John Drane - Down to Earth Mission

8/8/2019 John Drane - Down to Earth Mission

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Down to earth Mission


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Aims for this session

1 To reflect on the nature of todaysculture and how it affects peoples

lives2 To identify missional opportunities inthe new cultural context

3 To encourage creative theologicalreflection on the culture


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What happens if we are raised

without religion or beliefs? As wegrow older, the beauty anddisenchantments of the world temperour souls. We are all living creatureswith strong religious impulses, yetwhere do these impulses flow in aworld of malls and TV, Kraft dinnerand jets?How do we cope with loneliness?How do we deal with anxiety? Thecollapse of relationships? How do wereach the quiet, safe layer of ourlives?

You are the first generation raised without religion


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Now here is my secret: I tell it to you with anopenness of heart that I doubt I shall everachieve again, so I pray that you are in a quietroom as you hear these words. My secret is thatI need God that I am sick and can no longer

make it alone. I need God to help me give,because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seemcapable of kindness; to help me love, as I seembeyond being able to love.Douglas Coupland, Life after God (New York: Simon & Schuster 1994), 359


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Agricultural age:farms, fields, fishing

Industrial age:mining & factories

Information age: IT& offices

Conceptual age: meaning & imagination


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Lifestyle patterned by times and seasons

Agricultural age

Home was also the workplace, family the workforce

All skills could be utilized

Worship reflected the life of the community

Family meant relatives

The community sets its own rules


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Lifestyle patterned by working hours

Industrial age

Work centred on mines and factories

Physical strength was highly prized

Men were workers, women consumers

Worship reflected (or reacted against)the preferences of industrialists

People moved to where the work was

Politicians set the rules


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Abundance In world terms, we have it all - so what comes next?

AsiaOur traditional jobs have all gone east

Automation

Many ordinary jobs can now be done by machines

AnxietyWho can we trust?


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For anyone under 40 Nothing has changed

This might look like

fundamental cultural change


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I think the odds are no better than fifty -fifty that ourpresent civilisation on Earth will survive to the end of thepresent century What happens here on Earth, in thiscentury, could conceivably make the difference between anear eternity filled with ever more complex and subtle formsof life and one filled with nothing but base matter.

Martin Rees, Our Final Century (London: Heinemann 2003, 8

Fearfulness


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Hedonism

Being young has not always carried such a high risk ofbeing anxious, depressed, suicidal, or medicated.Jean M Twenge, Generation Me (New York: Free Press 2006), 105

a person without hope is, or always becomes, more aniJohn Shore, Penguins, Pain & the Whole Shebang: why I do the things I do, by God (New York: Seabury Books 2005)


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Spiritual search


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No wonder were anxious

Sir, the following paradigm shifts occurred while you were out


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Challenges for church as we have knowLess Richard Dawkins

and more Simon Cowell


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Patterns of leisure:long weekendsSunday marathons, soccer

Shoppingfamily visits Patterns of work:

travel24/7 hoursPatterns of community:

familyrelationshipssingle person households

Patterns of learning & communication:

WebsitesTxt msgFacebook Twitter


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A story of our tim


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happy to take any Christian service fromany type of prayer book wearing any formof vestments with any form of ritual


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I want them to try to get to know Jesus, because they get to know Jesus hopefully we will be able tkeep in touch in future

Disconnection from traditional organized Christianity


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R.I.P.


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Did your granny knowhow to knit like this?


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Series 1

Beliefs in Britain today

Soul Heaven Life afterdeath Reincarnation

Astrology TarotGhosts

Source: Theos research carried out November 2008

70

5553

39

27

2215


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Drawing the

Spiritual Search Map Research Now 24-27th April 09


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73% have reconsidered their corevalues, thought about big issues likethe meaning of life, in the last year

* all ages* male and female* all social groups

70% because of the credit crunch, concern aboutpersonal finances or job insecurity


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38%

24%18%

17%15%15%

12%11%11%

10%10%

9%9%

7%7%

6%

6%4%3%

56%Time with friends/familyContacting past friends

Voluntary/community workReflective time alone

Going to church servicePraying

Artistic or musical hobbyConsulting horoscope

Alternative Health TherapyPeaceful sanctuary/retreat

Fortune teller/Tarot cards/psychicVisiting place of religious significance

Reading the BibleInterpreting dreams

Meditation/YogaTaking an interest in philosophy

Counselling/life coaching

Talking to Christian ministerSpiritual Martial Art

Other holy book

What are people turning to?


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Self actualisation

Esteem

Love/Belonging

Safety

PhysiologicalFear of instability here

People are searching and looking for stability here

The credit crunch is eroding self esteem

How are people defining their needs?


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30%+ see church, prayer, the Bible as the mosthelpful thing after turning to family andfriends.

People with a church background

Reflective time aloneEspecially women under 35

Voluntary or community workEspecially under 45s

Artistic or musical hobbyEspecially under 45s blue-collar workers

For people with no faith connection


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Its not healthy to live life as a successio

isolated little cool moments. Either our lbecome stories, or theres just no way to through them. We know that is why tof us left our lives behind us and came to desert to tell stories and to make our own

worthwhile tales in the process.Douglas Coupland, Generation X (New York: St Martins Press 1991), 8


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I think we are back to what is called square onemay timidly admit that we are living in apostolic tim

times where the cloth is being woven. A risky time iapostolic mission, where we have to tell one another of our hope, join with each other in the expression of

strength of our faith, telling one another the questionshave in order to find together the answers that the wopeople, are expecting from us as disciples of Christ.

Gert Rppell, Ecumenical Letter on Evangelism (Geneva: WCC December 1995), 6


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This is Gods worldGod is at work in the worldThere can be no no-go areas for GodWe dont own GodDiscernment is a key gift of the Spirit

Missional Starting points


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L l


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Learn to play with the colors of new life

Di


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Discovermore

of God

and of ourselves


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Let worship become

a real service


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Mark 12:29-30

New life can break out


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wherever God is welcomed



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Let worship become

a real service


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Mark 12:29-30



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wherever God is welcomed



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Documents

John Drane - Down to Earth Mission