the red pill

Last night was one of those times. My wife and I (and others in the church leadership here) had had a tough week, facing some criticism, and trying to address some long-running and unresolved issues in the church. I was tired, but I was excited; one of the most dynamic and honest preachers I've heard in a long time was coming to visit us. Prior to our move last year she had spoken at the church in Northampton, and had delivered a message that was just so perfectly inspiring, challenging and empowering for where we as a church were. I hoped that God would use her as powerfully again. Well, Kate Coleman, unbriefed about the issues, and indeed unbriefed about the nature of our forthcoming church conference, spoke directly into the heart of our situation, both generally as a church and specifically into the issues of the week. It wasn't just me feeling under fire, the whole team here were. She gave a challenge for the church to address the issues that would prevent us from moving o

Just loving the power of this short film, a glimpse of the potential for networked communities to produce something beautiful, inspiring, profound and moving. It could almost be a contemporary set of beatitudes. The film was made when the creator - MadV - invited responses to the final part of the film, the masked guy, on youtube. I wonder if we can express this kind of creativity in churchworld? Maybe some weeks we'd be better off if, instead of crafting a 20 minute sermon, someone made something like this and we talked about it instead. Anyway, I'm buzzing with ideas on this now, and if anyone has a spare digital camcorder they don't need, they should get in touch!