I will be blogging about this over the next few posts but want to start by laying some cards on the table to make it clear where I am coming from.

First, my doctoral studies are in Ecclesiology.  Second, I have used the work of Richard Osmer to teach Practical Theology.  I used Practical Theology: An Introduction while Jones’s thesis  uses The Teaching Ministry of Congregations.  Third the methodology in my thesis uses the work of Nicholas M. Healy as reflected in Church, World and the Christian Life, Jones uses an article by Healy and then adopts some of the terms.  My final comment is that last semester I completed a unit on Introduction to Educational Research.  This has been helpful to bring me up to speed with some of the latest methodologies in Social Science style research which are mentioned by Healy, Osmer and used by Jones.

Now I agree that Jones’s thesis is necessary and a useful one, it contributes to knowledge as all good doctoral theses do, it has good insights and good warnings to the Emerging Church movement but I am not comfortable with it.

The following posts will demonstrate where and why I am uncomfortable about what Tony has written and what further consideration I would like to see.

Due to a number of changes I have more time and I am really starting to think of writing again.  One debate I do not want to get into at this time is the huge Calvinism vs Arminianism debate which is really a detailed discussion on monergism and synergism.  If you really want more details of the debate look at the new blog by Terrence Thiessen.  For an Arminian view of some of the basic issues see Ben Witherington’s reflection on the loss of his 32 year old daughter.

However this morning I was wondering about God’s timing.  You know those sort of incidents when God seems to do something when you most or least want it.  My position was made redundant at the end of last year (“laid off” for my American friends) and while offered two alternative positions I decided neither of them suited me.  Before this however I had applied for a job knowing the redundancy may be coming.  A day after submitting all the paperwork I was told the job had just been offered to someone else.  Subsequently after being laid off I noticed the position was still advertised and I sent an email to be told I was in the pool of candidates as the offer was rejected.  If I get the job I will say it was all God’s timing, if I don’t I will be disappointed but argue that I (and my wonderful wife) have been praying for a while for God to show us what to do.

Which makes me think is God’s timing all about our freedom or His?

This is not just about synergism or monergism but about are we free?  God’s timing, God’s freedom to act in situations is not necessarily about us but about God and situations.  Open Theism sees God as open to the future based on the freedom of his creation.  Synergism sees God responding to the moral creature.  Monergism sees God ordering everything.   While I honestly lean to synergism, I wonder if the Open Theists, removing the flinty bedrock of Greek philosophical ideas from our understanding of God and replacing it with a solid layer of Biblical revelation, are on to something.

So what is God’s timing in the end?  Is it about us or God or the future and how free God is?  I am not completely sure yet.  I realise this uncertainty may make people nervous but I do know I am called to seek God’s will for my life, come to Christ and acknowledge him as Lord and let the Spirit work in me.  And somehow in the midst of that God’s timing works itself out.

So what of God’s timing are you waiting for?

Lo and behold http://www.amazon.com/Priesthood-Prophethood-Spirit-led-Community-Practical-Prophetic/dp/3843356637

So I am technically a published author.

At least the price is looking reasonable – another piece of work of a similar is a couple of dollars more!

I had an unusual email in that I was asked if I would like to have the thesis available via a print on demand service.  In the end I decided to go ahead.  I am still not sure if this was the best idea but it does mean people may purchase the thesis if they want to rather than me telling them it is not available.

The ISBN is 978-3-8433-5663-3

There is an early link on one website:

https://www.morebooks.de/store/gb/book/priesthood,-prophethood-and-spirit-led-community/isbn/978-3-8433-5663-3

Check it out if you want more information.

Recently on Facebook there has been the wonderful group IF MR. BEAN WAS IN AVATAR HE WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS!!

Now another amazing insight into the mind of James Cameron can be found on Indexed

Enjoy.

We were talking the other day about Easter and I was bluntly told that Soy Chocolate for Easter would be Sacriligious.  Now I had to laugh as Easter has degenerated into a chocolate feast more like pagan festivals than a Christian holiday here in Australia.  It is the ultimate long weekend – 4 days and depending where you live, unpredictable to good weather.

Now of course to top this off I had just read Lindsey Davis’ Saturnalia which I enjoyed but it includes some details of the feast of Saturn that sound a bit familiar, the normal rules are turned upside down when a child will lead them, presents are given and good will is to be extended to all people – including and especially family and it happens in December.

This got me thinking and researching the decision to make Christmas December 25th.  The theory is quite simple – Christ is believed to have died on March 25th.  In earlier times as to when you were conceived was a determined by some other observable date.  For the period of time when the date for Christmas was being set the theory was you died on the same day of the year you were conceived therefore Christ was conceived on March 25th and 9 months later was born – December 25th.

This made me realise that some poor pastor in the 2nd or 3rd century was possibly trying to reach out to his pagan neighbours and contextualised the start of Christianity as being similar to Saturnalia.  This contextualisation has continued to this day but rather than being a bridge for the gospel to cross over it has become a barrier and a ridicule.

So what will I do – continue to celebrate the birth of our Saviour as tradition has it, remembering also that Easter suffers from similar problems.

Oh and buy my wonderful wife gluten-free real chocolate

So the next morning we got up, had a slow morning, went to Ralphs to get some food for the picnic and some clothes in Ross.  We got to Griffith park on time and found the people we were meeting.  In the end the kids had two rides on the carousel, one with our host and the other with the boys of the group.  My wonderful wife and our host had a chat while the boys were away.

We then went to Lighthouse Christian Store in Pasadena which is now actually open on a Sunday.  If I think how far Christian retailing has changed in the years since I started travelling to the US I am shocked.  This store which I found on my first trip to have a huge range of merchandise is now much smaller and much more limited in what it keeps though I must admit it still had a relatively great selection.

From there we drove to a Walmart in an interesting part of Los Angeles and found ourselves in a mall.  We purchased what we wanted as much as we could and had to purchase another Transformers toy for my super son as he had fallen in love with these while we were travelling.

For dinner we stopped at Hugo’s which was a great experience for Gluten-free yummy food which we all enjoyed.

And then it was our last night in Los Angeles before Disneyland and Anaheim.

Next post: Its a Small World

It was Saturday.  We were having brunch with my wonderful wife’s old room mates and then thinking about Santa Monica.  Well we had a great brunch at Marie Callendars though the service was a little dicey.  We were all full had a great catch up and then went our separate ways.  We took one of the room mates to the last remaining Valley Book and Bible and I purchased one more book and then dropped her off.  My wonderful wife wondered the state of Christian bookstores if this one had so little stock.  I put it down to Amazon.com and iTunes.

Our next destination was Santa Monica and the beach.  It had always been our plan for the holiday that we would spend a lot of time down the beach.  In the end we decided to stay in Los Feliz where we could afford to stay.  However this was to be our beach day.

The drive to Santa Monica was easy but the parking was hard as I was shocked to find the Santa Monica Mall being rebuilt.  I am not used to the American way of shutting down a mall and then gutting it and completely repopulating it.  We went to the beach – it was hot and noisy and not in a way we were used to.  There just is something different about American beaches to Australian beaches and we did not feel as comfortable as usual.

To finish off the trip I had to go to Hot Dog on a Stick for the Lemonade and found my son has a soft spot for Corn Dogs.  Oh well like Father like son I suppose but I was frustrated at the amount of sharing I had to do.

After that we went to a little place called Cafe Bolivar where we purchased Arepas which are a gluten free bread/roll which were great.

We rolled home and played ball games with our landlord and her guest including a twisted form of cricket which meant that many people were injured in some form or other.  The injuries were the end of night so that was that.

Next Post: Teddy Bear’s Picnic

I must admit when I chose to live in the Valley years ago I was clueless.  I had to work out a place that was between work and Fuller Seminary and safe as this was post earthquake and I had been there done that in Santa Barbara.

For us on holidays we were returning to the Valley after a brief morning in the original part of Los Angeles El Pueblo De Los Angeles.  This was not the most successful trip to the heart of LA but still my super son was bought a pair of maraca’s.

We caught up with friends for lunch and spent time with them in the afternoon though we suddenly had to go to a Mall in the Valley to purchase new sandals for my super son as his finally gave up.

Afterwards we drove for a bit tried to get to some places on time before they closed and failed eventually heading home and getting dinner at In n Out.  The secret menu gives my wonderful wife a gluten-free option.

Tomorrow: All I Wanna Do

My wonderful wife decided to send me on a book buying spree and she and my super son would relax at the apartment.

I returned from Pasadena with far less material than I expected but enough to keep me happy.  I finally had books to read for the trip.

We then went to the sensitive baker which produces Gluten-free and lactose-free food.  It advertises itself as a cafe and my wonderful wife hoped to have lunch there but it was a vain hope.  Instead I took my son to buy sushi – a new desire of his as he had seen it being made on television the day before – while my wonderful wife decided in peace what to purchase.

I was stuck for where to go for lunch and thought of one place – Souplantation in Beverley Hills.  Now while we had no map I thought I could get us there successfully.  In the end on stop at a gas/service station and we were set.

We walked in and the staff were in a bit of a buzz.  Michael Jackson had died.  It reminded me of the word’s of Don Mclean’s American Pie “the day the music died” about Buddy Holly.  For each generation there seems to be a musician or musicians who define that generation and I know for many people Michael Jackson was their’s.

From there we slowly headed home to get some groceries and allow my super son to play with his new playmate the son of our apartment’s owner.  While the groceries took far longer to get to than expected we at least had new supplies.

Tomorrow: Clueless