The Ordinary Radicals - Trailer

if you lie in america - well worth watching/hosting a screening near you? give it a go and join the revolution...

Holy Spirit is a woman.

More evidence today that Holy Spirit is a woman - I was struck by the notion that being pregnant is not something that Jesus was able to experience... that thought was quickly replaced by the reality of Holy Spirit's experience in that department... the re-birthing of every Christian as well as the birth of the church and the groaning pains of all creation itself as they wait in 'labour' until the fullness of time. Wow. She really can relate the the experience of pregnancy and all this to say that over the centuries, mostly the early church saints referred to Holy Spirit as a she because of the clearly feminine characteristics in her role... a helper, convicter, mover and a shaker, nuturer, comforter, birther, teacher etc... not to mention the fact that the Trinity is 'complete' and the gender roles independant of each other are not.
Anyway, just struck me today as very obvious in the birthing department - and I can testify the labour of expectant hope and the groaning for the fullness of time. I wonder if she is also fat and tired?! ;-)

More

more to come ;-)... this is a great challenging video on our consumer mentality and the realities of God's Kingdom come in us.

The War Cry

A few pictures from the frontlines of Vancouver. The intensity of Faytene (warrior woman) leading The CRY and The War College meeting to pray for the city and nation - to offer a WAR CRY that would be heard in heaven and earth alike. Let the foundations shake and God's kingdom come! It's not too late to consider a year of hard-core mission training in the downtown eastside of Vancouver with The War College. If you can hack it - it will leave you as putty in the hands of the Living God.

compassion and justice

I was privileged to be part of the Compassion child advocates conference at the Goldcoast this weekend. It's exciting to realise that God is speaking similar things to all different parts of the same body. Typically, compassion has emphasized the need to sponsor children from developing world situations - and that sponsorship is primarily a financial one. This is an important thing. Re-distribution of wealth is a major justice issue in the world and an important part of the christian journey as well. Sponsoring a child is the very least we can do. The other things they began to speak about though are the deeper things - or as scripture likes to suggest - the weightier things... legislation to protect our children from being completely sexualized (see Melinda Tankard Reist's new book blogged about earlier!) and how that factors into making children (around the world) a product instead of a dignified life... poverty relief that is also rooted in advocacy at a political level (see Micah Challenge). And justice as a lifestyle - rather than simply adding things to our existing comfortable lives, justice is about changing and shifting our lives to be part of what God wants to do in the world. These are some significant changes in perspective and scope. Pray for Compassion and while you are at it pray that God would work those same deep, weighty truths of scripture into not only your mind but your life. All the way through.

good neigbours

We embark on our first training day for brothel visitors and those interested in getting involved in a team tomorrow. The ones who have already started continue to be amazed at the way God is creating opportunities to really get to know women who have found themselves in this dark industry. The whole thing started with one Jesus following woman who wanted to be a good neighbour to a brothel in her neighbourhood... and actually, if you give it a good think almost all the complex social systems of protection for the poor, the abolition of slavery in the UK and the civil rights movement are rooted in the simple teachings of Jesus regarding the greatest commandments... to love God and to love others (followed by the good Samaritan story... featuring a GOOD neighbour). Good neighbours find themselves having to face things they'd rather not see - hassles, dirt, work and despair but they meet these needs with hope, freedom, relationship and love... and as Scripture tells us the truth of the matter is that love is the most powerful force in the world.. never to be undone or overcome... the Love of God is the ultimate weapon for Good.
Here's a decent question for today - are you a good neighbour?

Open heaven

One of the prayers Jesus taught his disciples involved 'your kingdom come, your will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven.'
It's beautiful prayer - and this picture kind of reminds me of praying it.. an 'open heaven' is not just a spiritual way of being all kooky - but a genuine desire to see heaven spill over into the realities of everyday life. As a matter of fact I was thinking that if heaven is in us (as Jesus also suggested) meaning that His Kingdom is within our bodies (in the form of Holy Spirit) than perhaps our lives should look like an 'open heaven'. Heaven - or rightness, wholeness, peace, justice, freedom etc.. should be spilling out of us... so I'm praying for an open heaven. His Kingdom come.