Making Good Decisions Part 3

The Ignatian tradition of Christian spirituality is a wonderful resource for making decisions when we want to collaborate with God's redemptive work in the world.

In this presentation from 13/11/2018, Anne talks us through it. It's easy to talk about "discernment", but what does it actually look like in practical terms?

There is also a document -"Prayer Exercises using Reason and Active Imagination" - which will give you some powerful tools to use for prayerful decision making.

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The Mission of Cafechurch

It’s important to start thinking about Cafechurch’s mission from Scripture, so here is a good place to start.

Jesus said to them again ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ John 20:21-22

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Making Good Decisions Part 1

One of the great challenges of life in our culture is how to make good decisions. We have so many options that it can be fatiguing.

Like Mr Bean trying to pack for his holiday, we aren't sure how to proceed.

In this presentation, Anne gives us a few criteria for making good choices

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The Sea of Faith

The Sea of Faith 
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. 
But now I only hear 
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, 
Retreating, to the breath 
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear 
And naked shingles of the world. 
Matthew Arnold - On Dover Beach

Is this really true? Is the decline of faith some sort of natural law?

Vik and the Heavenly Lights

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Big Universe, Uncaring God?

On Tuesday 17/7/218 we considered the size of the universe and what it means for faith - or the lack thereof.
 
It is true that the universe is huge. Staggeringly, vertigo-creatingly vast. But does it therefore follow that any hypothetical God would therefore not care about humans? Consider the question: which is more important to me - the external monitor I am looking at while type this, or the laptop which is plugged into it?
 
Stars and nebulas

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Resistance!

Cafechurch Session 10 July 2018

Jesus, we are told, went back to his home town. But people there didn't buy his story, and said, essentially: who on earth do you think  you are? We have known you forever. And he was amazed to see that he could do no deeds of power there, besides heal a few people (And, really who can't do that? (Joke, obvs.)) (This is my very brief precis of Mark 6:1-6 )

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Wellness and Christianity

What is the relationship between Wellness and Christianity? What does California have to do with Jerusalem? In this presentation we think about the similarities and differences, and consider how we might integrate wellness with our faith, without identifying the one with the other. Here is the presentation:
Sign on the wall at my gym in Preston

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Your Restlessness Is What Is Right With You

You used to be a real keeny. You prayed for, and attempted to convert, your non-Christian friends. You raised money for mission, perhaps made a short term mission trip. You might even have performed evangelical street theatre. You were clear what you believed, and you were on fire for God! But then… something happened. Something sudden and dramatic. Something slow and gradual and only visible by hindsight.

David Werbrouck's photo "mewhere at Museu del Disseny de Barcelona"

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What (or Who) We Talk About When We Talk About God

When I glibly thought "I know, we'll spend an evening talking about God!" I hadn't really quite reckoned with what a complex topic it is. I blame CPE brain. So it was a bit of a dense evening, but makes some basic theological and philosophical points that could usefully be made before talking much about God at all. And it drew out some good questions, which we will use for future evenigs. So, on the whole, it was a good evening. 

 

The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo

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