Returning to routine

As usual, the Summer months dictate over a month between posts. There's been plenty happening that I could have reacted to, or even in my own study there's been plenty to inform you of insight I have seen, read, heard, experienced, in the past few weeks. But I'm looking forward more. I finally bagged myself a room in a house that is far more permanent, and feels like my own. That means an easier discipline, rather than feeling like you're intruding everywhere you tread. Job applications, I've realised, are depressing; especially when you send of 50 CV's a day to various companies, and get 3 phone calls a week as a response. That says to me 'you may be far better skilled than some people, but there is always someone else far more skilled than you.' Thanks.

As far as churches go, there are a far too many to mention in the little hamlet of London. The conference at Brighton, put on by New Frontiers, and featuring Mark Driscoll as guest speaker, finally had a focus I could engage with: mission. The trouble with the conference as a whole was it's formulaic essence. Driscoll was an incredibly insightful and engaging preacher, pushing all challenges beyond the usual 'make sure you keep yourself clean, and tell someone you're a Christian at least once a week.' However, the worship band leading the thousands of delegates played for 30 minutes without fail, even if you could sense the need to wrap up early, or continue for an hour or so more. The prophetic, of which has been recognised as something New Frontiers is strong on, was equally basic. You'd imagine, at a place filled with 7000 spirit-filled, prophetic Christians, there would be encouragement, and vision from engaging with God, but it was quite bland compared with the past. Maybe the visions set by previous years asked for something that could not be given in the same measure as we stopped changing season and started living in it.

London was targeted as a strategic city in the world, and I moved there three weeks ago. Since then, my girlfriend and I visited 2 and a half churches, and stuck with the second one. Our local New Frontiers church gave the impression it didn't want any new people, so we left them to themselves, and found a church plant in Dulwich (South of the river) called Beacon Church. That's about where I'm at. The church has quickly integrated us, and we feel part of the vision.

I've also been writing some comments through 1 and 2 Peter, which I'm writing in a more legible form at my new blog Theological Meanderings. Maybe I'll move over there for a while, we'll see.

SYIAB! (See You In A Bit)