the red pill

In ten days time the Baptist Union of Great Britain and BMS World Mission host the annual Baptist Assembly.  This year it’s in London, and we’ll be marking the 400 th anniversary of Baptist Churches in the UK. You can read the details of the assembly here at  the Baptist Assembly website This will take place against a backdrop of an ongoing conversation and decision-making process about the future shape of the Baptist Union. If you’ve yet to catch up with what’s been happening then take a look at the Baptist Futures Group page and read the articles there (it's not terribly well laid out so you'll need to poke around a bit..). As part of this conversation a group of friends began an online discussion called Beyond 400 , where 40 people would write a short article and offer it for discussion. It’s been a place of rich creativity and conversation. As well as the 40 voices who’ve been asked to contribute there is a space for others to “fly a kite”  and offer t...

a lack of blogging, sorry! I’m catching up on a number of things I’ve been meaning to blog about. Some of these subjects are way overdue, and for that, kind reader,  I apologise. First up – Beyond 400, the Baptist Assembly, and a good online conversation

Yesterday I took some time to witness for myself what is being described in some places as “Disney’s biggest flop”, the movie John Carter. Let me start by saying that I went with a friend, and we saw this as two guys who’ve been working a bit too hard recently, and needed something entertaining and not terribly challenging ( Tree of Life sits on my desk and mocks me for not finding time yet....). John Carter was perfect for us, lots of action, lots of effects and nothing too troubling in terms of plot. Taylor Kitsch plays the title role, and seems to be reprising some of his Gambit role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine . Battle-weary, and tired of serving others, this civil war veteran finds himself transported to Mars (a planet the locals call Barsoome) and becomes embroiled in a struggle for the future of the planet. It’s not a totally vacuous movie as some have claimed. There are interesting spiritual themes (a Goddess called Issus plays with Isis and Jesus metaphors, quotes from...

I’m someone who likes to thrash ideas out in a conversation. It’s in the cut and thrust of a good challenging discussion that I best formulate ideas and opinions. I like to test aloud how something sounds, hold an idea in the midst of the debate and examine it from many angles. The writer of Proverbs says, as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. So, blogging can be an unusual way to express opinions for folks like me. Yes, sometimes it can lead to a good conversation in the comments section, but often it hangs in the ether, like a written statement, instead of an invitation to conversation. With those thoughts in mind, I want to share some of my thinking around the current debate regarding marriage for same-sex couples, and how the church could respond. My first comment is that I don’t think it is the role of the state to dictate to communities of faith the meaning of a sacrament.  We would be rightfully outraged if the government sought to dictate to the Church h...

This is the reason #stopkony is trending worldwide, it's a 30 min video, but really worth a watch. Maybe more relevant (in terms of the actions they are looking for) for US viewers. but ought to serve as a prompt for people worldwide to ask their governments what they are doing. Make War Criminals famous is an interesting strategy, I pray it works.

From time to time I get asked or emailed the question, am I on Twitter? Yes, I am, and you can follow me @baptistjon This blog post will be syndicated to my FB and Twitter feeds, so if you're reading this from Twitter, you're already following.... If you leave your @ in the comments section, I'll look you up.

I knew that snappy title would capture your attention.... Last week I attended the Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA) Ministers’ Conference. We were privileged to have some thought-provoking, and quite challenging teaching from Pat Took (Current BUGB President, former Regional Ministers Team Leader in the London Baptist Association) and Roy Searle (Northumbria Community, former BUGB President also).  The subject was “Listening” and, as Roy Searle’s grandson had pointed out, you might have thought ministers wouldn’t have needed much teaching on that. However, of course we do, we need to regularly be reminded of our call, and all that that entails. I tweeted during one of Pat’s sessions, and some folks asked if I could collate them in one place, so I do so here.  My feeling is that what she said has relevance far beyond our own interpersonal relationships and church meetings, and might say something to the current conversation about the future of the Baptist...

Last night at MovieChurch we watched “the Fighting Temptations”. It’s the second time we’ve watched this film together (although, in my defence, the first time since we amalgamated evening congregations with another local church). I’d originally intended on screening “Liar Liar”, but having been a little unsure of some of its content, watched it a third time and pulled it, a shame because it has some nice themes worth exploring. So, a film to start Lent with. Was it a good choice? It really was. There are echoes of lent in the movie, with the heart of the story being a 6 week preparation for a choir competition called “Gospel Explosion”. The choir of Beulah Baptist Church has to go through many travails to get to the event, including ridding itself of some bad habits, embracing the marginalised and the outsider, and going through crises or faith and conscience. Cuba Gooding Jnr displays a fine comic sensitivity, whilst drawing out some great depths from his character, the down-on-hi...

Here at Tab we're praying about our closer working relationship with another church in the city. In our March Church Meeting we hope to be coming to some conclusions about the shape of the way forward. Please would you join with us in praying about this. Merging two congregations isn't an easy thing to do, but if it's what God has for us, then we'll glady embrace it! The Leadership Team at Tab is encouraging prayer using the following points as a guide, a starting place.  We're asking folks to pray especially each Tuesday, and join with others as we also fast on 7 th  Feb and 6 th  March. We will also provide one Saturday morning and two evening seminars to discuss the vision Please Pray: For our brothers and sisters at Church @ Broad St. About our own desire to be a church for both Whitmore Reans, and the whole City of Wolverhampton That there’d be a strong Christian presence and voice in the City Centre That we’d have wisdom to make the most of a valuabl...

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. Tim Judson, singer/songwriter, member at Tab, created this. I pray it will inspire your thoughts, prayers, attitudes and actions.

This year, alongside the usual Nativity plays and candlelit carol services we are again offering something different. For those who have experienced bereavement, redundancy or loss there is the opportunity to join with others at a “Blue Christmas” church service. Using seasonal music, prayers, reflection and stillness there will be a chance to seek comfort and hope together. There will also be a time to light candles as we remember loved ones, or difficult situations that have caused pain over this last year.  For many people 2011 has been a tough year, and 2012 is looking hard too. We wanted to give people a chance to be honest about how they are feeling this Christmas, and also to reach out for hope and comfort. And we also want to remember that the Christmas story is not just a happy one, it’s about a child being born in difficult circumstances, and into a family that had to flee persecution. It’s a story that has something to say to those of us struggling with difficulty today...

An Anthem to the Myth of Redemptive Violence Gerard Butler stars in (and perhaps equally importantly Exec. Produces) the movie based upon the real life story of Pastor Sam Childers, a drug-addicted biker who finds sobriety and hope by putting his faith in Jesus. Childers, after a mission trip to Uganda where he witnesses some of the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, becomes involved in fighting for the freedom and safety of orphans and freed child soldiers. Sam Childers is a real man, but the comments I make here are about the Sam Childers portrayed in the film. I know very little of the story of the real Sam, and so I want to be clear that my response is to the movie, not the man or his ministry. If, however, the real and the realised Sams are one and the same, then, as we say here, if the cap fits... So, a story about a terrible sinner who has a wonderful conversion, and who then develops a heart for church planting and mission, what’s not to like? Well, quite a lot. You s...

For a couple of years I was part of LBA, and appreciated immensely the wisdom and leadership of the then team leader of the regional ministry team, Pat Took. She is an outstanding lady, and an amazing ambassador for Jesus, and for Baptist Christians. Her skills, talents and giftings fitted well the needs of the Baptist family in our capital city. Her retirement created a special opening in the life of our union of churches, and I guess many of who had any kind of interest had been watching to see who might be asked to fill those shoes. Today  the LBA website  is announcing the news that Geoffrey Andrews from Perry Rise Baptist Church will be the name brought for consideration at a special assembly of the association early next month. God who calls and equips, who leads and inspires may your Spirit rest on Geoffrey, the LBA and your people in that great city, Amen.

Loving this video, surreal, trippy, joyful, and a wonderful counter to the dour folks who seem convinced that God hates us!

Ok, sorry, I need to get this off my chest. Listen, you, quit nagging me. You keep telling me to preach The Cross, and that would be great, except when you say that what you really mean is that I should preach your own, quite limited understanding of it. You see, the problem is this:   your cross is too small. If you look at the world and see only nameless souls that need to repent, your cross is too small. If you see people trapped in destructive patterns of behaviour, and think that if they’d only try harder they’d be free, your cross is too small. If you think it is human activity that impresses the perfectly holy God, your cross is too small. If you think the life, teaching, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus can be summed up into a message that says “Come to Jesus or burn in hell”, your cross is too small. If you look at social exclusion, and think all would be well if only they would repent, but otherwise it’s none of your business, your cross is too small. If ...

That’s the motto of the City of Wolverhampton, and we caught a glimpse of the reality of that today as people responded to last night’s riots. I have long believed that people of the light overcome darkness by living in the opposite spirit. So, even though I can understand why, I struggle with those who resort to anger, violence, prejudice as a reaction to what we’ve seen in our streets, neighbourhoods, cities, nation. So, how to live in the opposite spirit? Well, if riots are about violence, we live in a way that brings healing. If looting is about theft and destruction then we live in generosity and set about rebuilding. If the anger and violence is anything at all to do with anguish and a lack of meaning and purpose, then we live as those who have hope in our hearts, and work towards seeing our vision of a better society become a reality. About 2,500 years ago a wise man, a prophet even, said “seek the peace and prosperity of the city...because if it prospers, you too will prosp...

Pray for the peace of the city, may peace be within your homes and security on your streets.   Will you join me please in praying for the peace of our cities, and especially for the people of Tottenham.  Pray for the family and friends of Mark Duggan as they absorb the shock of his violent and premature death- pray that the circumstances of his death may become clear for everyone to see and that those who loved him will have confidence that justice has been done.  Pray for everyone who has been traumatised by the events of the weekend- the policemen who have been injured, and their families- those who have lost homes and businesses- those who have lost their sense of living in a friendly and safe place.  Pray for our police, that there will be among them exceptional men and women, able to understand the hopes and fears of all the different individuals and groups they deal with, able to uphold the law with wisdom, integrity and discretion, able to step over prejud...

Here's some footage of the March of Hope in Wolverhampton last weekend. Approximately 800 (300 more than last year) people gathered and marched from West Park, through the city centre and into St Peter's Square. There was an atmosphere of exuberance, joy, love and unity. In this clip you'll see the march arriving into St Peter's Square. The video is nearly 5 mins long because that's how long it took for the marchers to make their way in!