Learning the Doctrines

With only 30 days to go to commissioning, today we started learning to recite the Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith. A strange feeling, but oddly good - getting to grips with the wording, but also taking the opportunity to revisit the meaning of some of them.

Lots to think about, but lots to celebrate. God is good.

Calling All Peacemakers

This evening, Lynley and I went along to church.co.uk/waterloo to hear Rob Bell speaking as part of his "Calling All Peacemakers" tour. A very helpful and inspiring evening - and one that has helped me in my own thinking about mission. It was good to be reminded that God cares for the whole of the creation He has declared good. Bell develops the concept of shalom - the idea of wholeness, reconciliation, and restoration. There is a sense in which our mission is to identify where in our communities there is the absence of shalom, and to then work to restore it.

Bell's content aside, the evening was also an object lesson in communication - holding a congregation's attention for over an hour, without notes and no introduction, sung worship etc. He just arrived on the platform, got started, stopped when he had finished, and left. Simple, powerful and effective.