standard of life, one that Christians strive for as well, connecting and sharing with them on hopes for the future. None of these things require a watered-down gospel nor do they come across as un-appealing to youth, because all people and youth have a connection with one another, Christian or non-Christian alike, we’re all people.
A difficult question to ask, because one cannot just begin by describing a culture; in the same breath, describing a specific ministry cannot start it either. They are both far too broad for brief explanation. They do overlap though, and that would be a fine place to begin. One of the main goals of a healthy church, or a healthy ministry, would be to be explaining what Christ has done, and bringing people into an awareness of that. In essence, they want to be leading as many people to Christianity as possible; it is a fundamental part of their doctrine. This is how they overlap – the youth culture in Coleraine is a goal for the Church’s in the same area, they want to saturate them with the message of the gospel. It is common knowledge as well that the traditional ways of doing this no longer effectively work – or in other words, it is essential that a church be relevant to a current culture so that it’s message be relevant to the people. Which leads us to a second question - how can a church be relevant to a youth culture in modern society whilst still maintaining it’s fundamentals and not watering itself down? The answer is in the people.
The people, the culture. If there’s anything that connects a Christian and a non-Christian it is that they are both people. The both like or dislike different sport teams; the both like or dislike certain music, books, politics, styles… the list goes on; they both are submerged in some kind of culture. The Youth culture in Northern Ireland, or more specifically the Coleraine area, is something to be observed now in this case, what makes a Colerainer a Colerainer? Which is yet again a broad question to be asked – an outsider could assume very quickly that it is a culture that prefers Football of all the sports, Fish and Chips of all the foods, Westlife or Snow Patrol of all the bands and has a very traditional church background – always rooting into either a Catholic or Protestant stream. But once again you find that generalisations are hardly ever true to the individual, and this is purely the case in the Coleraine area. The culture is complex just like anywhere else in the world, and nothing can be assumed about anyone. The internet and global media has helped in dimming down specific cultures and just adding them to a global culture that just changes slightly with geographical changes. But yet again there are consistencies, the internet being one of them with huge culturally influential web sites like YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, all connecting people in some way – the mass percentage of Youth culture would be involved somehow in these things – Christian and non-Christian alike.
People again, we share joys and we share pains. Love and pain is what very often brings people together. Youth cultures around the world are alike just beginning to experience these things in their fullest, things like dating, divorce and death are all becoming real to them – and a comfortable place with answers to the questions these things develop will always be welcomed. Church would be effective in approaching these subjects as they approach youth because immediately they can on some level connect and share. Once people connect and share on a personal level they become more relevant to each-other and to each-others opinions and beliefs. That is the place where a relevant ministry wants to be, sharing and connecting. The same applies to youth even in the Coleraine area, they are not immune to the difficult aspects of life like death, or the emotions or pains that are associated with love - no one is – Christian and non-Christian alike.
People dislike injustice, people dislike falsehoods, people crave truths. Nobody wants a sleazy, lying politician leading them. Nobody wants to hear of innocents dying on the news and criminals walking free. People connect in certain fundamental morals. There’s a standard of living that Christians are called to live at that can either be appealing or completely un-attractive. They live very moral lives in a very immoral world. Fortunately for them immorality is not portrayed under good light, even by the clearly immoral who typically disagree yet rebel even against themselves (and portray it as being cool). Youth are just beginning to explore these things and figure out where they stand. They are bombarded by different messages; typically it would be the up-tight teacher or parent who would offer the moral way of living and the cool celebrity types who advertise the opposite. This combined with a youthful desire to explore, to learn, to experience, and to self-fulfill is what really combats a Church’s ministry and it’s relevance. Youth don’t want to be told “no”, they don’t want to be bored, and the youth of Coleraine are no exception. They do not connect on this level but they do connect on a parallel that people everywhere are looking for more in life, the more in life that Christians have found. Youth don’t want to be told no, but in the same breath they also always want the best, to portray the message that in saying no to certain things and yes to other things that are so much more is the course of action that needs to be taken for a Youth based ministry. Youth are looking to the future, looking to see what it offers; morality plays a big part in that, and so could Christianity. Cause everyone wants the best, everyone wants more – Christians and non-Christians alike.
So, what is there to say on the youth culture of the Coleraine area, in Northern Ireland, and it’s relation with ministry efforts in that same area? That youth in the Coleraine are fundamentally no different from youth anywhere else in the world and then when approached with the ministry efforts in that it was asked - how can a church be relevant to a youth culture in modern society whilst still maintaining it’s fundamentals and not watering itself down? By connecting and sharing with them in a focused cultural way, using broad tools like MySpace and connecting with the big issues like bands and music, or big football matches. Showing that Christians are culturally relevant and not disconnected, or in other words showing that Christians are people too. Also in connecting and sharing with youth on the universal topics of life, and death, love and hate, happiness and sorrow, comfort and pain, showing that Christians aren’t immune and that they’re people too, just with an all surpassing joy and new-life. And then in offering them to live in a higher standard of life, one that Christians strive for as well, connecting and sharing with them on hopes for the future. None of these things require a watered-down gospel nor do they come across as un-appealing to youth, because all people and youth have a connection with one another, Christian or non-Christian alike, we’re all people.
Friday, 9 November 2007
JP + 1
I have been told, though I have not yet witnessed it myself, that on the major TV stations here they have a clone channel on which they play the exact same shows but played one hour later. They call them the +1 channels. (i.e. BBC +1, CNN +1). I figure that because I'm kind of updating you with what's happening here but not as it happens, that I will title this entry as JP +1. It's exactly what's been happening just a bit behind. Anyways, I hear good news all the time from home and from a lot of you and I want to say thanks for keeping in touch and keeping me posted. Lots has happened here with me over the past two weeks, both on a personal level and on a practical missional level. I find that the days are going by quicker and quicker as the weeks go on - to think that I'm coming into my eighth week of running my small group is insane, and my fifth week of Radiate is even crazier. These things have all progressively been getting better as well, which is news for praise, and I'm excited to see where the Lord leads us/me in these ministries. The weather here is drastically starting to get colder, not that it compares with what's happening there in Canada at these times, but the Californians that I live with have now officially never been in colder weather. The wind is really what makes it difficult though, it's strong enough that you could absolutely not drink a coffee outside without spilling it everywhere, and there's always a nice howling coming down our chimney/fireplace.
I also find I'm really beginning to fit in with the culture - using words such as trousers rather than pants, or mingin' rather than gross, or even accepting offers for tea rather than for coffee - Maybe even once and a while I'll even try to pretend I'm Irish, though I'm not yet any good. (The chocolate here by the way is absolutely incredible, like no other. I thought I knew what good chocolate was until I came here - my eyes have been opened.)
On a more useful topic. I have been hired by a place called Echoes Fish and Chips... Yes... I am working in what the Irish call a 'Chippie' making fish and chips. I have only gone in once and already I rather enjoy it, especially the fish and chips part, I might come back a little heavier than I was. I am only working there though for a couple of weeks - I was actually hired for Echoes Coffee Pub which will be opening in a short amount of time... I will show them all how to make a real Americano. This is going a long ways in helping me financially and is a direct answer to prayer, so thank you all for praying for this and praise God.
Other than the obvious there is lots happening that keeps me very busy, I am working on creating a devotional booklet, as well as continually working on music both with some locals and with fellow interns/housemates. I am beginning to really develop some very fruitful relationships with people here as I work alongside of them in ministry. There haven't been any problems with the people I live with, work alongside, or work with, which has been incredible for making this experience enjoyable.
Thanks again for all your prayers, please continue to. Please pray for the youth that I'm working with, and those who we talk to during street evangelism. As well as for myself and that I would be continually making sure I'm in tune with God's plan and direction.
Hope all is well back home, enjoy the first few snowfalls - I miss them almost as much as I miss you all. God bless - JiP
I also find I'm really beginning to fit in with the culture - using words such as trousers rather than pants, or mingin' rather than gross, or even accepting offers for tea rather than for coffee - Maybe even once and a while I'll even try to pretend I'm Irish, though I'm not yet any good. (The chocolate here by the way is absolutely incredible, like no other. I thought I knew what good chocolate was until I came here - my eyes have been opened.)
On a more useful topic. I have been hired by a place called Echoes Fish and Chips... Yes... I am working in what the Irish call a 'Chippie' making fish and chips. I have only gone in once and already I rather enjoy it, especially the fish and chips part, I might come back a little heavier than I was. I am only working there though for a couple of weeks - I was actually hired for Echoes Coffee Pub which will be opening in a short amount of time... I will show them all how to make a real Americano. This is going a long ways in helping me financially and is a direct answer to prayer, so thank you all for praying for this and praise God.
Other than the obvious there is lots happening that keeps me very busy, I am working on creating a devotional booklet, as well as continually working on music both with some locals and with fellow interns/housemates. I am beginning to really develop some very fruitful relationships with people here as I work alongside of them in ministry. There haven't been any problems with the people I live with, work alongside, or work with, which has been incredible for making this experience enjoyable.
Thanks again for all your prayers, please continue to. Please pray for the youth that I'm working with, and those who we talk to during street evangelism. As well as for myself and that I would be continually making sure I'm in tune with God's plan and direction.
Hope all is well back home, enjoy the first few snowfalls - I miss them almost as much as I miss you all. God bless - JiP
Thursday, 1 November 2007
Beyond understanding
Ahh, one of the things I love most about this place is daily having the joy (and cool refreshment) of being able to see the sea. I must say that it is a monster - a massive, unpredictable, and beautiful monster. I often find myself walking along the cliffside (there's guardrails, no worries) to the long sandy beach of Portstewart at night, where I find myself alone and cold but perfectly at peace. In awe of stars and a roaring ocean. These are often good times for a John Piper podcast to play into my ears, not often leaving me less confused about this world and God's extreme power and majesty, but certainly more confortable with my own unknowing. When on the beach at night you can stare out into the ocean and it is all so dark you can only see the first few waves, then everything blends into blackness. Last night there were flashes of light, I don't know whether they were fireworks (fireworks seem to be a hallowe'en event here) or lightning, but every few moments I could get a glimpse of the sea, and it's black, never-ending size. There are times when it is choppy and times when it is somewhat calm, there are even times when the waves will get to be over 10 feet, but last night I swear the sea was rolling. Giant waves like mountains rising and falling far out in the ocean's blackness. And my skin crawls with fear at this overhwhelming realisation of my own size and weakness. I imagine myself on a boat, fighting to stay afloat, rising and falling with the rolling mountains. Trying even to stay on my feet. Then my mind wanders further again and I remember just a few words, hardly louder than the wind and crashing waves. "Quiet. Be still!". And I am reminded that it was God who crafted the sea and it is Him who commands it, and I should have no fear. "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Of all the majestic things to know of God. To study His sovereignty or His perfect will and the role of Evil and suffering. To read from wise dead men and to explore their knowledge to adopt it - I have continually found that it is the things you think are simple that actually bring you to your knees in praise, without any option or desire to do otherwise. Standing on the shore of the most powerful element in this world and knowing it has not one bit of power over my God who loves me, is a peacefully breath-taking thought. And knowing and grasping that it is true, and living in a way that exclaims that truth... I suppose that is the journey I am on. I am having to cope with the fact that God is far beyond anything my mind can handle, that what I find fascinating and miraculous about God is likely only the beginning, and that above all He loves and cares for me. For us. We are blessed, and all He asks for is faith. Faith in love and praise. We are to undergo trials and tribulations, but stand firm in joy and a peace beyond understanding.
Of all the majestic things to know of God. To study His sovereignty or His perfect will and the role of Evil and suffering. To read from wise dead men and to explore their knowledge to adopt it - I have continually found that it is the things you think are simple that actually bring you to your knees in praise, without any option or desire to do otherwise. Standing on the shore of the most powerful element in this world and knowing it has not one bit of power over my God who loves me, is a peacefully breath-taking thought. And knowing and grasping that it is true, and living in a way that exclaims that truth... I suppose that is the journey I am on. I am having to cope with the fact that God is far beyond anything my mind can handle, that what I find fascinating and miraculous about God is likely only the beginning, and that above all He loves and cares for me. For us. We are blessed, and all He asks for is faith. Faith in love and praise. We are to undergo trials and tribulations, but stand firm in joy and a peace beyond understanding.
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