Brian, John Drane & Street Pastoring

So heard Brian speaking in Perth a couple of weeks ago and he was really thought provoking. He has a real gift of saying stuff simply with lots of clarity and he makes sense. Bought the book 'Everything Must Change' and I'm about a third of the way through. He is, as ever, challenging the orthodox view but I like what he says. Basically it boils down to "there is not a lack of orthodoxy (right belief) it's the lack of orthopraxis (right practice) that's the problem." We're back again to the fact that in our experience we can 'be saved' and believe the right things but they can make no difference to what we do - how we actually live. It's the challenge from Shane again - back to the fact that we need to live differently.

"The versions of Christianity we inherited are largely flattened, watered down, tamed...offering us a ticket to heaven after we die, but not challenging us to address the issues that threaten life on earth."

He asks 2 questions "What are the biggest problems in the world?" and "What does Jesus have to say about these global problems?" The other thing he said at Perth was "What are the big questions being debated in the church?" - well I guess that would be penal substitution ( Steve Chalke, John Piper, NT Wright anyone), are we predestined to go to heaven, does God heal today, baptism as a child or adult, speaking in tongues... etc. etc. - not really in the same ball park with the big global issues are they?

"All who find in Jesus God's hope and truth discover the privilege of participating in his ongoing work of personal and global transformation and liberation from evil and injustice. As part of his transforming community, they experience liberation from fear of death and condemnation. This is not something they earn or achieve, but rather a free gift they receive as an expression of God's grace and love."

The added bonus, not looked for, was that John Drane was there too and spoke for a few minutes at the end. John Drane is a bit of a long standing hero of mine predating Brian. He said something that really stuck with me.

God doesn't belong to us - to Christians - this is God's world and he is at work in it with or without us.

I think that's really worthwhile remembering and it had extra resonance as I went out that night - first night - Street Pastoring in Dunfermline. It wasn't that I was going out to take God onto the streets - it was that I was going out to join God, who was already out there waiting on me.

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