Insight issue6 by Matt Adcock

New online study options launching this year! Find out more at www.lst.ac.uk

INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

BIBLE. WITNESS. WORLD. These have been the foundations of The London School of Theology (LST) for over 70 years and they continue to be the ‘watch words’ that we live by. BIBLE – the Word of God is at the heart of everything LST does. We provide Bible-based, first choice theological education for hundreds of people who are looking to get to know God and His word better. The Bible is also at the centre of the college’s ethos and born out in the Christian community on campus. WITNESS – LST delivers transforming theological education that impacts the world through the lives of those who study here. Leaders of churches and charities, missionaries in workplaces and in society, all around the

world. Thousands of lives are changed every day by the witness of LST graduates. WORLD – in addition to the world changing outworking of those who have studied at LST, 2016 brings a host of new online theological learning options which will allow people the choice of studying in London or from anywhere. As LST alumnus Rev Stephen Rose recently posted on our Facebook wall: “Thirty years since I graduated. Three of the best years of my life that prepared me for a journey of learning and serving the Lord in ways I would never imagine.” Where will LST take you? Matt Adcock Editor

Contributors Matt Adcock Insight Editor & Director of Communications

Jeremy Perigo Director of Music & Worship programmes , LST

Irene Davies Theology & Counselling Programme Leader, LST

Robin Fisher (fisherdesign.co.uk) Designer

Florence Hall LST student

Kirsty Annable Lecturer in Counselling, LST

Matthew Knell Lecturer in Historical Theology, LST

Krish Kandiah President , LST

John Reynolds LST ALumni and Youth Worker

Andy Kind Comedian and writer

Richard Hubbard Lecturer in Music, LST

Special thanks to... Cal Davie, Graham McFarlane, Sarah Hobday, Isabella Wells, Matthieu Bhpoyroo, Alyshia O’Brien, James Roberts, Ramsay Stewart, Linnea Arvedal, Lisa Johnson, Afiya Riley.

INTERACT 4

Email editor@lst.ac.uk Web www.lst.ac.uk

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Facebook /LondonSchoolOfTheology twitter @LSTheology

CREATIVITY IN THEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Contents

“The biggest challenge has been the theme of a holistic view of the human person against whatever divisions between body, mind, soul and spirit I may perceive in scripture, self and other.”

spiritual gifts WHY WE SHOULD STOP

WORRYING WHAT WE’VE GOT AND START USING THEM “There will also be people who react against this labeling and boxing in [of spiritual gifts], who struggle to see the links between the passions God has given them and the positions available in the church.”

Evangelist

Teacher

“Everything is relative; so despite the underlying common denominators, no two accounts of Gormley’s exhibition will tell the same story.”

REVIEWS BOOKS: Including ‘The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist’ by Andy Bannister & ‘The Reckless Love of God’ by Alex Early FILM: ‘Captive’ - Responses to the film from LST students

Plus

BLIND LIGHT

THE MIND IS MULTIPLE.. “The simple message of ‘Inside Out’ completely resonates with IFS thinking, albeit the theory is much more complex than the film conveys.“

10 THE MISSION OF SEEING COMEDY AS MISSIONAL - “Comedy and laughter break down barriers like nothing else”. 24 SOLI DEO GLORIA - “In churches the pursuit of [musical] excellence can often cause tension”. 30 EMPATHY AND THE REMA MODEL - “Choosing empathy when working with people is key to enabling that person to feel understood and truly cared for.” 38 SPIRIT INSPIRED PRAISE IN IRAQ - “ Christ echoed throughout Hussein’s former facility of death and destruction.” INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

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The roots of this article come from a course that I teach for the American Notre Dame University on sin, grace and free will. In preparing for that course, I realised that there was a need to engage with creation, God and the nature of humanity in order to provide a context for those theological categories. Since those first in-depth preparatory studies, I have been wrestling with the nature of theological anthropology and the extent to which the principles I teach about humankind are reflected in every area of my life, study and teaching methods. The biggest challenge has been the theme of a holistic view of the human person against whatever divisions between body, mind, soul and spirit I may perceive in scripture, self and other. Whatever we conclude about the precise nature of those categories, all are indissolubly united in one person and this integration means that they mutually affect each other. The result is that what I do with my body affects my mind and my spirit (especially when I stub my toe on the door in the middle of the night), and these effects are reciprocal when other areas are impacted in some way. As I considered my work in theology in light of this, some concerns were raised. These centred on the extent to which theology as a discipline can become predominantly, possibly even exclusively, a mental exercise, and this can be dangerous in how I am transformed by my studies – into one who is able to engage with issues theoretically but not personally – and how theological colleges, or at least theological students, are able to serve the church. This has been a growing problem for theology at least since the dawn of the Enlightenment, and to an extent back to the beginnings of scholasticism in the medieval period. One of the great things about being involved at LST is that there are two major driving forces here that mitigate against this over-theoretical, purely mental approach to theology. Firstly, there is the fact that we study in a vibrant, worshipping community, which means that any disconnection between where my thoughts are leading and what my life shows of my faith will quickly become apparent and, hopefully, will be challenged by people I can trust. Studying theology in this way makes it essentially relational, another key element of a creation anthropology, and thus challenges one to transform in every aspect rather than simply conducting an intellectual exercise.

The second element of LST that is helpful comes from the emphasis on music and worship, which provides a drive towards creativity in our engagement with God that quickly shows the limitations of theology as a purely mental exercise. There is no doubt that having faculty colleagues like Jeremy Perigo, Geraldine Luce and (in the potentially drier field of NT) Conrad Gempf challenges everyone about how and why we engage in theology. These two questions of how and why seem to be inextricably linked. How we have done theology has become conditioned over a few hundred years in terms of lectures, readings and word-based assessments, and it is easy in this for the ‘why’ to become hidden or even forgotten. In the opening chapel of this year, I preached from Psalm 19 on engaging with God and theological study and it is noteworthy that there is no mention of a degree or qualification as the purpose of God’s revelation, but a transformed person. At LST, there is a pride in the qualifications that our students achieve, but the graduation ceremony is much more a celebration of what God has done in and through these friends as we have journeyed together in their years as part of the community. Given that there is this encouragement here to engage the whole self in the theological enterprise, with the experience extending beyond the lecture hall and library to the entirety of community life, there is one notable exception where everything seems to be reduced down again to the intellectual realm: assessments. Is there a way in which this also may be broadened to reflect this principle that I do not, or at least should not, encounter God in theology purely using my mind? Again, the music and worship departments provide an immediate and affirmative response as there are assessments there in integrative theology that require students to engage with more than just their minds. There is also the possibility that this encourages for third-year projects to utilise creative gifts in engaging with aspects of theology. Last year, Kay-Marie Stroud incorporated a

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sensory experience in her work on Revelation 12 for her project that one entered through the mouth of a dragon that she had made. Here are her reflections on the motivation and continuation of this work:

in the hope that it would inspire and captivate people. God’s word is alive today and we want to illustrate and demonstrate how amazingly awe-inspiring that is and get excited about it!”

“The Revelation 12 project came out of a desire to see creativity (arts, music, drama etc.) used to engage the emerging generation, my generation, with the Word of God. From the general sense of a lack of excitement around Scripture in society and from a personal conviction of how I struggled with reading my Bible, the project was built to combat the lack of passion for God’s word.

In courses that I lecture on, I have begun to open up the possibility for students to include a piece of their own artwork if they choose to in place of some of their wordcount. It is important that such images play an important role in the illumination of the argument because the decision to include one reduces the amount of analytical depth that they can achieve in the words alone. The results vary greatly between students, with some including images that are either irrelevant or not clearly tied into the rest of the work, but others creating a beautiful balance between the various elements that leads to a whole that is greater than that they could have achieved by words alone.

My journey from the beginning thought, to the actual production of the Revelation 12 experience has been challenging and exciting. For most ‘Theology’ is a taboo word, a daunting and frightening concept! I wanted to reach those people through these creative mediums to support their walk with God, to encourage them to go deeper in their relationship with God, as in my mind deeper is better and even though the deeper I go the more uncertain I have become of things, my relationship with God has never been stronger. The idea of the experiential art installation was a representation of God’s word being alive today. As people walked through they experienced the passage and found their place in God’s redemption plan. Even the noncreatives (if there is such a thing) found the experience helpful and insightful. The project hasn’t stopped there. Recently God has provided a team of people, who like me, want to see our church and the wider world engage with Scripture. We plan to host more creative art installations in churches, schools, conferences, festivals etc. based on passages of Scripture

There are issues in taking this approach to assessment, particularly in a lack of training for lecturers in gauging the merit of artwork which must have some bearing on the application to a theological topic. That said, the benefits for students from varied backgrounds, especially those with experience in the arts, to process their thoughts through alternative media and present them in ways in which they are more suited to excel, coupled with the principle that such a holistic approach reflects the subject material in the nature of God and humankind, indicates that this may be an avenue that is worth taking. This brief article hopefully may begin a discussion. Please feel free to reflect – whether in word, image or song is up to you. MATTHEW KNELL Lecturer in Historical Theology and Church History

“In courses that I lecture on, I have begun to open up the possibility for students to include a piece of their own artwork if they choose to in place of some of their wordcount. It is important that such images play an important role in the illumination of the argument because the decision to include one reduces the amount of analytical depth that they can achieve in the words alone.” 8

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Below is an example from one of my Notre Dame students, Catherine Young, who is seeking to illustrate a Catholic approach to justification in the relative roles of faith and works. Having constructed her mainline argument that engaged with Martin Luther and the Council of Trent, she reflects her conclusion in an image with explanation:

“In order to fully depict the importance of the combination of the two in the justification process, I drew the picture (shown above left). Inside the rosary, on the left, I drew praying hands to symbolize faith. The hands on the right symbolize good works. The arrows in the middle signify the interrelation of faith and action, how one uses one’s faith to fuel good deeds and how good deeds complement one’s faith. In the middle of the arrows lies the heart of Jesus Christ, to symbolize that the central part of justification lies in God’s love for us. It is through God’s love that human beings become justified, and it is in knowing God’s love for us that we are able to have faith and do good deeds in His name. The rosary around the hands symbolizes the Catholic Church, which teaches the importance of both faith and good works. Thus, good works and faith both remain as central roles in the justification process.” INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

“YOU TRAVEL LIGH T, YOU TRAVEL ALONE WHEN YOU ARRIVE NOBODY KNOWS BUT YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HE IS GLAD YOU CAN GO ‘CAUSE THOSE WHO COME AFTER YOU WILL NEED THE ROAD” Pioneer by Nancy Honeytree I’ve been a Christian for 11 years. I’ve been performing stand-up comedy for 10 of those years. Consequently, I get asked a lot if I’m a Christian comedian. I’ve never really found a satisfactory answer to that question. If I say yes, I get typecast according to the mental imagery that is conjured up by the phrase Christian comedian – cheesy pseudo-entertainers doing terrible gags about peripheral biblical characters. If I say no, people then worry that I’ve engaged in the Christian moonwalk and backslidden, or that I’m suddenly going to be really rude. Either way, you lose work. It’s a no win and (subsequently) no fee situation.

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The fact is, I am a Christian comedian in the way I think of it, meaning that I’m trying to use my decade of experience and skills from the comedy circuit to be a missional resource to the church. Now, what does that mean? How can comedy be missional? Well, comedy and laughter break down barriers like nothing else. Laughing is simply a release of all the tension that’s been building up in your body and soul. Furthermore, when you laugh you release endorphins that make you feel physically better, and when you laugh with someone it becomes psychologically impossible to hate

that person. So when an unchurched punter comes to a comedy night in a church and laughs (and laughs and laughs), how much of a positive psychological impact is that going to have on his/her likelihood to return to that church – or to have a post-gig God chat over a beer/ Shloer? Dr. Virginia Trooper once said, ‘When the mouth is open for laughter, you may be able to shove in a little food for thought.’ Simply put then, comedy can be brilliantly healing, relational and missional, and it can be so without being mawkishly twee, cringingly Christian or scathingly offensive. Christian comedy, in my mind, is just normal comedy about normal things, delivered with expertise, but with that missional focus – that desire to use the effect of laughter to point towards the ‘Big Headline Act in the Sky’. However, my definition of Christian comedy is alien to most other people. It’s still the minority view, and the church hasn’t really caught up. Imagine a scenario where a church puts on a comedy night to reach out to the community. You get an invite that specifies a Christian comedian. Be honest: what would you expect? A searing yet side-splitting excoriation of North Korea’s human rights record? Or jokes about two disciples walking into a bar? It’s the same with almost any prefix attached to the word comedian: gay, black, female. The issue is that the adjective describes the person, not the comedy. And in my case I’m not a professional Christian. If you look on my car insurance form, it says...well, it says ‘writer’ because it’s cheaper, but my occupation is ‘comedian’ - being a ‘Christian’ doesn’t pay the bills! If it did, the whole makingdisciples-of-others thing would be simples. Now certainly there have been times when I’ve cultivated the tag of ‘clean comedian’, because you realise very quickly amongst the massed ranks of middle-class white men on the comedy circuit that you need a USP if you’re going to survive. Being known as ‘clean’ or ‘Christian’ has secured me work that other people will never be offered. But here’s the thing: comedy has to be funny before it has the right to be anything else. Something isn’t funny because it’s clean, nor is a comedian more valid because he is a Christian - you have to earn the right to those adjectives. People come to comedy nights to hear good jokes, not hilarious preaching.

of all. But perhaps the worst label you can give art is ‘Christian’. It’s binding and pressurising and unhelpful and patronising, because art is just art; a comedian is just a comedian; all truth is God’s truth. And people who feel the need to pigeon-hole and repackage art maybe need help unpacking just what art is supposed to be about. I know that people are just trying to help. If you’ve got a comedian coming to your church to perform an awardwinning show (andykind.co.uk), you want the #saved people to know that they won’t be offended, and for the guests to know that the awesome pioneering artist on stage (see aforementioned website) is ‘one of us’. Which would be fine if it wasn’t not fine. Unfortunately for all of us (and it does impact us all) the Church doesn’t support the Arts anywhere near as much as it should or thinks it does or, actually, as much as it wants to. Of course, we pay lip service to the concept, complaining about how few positive Christian role models there are on TV or in the media. We’d love there to be more Christian screenwriters, playwrights, actors etc. But nothing comes from nothing; nothing ever could (Julie Andrews told us that in The Sound of Music, and she’s practically perfect in every way). If we are not birthing and nurturing artists from within the church, where are they supposed to come from? Does a magic stork drop them into the Comedy Store dressing room through an open window? One problem, I think, is that we see the Arts as an evangelistic luxury. It’s nice to put on a Passion play every other Easter (using volunteers from the congregation) or to stage a comedy night as ‘something a bit different’. But we don’t really see the Arts as missional – a way of impacting society and changing lives. We never quite get around to believing that something doesn’t need to be explicitly evangelistic to still be missional and have worth. Some of us do; not enough.

Far too often, I get manacled to these prefix adjectives when the only adjective I want in front of the word comedian is ‘funny’.

I was struck recently by that amazing ‘Show Up’ video from the ‘Christians in Politics’ guys that hit our Facebook feeds before the last election. It explained how society has seven spheres to it, and how we’re not really ‘showing up’ or stepping up in six of those spheres (one of which was the Arts). And so those six spheres of society – politics, business, education, technology etc. - go totally untainted by Christian influence. From experience, I can certainly testify to the horrifying truth of this claim as far as comedy and the Arts is concerned.

Don’t get me wrong: in my opinion – an opinion I respect and I think we all should - the best label a person can have is ‘Christian’. Following Jesus is the highest calling

Our main problem is that we have almost no culture of comedy within the UK church. There is no lineage, no inheritance. We had Adrian Plass, who is brilliant and INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

“Too often,worth. we judge something’s moral worth before weAndjudge its creative If it offends us, it can’t be any good. so any artistic colour gets drained away into a black and white legalism.” iconic and funny and unbelievably nice and gracious, but has never described himself as a comedian. And yet for so long, for lack of anyone else, AP was heralded (unfairly) as The Christian comedian. Then, for nearly a generation, there was nobody else. The alternative comedy movement started in the late 80s and early 90s, blossomed, flourished and impacted society, and the church had no response. So when people went along to ‘Christian comedy’ nights and saw family entertainers and magicians doing really well but not doing actual comedy, a disparity - a gaping chasm - appeared. In any ministry your primary aim, it is said, should be to train up the next generation so they can stand on your shoulders. I started doing comedy in 2005, nearly two decades after The Sacred Diary was released. But there were no shoulders to stand on. There was, on the contrary, an excavated grave in which to stand. Tim Vine, Jo Enright and Milton Jones are all fantastic Christian people, and all three were already nationally successful, but they weren’t really doing church gigs (partly because that wasn’t ‘a thing’ back then). I had to start from scratch, to create an origin story for Christian comedy as I saw it (and by Christian comedy, I mean Christians doing really good, proper comedy in churches.) It wasn’t just me, of course; Paul Kerensa and Tony Vino started around the same time. But there were no real forbears, no culture. No concept. Churches would rather do something safe like a barn dance or a pie-and-pea supper or another barn dance because the first one went so well, rather than risk something as socially volatile as a comedy night as part of their outreach. You see, nobody gets offended at a barn dance. And here is the rub: churches don’t champion the Arts because art isn’t worried about offending and Christians take offence too easily (some have just taken offence at being told that). Too often, we judge something’s moral worth before we judge its creative worth. If it offends us, it can’t be any good. And so any artistic colour gets drained away into a black-and-white legalism. A decade after I first told a joke for money and we’re still swimming against the tide. I’m 34 now, and I’m pretty good at comedy and I love doing gigs in churches. But the oral tradition that Christian comedy is not as good as secular comedy (a fact that is no longer true, please take note) has been passed down a generation, and so the young

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people (the 20’s and 30’s hipsters at whom I primarily aim my comedy) often don’t come along because of the preconceptions they have of what it will and won’t be. And if they don’t come, they don’t correct their thinking, and the same message about the deficiency of Christian comedy gets passed on to the next generation. I’ve spent a decade waiting for people to understand that ‘Christian comedian’ isn’t a compound noun and that comedy can be missional without having to be cloyingly tepid in its content. But the message has fallen on stony ground (see The Bible). I spend the first ten minutes of every gig proving to the crowd that I’m not cheesy, that I’m not cringey – that I know exactly what I’m doing and that I’m the funniest person in the room. And I can do that. I’ve worked hard to get to the level where my comedy is both fully secular and fully Christian - where it’s not an either/or. So what do I do? What do we do? All any of us can do is try to become as good as we were created to be, and then a little bit better. We have to accept that people will never understand and they will always label and judge. And the evangelical sub-culture of which I am contentedly a part will never properly support The Arts because art is about questions more than answers, boundaries more than consolidation. But please be reassured though: the standard of Christians on the comedy circuit is strong. And those coming after will be stronger from standing on braced shoulders. Our origin story is spawning sequels. So pray for comedy, and for its missional outworking. Trust and support the guys and girls God has called into that tough arena. The future of the church is funny. But we’re not there yet, and so we keep pressing on, to our own frontier, because the people who come after will need the road. ANDY KIND @andykindcomedy Andy Kind is a comedian and writer. His 3rd book, The Unfortunate Adventures of Tom Hillingthwaite, is available to buy from eden.co.uk, published by Monarch.

What’s the difference between stand up comedy & youth ministry? “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” I don’t know who said that first and I couldn’t be bothered to google it - I’m not at LST any more, you can’t make me footnote nothing! (2:1 by the way.) The point is I’m saying it now. Since leaving LST I’ve worked for a couple of churches and in February I joined Ruislip Baptist Church as their youth worker. During my time here, I’ve found three things to be vital in my ministry: Firstly, an active relationship and dependency on God, secondly, my theological training at LST and thirdly, my sense of humour and my stand up comedy experience. I’m aware the first one is of no shock at all, the second one may come as a slight surprise if you’re an LST student in the middle of your exams, and the third one would have been a complete shock were it not for the title of this article, however I’ve genuinely found all of them to be absolutely essential. Now, I’m aware that you probably won’t see many church groups with a vision of wanting to see their attendees laugh, but I firmly believe we could do with more laughter in God’s house. That’s because I believe that laughter is the physical manifestation of both joy and relationship, and with joy practically being a commandment (Philippians 4:4) and God being profoundly relational (Trinitarian and all that), laughing together with pure hearts can be a lifechanging, healing and incredibly edifying experience, both individually and corporately. People instantly and subconsciously respect someone who can make them laugh. As the earlier quote said (Victor Borge by the way, old habits…) the quickest way to relate to someone is to make them laugh. Make someone laugh and immediately you have found common ground and brought them joy, and when I think back on the happiest times or the best nights of my life, they’ve always included a lot of laughter. Now, of course that doesn’t mean we all have to be comedians and it certainly doesn’t mean we go for the laugh at any cost or make that the number one priority, we

obviously need to work with the gifts God has given us and within Godly parameters (“don’t joke about anything below the waist or about anything you haven’t got” as I believe Soul Survivor would advise) but I do think banter is key in providing a joy-filled environment where young people feel understood, safe and able to explore God in a healthy and loving environment. I also think it brings down barriers. A good friend and neurologist at my home church once told me that “when you make someone laugh it opens up their neurological paths and makes them more open to hearing what you have to say”, which is why humour is perfect for brainwashing people. That’s a joke! However, it does enable us to build up a trust relationship with them and out of that relationship, introduce them to the God that created them, loves them and wants a relationship with them. What’s the difference between stand up comedy and youth ministry? One’s an evening with your friends where you laugh, relax and have a great time away from the pressures of everyday life, and the other’s stand up comedy. JOHN REYNOLDS, LST Alumnus & Youth Worker at Ruislip Baptist Church

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“Architecture is supposed to be the location of security and certainty about where you are. It is supposed to protect you from the weather, from darkness, from uncertainty. BLIND LIGHT undermines all of that. You enter this interior space that is the equivalent of being on top of a mountain or at the bottom of the sea. It is very important for me that inside it you find the outside. Also you become the immersed figure in an endless ground, literally the subject of the work.” Antony Gormley

Grey is the epitome of non statement. The predominance of grey in Gormley’s art is a fantastic portrayal of the ever-fluctuating boundaries of society as a result of postmodern outlook. No longer black and white, socially accepted norms and values merge into grey areas.

Two absolutes mix to a hue of uncertainty. People no longer stand on one side or the other of an ethical debate - rather, they stand ambiguously in the middle, paralysed by a fear of offending somebody; or seeming too traditional, too liberal, fundamentalist, or radical.

Morals become transient. Everybody’s opinion is valid, and everybody’s belief is truth: thus a truth that seeks to monopolise, claiming that it is the only truth, undermines the essence of what it means to live in harmony. To claim you hold the only truth disrupts the whole of society; destroying the infrastructure on which a precarious construction of discombobulated beliefs are assembled staccato.

(1)

Just as in postmodern thought, Gormley’s box has no one shared principle for all. With no shared metanarrative, there is nothing that brings all people together; instead each are left to stumble across some form of purpose, or goal, alone. At this point of uncertainty, the values which previously underpinned society are stripped away - in the extreme, even down to the sanctity of life. Gormley describes Blind Light as ‘a very brightly lit glass box filled with a dense cloud, where people will vanish as they enter the chamber but might emerge as shadows for the viewers on the outside of the box’.(2) From the outside, we are able to see into the box, where people appear as shadows. From the inside, ‘people vanish’, and there is no recognition of one another. With a postmodern outlook, there is no inherent value put on life, instead the value of life is what the individual decides to accredit it. From outside of the box, the opposite occurs. Shadows appear, a collection of individuals, the outlines of human beings.

(1) Richter, Writings, 92 (2) Pascal, Mind, 58. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

The shadows cannot be distinguished, so value is given to the life of the individual, rather than their character, gender, attire, ethnicity, wealth. The value given to life is a universal matter; all shadows are lives and all are valued equally, for there is nothing to discriminate otherwise.

FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX..

we hold a collective value for each shadow, a value which applies to one individual just as it does to the next.

FROM INSIDE THE BOX..

amidst the fog of postmodernity, people vanish, the value is stripped away from life by a lack of meaning ascribed to it. There is no metanarrative of hope which holds in place the sanctity of life as we know it. The fog means that nothing is seen clearly. Everything is relative; so despite the underlying common denominators, no two accounts of Gormley’s exhibition will tell the same story.

Pascal finds,

“IMAGINATION DECIDES EVERYTHING”

(3)

Some may find a lack of visibility refreshing, while others find it intimidating and still others threatening. Pascal goes further to describe how it is imagination that ‘creates beauty, justice and happiness,’but ‘as imagination usually leads to error’, these things will usually be ‘of the deceitful faculty’. (4) In the box, the only way of communicating with the next person is through touch or sound.

NO FACIAL EXPRESSION. NO GESTICULATION. NO DIAGRAM. NO DEMONSTRATION. (3) Vanhoozer, Meaning, 17. (4) Vanhoozer, Meaning, 17.

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As with anything left to the human mind, linguistics take on connotations and meaning based on the individual’s experience, outlook and expectations. The individual’s experience of language in Gormley’s box may not initially appear to be anything other than the ordinary, with linguistics not normally taking on a visible role in everyday life. However, with the absence of any such visual aids to accompany language, there is nothing left to guide how the individual interprets words. Words are left entirely for the mind to paint on meaning. Cratylus goes to the extreme of saying that people should use no words at all, instead simply pointing a finger, since:

‘NOTHING TRUE CAN BE SAID, FOR BOTH LANGUAGE AND WORLD ARE IN FLUX’.

From postmodernity comes an internalised outlook; a worldview that revolves around the self. It is here that Jesus becomes a threat to 21st century western culture. Although we would be naïve to suggest that the Church is not swayed or shaped by postmodernity, there are core elements of postmodernity that the Christian faith holds vehemently untrue. Jesus is ‘the truth’ (John 14:6), so despite our individual and subjective relationships with Christ and interpretations of Scripture, there is at least one objective truth that we can hold to. There is also a metanarrative which holds a beginning and an end; a direction for the course of humanity and creation.

(5)

This statement of his comes far in advance of postmodernity, but is so fundamentally relevant to our age. The extent to which he goes here is a little extreme (!), but the point he makes regarding the limitations and interpretations connoted with language should certainly be considered. When we think of postmodern society hypothetically, we are able to see the flailing arms that search for objective truth in the midst of uncertainty. Yet at the heart of it, each individual searches alone; with the assumption that everybody else’s truth works for them. Postmodern principles form a veil of fog which forbids clarity; causing people to search within their own spheres for meaning, as opposed to looking to the greater good that visibility once held plausible. Culture becomes one shaped around the individual’s ideals, each person within their own bubble.

I would suggest that it is with these two core principles of Christianity that the Church can bring hope to a postmodern society; and it is important that as a church, we do not compromise our beliefs to fit with the fluctuations of a searching people, but rather hold firm to these principles as a beacon of hope that clearly defines the Church from others. It is from this stance of holding out our firm hope for the rest of society that the Church must recognise the importance of biblical metanarrative. Adding on to the distinction of the Church in such an uncertain culture, it is important we do not become consumed by the individualism of society; instead standing out as a unit which relies entirely on relationship: between God, and thus between others. Centring our relationship with one another around that of the trinity, we fixate our goals on the perfect relationship; a prominent variance to the self-obsessed culture that has consumerized relationship into a transient and disposable product of self-gain.

(5) McCann, Psalms, 17. (6) F.Schleiermacher. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

The Church then becomes a place of inter-relational dependency; everybody reliant on God, and through this reliance, united together as one. Biblically, so much of the text in Scripture is written on behalf of a particular people, rather than an individual. When we look at the Psalms, we are able to see the communal aspect of worship. Although some are written by individuals, psalms of praise or lament are much more commonly written as corporate cries out to God, or communal psalms of praise. The emphasis on fellowship and spiritual seasons within community here cannot be ignored. Thus, it is so important that the church does not conform to a culture of self.

‘Having created a universe for yourselves, you have relieved yourselves of the duty of reflecting on who has created you’.

(7)

This inward outlook that is created as a result of postmodern emphasis on the individual takes our focus off the creator by the sheer obsessive nature that is attached to finding solutions for the individual’s needs. Although the individual’s needs are an important aspect of the Church’s ministry, it is vital that the Church as a whole does not slip into a self-centred culture.

Biblical unity is not only found in the Psalms, but is a key theme which resonates throughout the whole of Scripture. A key example here is the analogy Paul gives of the Church forming the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). Matthew Henry comments,

‘the members should be closely united by the strongest bonds of love, the good of the whole should be the object of all’. (8)

As we reflect upon the cultural move to centralise ‘self’, we must also be challenged by the way in which this shift affects Judaeo-Christian ideals. It is commonly understood that the rise of individualism has led to fragmentation of society. People no longer share common goals, values, beliefs or meaning. Instead every person has their own set of beliefs and values, each one to have been established by their personal experiences and socialisation. It is interesting to look at Lyotard’s first enquiries surrounding the theory of postmodernity, which particularly focus upon the ‘fragmentation’ of society as a result of rising globalisation. When Williams writes about Lyotard’s work he asks,

‘What are the political implications of fragmentation?’, AND ‘How can we act with justice if there are no universal moral or legal norms?’ (9)

Some would claim that this has already happened in many churches throughout the UK and America, and that this shift is reflected in the style of worship music now released, which tends to be fixed on the ‘me’ (as opposed to previous hymns and chants formed around corporate psalms). (7) Henry, Commentary, 617. (8) Williams, ‘Lyotard’, 1. (9) Lyotard, ‘Postmodern’, xxiv.

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Right from the start, Lyotard wrestled with the problems that individualism brings to a corporate level.

Today we watch as politicians desperately try to define our society as a whole, endlessly struggling to find words that include everyone. The corporate identity of society has been attacked by an individualism which brings with it countless combinations of personal choice. Here originates our new Western concept of ‘tolerance’, a principle which aims to ‘accept’ all, but in so doing disregards metanarratives or absolutes(10). Not only this, but the idea itself seems flawed- as though the very concept of ‘tolerance’ is, in itself, intolerant(11). To look to define a large population of individuals is nigh-on impossible, but to accept all of their beliefs as truth simply does not work. The challenges that this concept of ‘tolerance’ is now throwing at society come as evidence of the problems that arise from the fragmentation of society caused by rising individualism.

We are able to discuss and observe the outcomes of postmodernity, and in so doing stand outside of postmodernity, naturally progressing into the next stage, a period we can currently only call ‘post-post-modernity’. From here we are able to see that which those inside have not yet recognised. The very uncertainty of defining postmodernism itself has proven this a controversial claim. Some even claim that we are simply living in a state of late modernity - the natural progression of the enlightenment period, there is no such label as postmodernity. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, ‘postmodernism’ is ‘characterised by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of reason’. (11)

The photos are taken outside of the box which adds an interesting depth to the study. Some argue that because we are aware of postmodernity, we are no longer a part of it.

As soon as you have labelled an era, it is in the past. As soon as you are aware of the social change, it has already happened. We enter into the next stage of social development. Because today we recognise postmodernity and the issues which arise as a result of it, we look on from outside the box, just as this photographer does, observing those inside the box as they blindly reach out in search of stability.

By this definition, I would suggest that postmodernity shapes much of our Western thinking, it would be naïve not to accept this. However, in the midst of the insecurity that postmodernism brings to society, I believe that the promise of Christ is a stable and firm foundation which holds a light of hope and order amongst surrounding chaos. Thus, the Church must be aware of the spinning culture which surrounds it, being cautious not to fall into an inward outlook, nor compromise the beliefs of the Christian faith to the fluctuating society around. FLORENCE HALL LST STUDENT (TH4)

(10) Carson, Tolerance, 2. (11) Encyclopedia, np. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

Who knew handling spiritual gifts would be so complicated? My Facebook feed offers me a myriad ways to understand my personality, whether its analysing which Lord of the Rings character I am most similar to, how old my brain is, where in the country I ought to live, or even what my jeans tell you about my reading habits. Just like the expectant students of Hogwarts who put on the Sorting Hat to discover which house they naturally belong to, many of us love these apps that help us work through the huge number of decisions we have to make about how to live in the world today. There will always be people who love to “discover their spiritual gift”. With the variety of ways we can serve in our churches of today, it is quite handy to have a little questionnaire, course or tool to point us in the right direction. And certainly they are handy for our church leaders to help allocate and delegate appropriate jobs to appropriate people with just cause.

And right from the beginning there were those who were amazed, and those who were confused. The confusion has lived on among Christians, especially regarding the question of which gifts mentioned in the New Testament continue on today and which are valid in the 21st century Church. Those theologians that believe spiritual gifts began and ended with the apostles are known as ‘cessationists’, and often justify their position by citing 1 Corinthians 13: “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears... For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

WHY WE SHOULD STOP WORRYING WHAT WE’VE GOT AND START USING THEM

But there will also be people who react against this labeling and boxing in, who struggle to see the links between the passions God has given them and the positions available in the church. Many people are scared that they have supernatural gifts they would rather not unwrap in public. Others are nervous of those Christians practising the more ‘charismatic gifts’ and keep their distance, hoping their church won’t become too ‘freaky’. There are those who vociferously claim that God’s one gift to them – playing the recorder, maybe – needs to be utilised on a weekly basis with due amplification, and those who feel woefully inadequate even to welcome others into the building. Spiritual gifts can sometimes feel more like a curse than a blessing. Ever since the day of Pentecost and the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, the Church has received spiritual gifts from God in order to accomplish her mission in the world.

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Scripture promises that spiritual gifts will cease, so all Christians should really be “cessationists” in one sense. But the controversy comes not in whether giftings will cease, but when. Is it with the completion of Scripture and the revelation of God through his written Word? Or is it when we see God “face to face”, fully known and knowing fully, at the end of time when Christ comes again? There is also a line sometimes drawn between the socalled miraculous gifts (such as prophecy, tongues, healing and words of knowledge) which some churches prefer to believe ended with the apostles, and the other gifts (such as pastor / teacher, evangelist, administration and hospitality) which they obviously believe continue today. It’s a strange dichotomy as, for example, Scripture teaches that people are “dead in their transgressions and sins” and yet through the gospel can be resurrected to spiritual life – and if that’s not miraculous I don’t know what it is! Yet those that argue that miraculous spiritual gifts have ceased tend to agree the gift of the

“I have the gift of teaching, but my church doesn’t allow women to teach except in Sunday School, and last time I tried that it was a disaster.”

“Someone at a summer festival told one of our young people that they have the spiritual gizft of ‘feeling other people’s pain’ and now they don’t want to help with crèche any more as it is ‘not their gift’.”

“My church pastor says I have the gift of evangelism and that I should run Alpha, but I already have multiple evening commitments as chair of Governors at our local primary school.”

“I suspect I have the gift of hospitality.. but if my church realises they will put me on the coffee rota. Help!”

“We don’t really do spooky gifts at our church so let’s hope I don’t get ‘words of knowledge’ or ‘prophecy.’”

“Many years ago I used to love drama but haven’t done acting for several decades. Now I am told I have committed the sin of allowing a spiritual gift to die. What can I do?”

Evangelist

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evangelist continues. And so I find the segregation of gifts into these two categories arbitrary and difficult to justify on a biblical basis. Personally I believe that Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 is talking about the continuation of gifts alongside faith, hope and love and that gifts cease only when Christ returns, which is when we will know as we are fully known. Therefore, in my view, we should expect to see a variety of gifts at work in our local churches. Wherever you stand on the continuance of spiritual gifts, and the relevance of particular gifts for today’s Church, there remains the difficulty of identifying and utilising those gifts amongst our congregations. Furthermore, there is the problem of ensuring that the encouragement of spiritual gifts is empowering and not enslaving. So here are five landmarks to keep in view while orienteering the landscape of spiritual gifts.

1 Gifts are by grace, not by works The Bible clearly teaches that when God includes us into his family by faith, we join him in the family business of building his Church and demonstrating his kingdom. God equips us with spiritual gifts to help accomplish his work. As we seek to follow God and become more like Jesus, we will see our unique place in the church and in our community develop naturally. For the most part they will suit our personality, our passions, our skills and our circumstances, for these have also been given to us from God. They may not be perfectly labelled, honed,

Mercy

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recognised and developed from the outset, but God’s timescales are different from ours. The important thing is that we recognise God’s grace to us in including us in his work, and we seek to glorify him daily, not because we must, but because we want to draw closer to the one who has saved and adopted us.

2 Gifts do not define you

When I see one of our regular preachers sweeping the floor at the end of a service after a visiting preacher has done a bland job, or a young person struggling to strum the chords while our professional musicians sit in the pew having a “week off”, it sometimes makes me grumble at the inefficiency of church life. But I also recognise that we are more than the spiritual gifts we have been given. Being a gifted pastor and teacher does not negate our calling to be a good servant to the needs of others. The gift of healing does not preclude you from showing hospitality by washing up at the end of a service. Philip was a man recognised to be full of the Spirit. This was the primary qualification the apostles were looking for when selecting someone to do the very practical task of the distribution of food to widows, an area where there had been some controversy. But the New Testament’s account of Philip focuses on his work as an evangelist, not as a waiter. It is Philip who sees many in Samaria come to faith and then is led by the Spirit to the desert to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch, who seems to have been the springboard for his nation’s coming to faith. In the wrong hands Philip’s identification as someone with the gift of hospitality might have limited his ministry and stopped him from obeying God’s call in other areas. Whatever our gift, we are primarily defined as God’s children, filled by God’s Spirit, and as such we should be open to the Spirit to lead us into all sorts of ministry opportunities.

3 Gifts are for the benefit of the Church, not for your ego Being identified as a prophet can give you a lot of kudos in the church. Your words carry more weight than they used to. Similarly the gift of teaching may open doors for those who like to stand behind a microphone. It may be tempting to see the gift of hospitality as a bit lame in comparison, as there is often very little public appreciation for this on a Sunday morning service. But this would be to misread how gifts work and whom they are for.

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“even if we recognise the different gifts that God has given the members of the church, unless we have worked out how to use them for God’s mission we are wasting our time.” Firstly Christ has distributed the gifts as he sees fit, so belittling our gifts dishonours Christ himself (Ephesians 4:7). Secondly, the gifts are not there to honour the operator of the gift but rather for the building up of the church and the glory of God. And thirdly, gifts are supposed to underline the indispensiblity of other people, not as a way to magnify our own importance (1 Corinthians 12). Perhaps this is why the more public gifts often come with cautions – prophets are warned not to lead others astray, and teachers that they will be judged more strictly. Plagues and curses are even threatened for abuse of those positions. Whatever our gifts, they can easily become misused for personal ego building and so we need to remember that in the end they are not given for us but for the benefit of the Church.

4 Gifts are for the sake of the world What happens when your main gift is not really that useful on a Sunday morning – administration, mercy or evangelism? There is a danger, particularly as church leaders are struggling to find people to populate rotas and run ongoing ministries, that gift surveys and courses are a slightly mischievous means to assign people to jobs that need doing at our services. Instead we should try and spot spiritual gifts in people and alongside their character, maturity and passion seek to nurture them to grow in these areas. This might mean some important Sunday morning ministries get dropped for the sake of equipping and releasing people to serve God in their workplace and neighbourhoods. It may mean that we regularly publicly affirm the calling of our teachers, carers, evangelists, as well as recognising how much we are blessed by those in our churches who have an ability to crunch numbers or willingly open their homes, wallets or hearts.

5 Gifts are about mission

Spiritual gifts are a way of rooting us to one another in church. Despite the individualism of our culture, the church is supposed to be a family, a community, a relational network of people who love each other deeply and serve each other sacrificially. In his wisdom God has

made the role that other people play in your spiritual life indispensible. Perhaps I could try a similar strategy when deciding gifts to give my family at Christmas. Imagine I wrap up an Xbox console and give it to my wife as her present. I then give the controllers to my daughters and the cables to my sons. Each gift, though generous, is on its own virtually useless, but once everyone contributes their part suddenly the whole thing works together. But there is still something missing. With no games, the whole gift is pointless. Similarly, even if we recognise the different gifts that God has given the members of the church, unless we have worked out how to use them for God’s mission we are wasting our time. Once my family is embroiled in working out how Lego Robin can help Lego Batman on the screen achieve the next power up, suddenly it isn’t as important who put which cable into which port, or who owns which controller. Discovering our spiritual gifts and making sure they operate is only the first stage. It is only when we recognise the grace of God and our identity in Christ, and we join in the Spirit’s purpose to build the Church, save the world and equip us for mission, that things really begin to take off. KRISH KANDIAH President of LST

Article first published on www.christiantoday.com INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

ADMINS 23 TRATION

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Soli Deo Gloria

Musical excellence and worship 24

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Music and Worship students at LST quickly find that we place a strong emphasis on excellence, both in academic studies and in practical music skills. Practice rooms are buzzing with activity as fingers, lips and vocal chords grapple with transforming the dots on the page into beautiful sound. For most musicians, the goal of excellence comes at a high price in terms of time and commitment.

of pride and envy can so easily take control. Endless hours of practice and pursuit of perfection can become a form of idolatry when it threatens to push God to the sidelines, and in any case a First Class degree is no ticket to heaven - Jesus took care of that bit.

We all enjoy hearing music performed well, whether in a service of worship or in the concert hall. Yet in churches this pursuit of excellence can often cause tension. I know of one church where the Director of Music was asked by the minister to prepare a special Christmas service with choir and musicians, but was firmly told that he could only have two rehearsals! When he pointed out that this was a totally inadequate length of time to prepare anything that the congregation would want to listen to, the response was “it’s not a concert - it’s only worship”.

How, then, can theology help us gain a balanced perspective on the pursuit of musical excellence in the context of worship?

Only worship. Only bringing ourselves before the one true God, creator and sustainer of the world. Only doing the single most important thing that he created us to do - to worship him. Does preparing for that really warrant less time and effort than a concert? From the minister’s point of view, the issue was simple. The more time the choir and musicians spent rehearsing for one service, the less time they would have to be involved in the other plans the church had for the Christmas season - reaching out to the homeless, visiting those in the community with special needs, attending the 24/7 prayer event. These too were a vital, practical expression of worship, and surely Jesus would have rated these more highly than indulging ourselves in the arts? Of course, there are pitfalls for the Christian musician. The musical world is a competitive one, where success and opportunity is often dependant on gaining high marks in exams, winning competitions, and proving in auditions that you can play better than everyone else. For many professional musicians, their value to their employer is measured by not by who they are, but simply by how well they play. Their sense of self-worth is inextricably tied up with their ability to play or sing, and so an unhealthy spirit

Created to Create First, let’s look back to the Book of Genesis. The first chapter of the Bible gives us the account of creation. Calvin Johansson, in his book Music & Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint1, highlights three aspects of the doctrine of creation:

Creatio ex nihilio God creates out of nothing. He is the originator and source of all creation, and chooses to create from his own freewill. Thus he is the primary creator. Humans, by contrast, are secondary creators, because they are reliant on the materials that God has first created. They rearrange sound and objects into new forms, but without the physical matter that God has first created their ideas cannot be realised.

Creatio continua God not only initiates creation - he sustains it. Creation is thus not merely a historical event - it is a present one, because without God’s continued intervention that which he created would not continue to exist. This doctrine is linked with Genesis 1:28 God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”2 Thus the continuance of creation is partly mankind’s responsibility, having been given a mandate by God to ensure that what he initiated can continue.

1. Johansson, C., Music & Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint, 1994,1998, Hendrickson, Massachusetts 2. New American Standard Bible INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

Imago Dei This doctrine concerns Genesis 1:27, where we are told that ”God created man in his own image”. Prior to that statement, the writer gives no indication of what that image might be. As Dorothy L. Sayers points out, the only thing we can deduce about God at this point is that he creates3. Thus we may assume that mankind created in his image is also a creator, albeit, as we have seen, a secondary one. At the same time, it is recognised that mankind’s imaging of the Creator is marred and severely blemished as a result of the Fall. Thus it could never be true to suggest that a musical composition or work of art could tell us all we need to know about God, because it is created by a fallen being, reliant solely on Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross. Johansson goes on to postulate that human desire to be creative is a natural instinct - a direct result of being made in the image of the creator. Thus when we engage in creative acts, such as musical composition or performance, or drama, we bring pleasure to God because he sees us living out what he made us to be - images of himself. Furthermore, if we “image” God by being creative, then our creative acts have potential to reveal aspects of God to other people. These three concepts are crucial to enabling a true understanding of the place of musical excellence in worship. The musician’s desire to perform to high standards need not be seen an act of self-gratification, but an essential ingredient of human activity instilled by the Creator. Far from being egotistical, it should be a natural response to the way we are created.

Back to Bach To further help our thinking, let’s consider how one of history’s most skilled musical craftsmen sought to combine musical excellence with divine worship.

J. S. Bach wrote more than 150 cantatas, many of them during his final post as music director of St Thomas’s Church, Leipzig (1723-1750). St Thomas’ was a large, well established centre of worship in the Lutheran tradition, where the main Sunday service began at 7am, lasted for four hours, and attracted some 2,500 worshippers every week. There seems to be evidence that a good deal of irreverent behaviour marred the services, with people arriving late, talking, snoring, reading the newspaper, and even the throwing of paper darts by men in the balconies to attract the attention of ladies below4. Those who, in today’s churches, surreptitiously check their Facebook pages during the sermon seem polite by comparison! Against this disorderly background, Bach’s music must have struggled to be heard. With up to 55 boys in his choir, and access to music students at the university to form an orchestra, it is tempting to think that he was generously resourced, and thus able to present performances of a high standard. The reality is that Bach’s resources were stretched to their limits. Voices were tired and overused, and students then, as now, were squeezing church services into an already full schedule of concerts, practice and study. In these circumstances Bach might have been forgiven for knocking out a mediocre piece and saying “it’s not a concert - it’s only worship”. And yet every one of his cantatas is a musical masterpiece, finely crafted, and many of them setting new standards and styles that would influence the development of western music for centuries to come. One of Bach’s best-known cantatas is No. 140, “Sleepers Wake!”. Written in 1731 for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, it is based on Matthew 25:1-13 – the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In order to engage his listeners, Bach based the cantata around a popular hymn-tune of the day, and employed many styles and techniques that were popular in the theatre and opera-house. You can hear the cantata at www.bit.do/solideo - if you don’t already know it, it’s worth taking time out to listen - and to wish that Bach was in charge of music at your church!

3. Sayers, D. L., The Mind of the Maker, 1941, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich;, New York reprint 1970, Greenwood, Connecticut 4. Gardner: Music in the Castle of Heaven, 2013, Allen Lane, London

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The chorale was written to illustrate the scripture passage for the day, and it is probable that the performance would have been divided into sections at various points in the service, the music being used to reinforce the narrative. The cantata opens with an elaborate choral and orchestral embellishment of the chorale tune, weaving complex musical counterpoint around the first part of the hymn. He follows this with a recitative in which the soloist urges the Daughters of Zion to make themselves ready. Bach’s ambitious use of wide leaps, and dissonant chords would have stretched his listeners, but his strategy was simple – the opening movement has presented a well-known and well-loved melody, settling the congregation, and preparing them to accept genres with which they were less familiar. The chorale tune now returns in the form of a chorale prelude sung by the men of the choir, to the verse “Zion hears the watchmen singing”. This is the best-known section of the work, often sung at Christmas.

After a further recitative, Bach brings a new surprise. The Soul and Jesus sing of their joy at being united, in an aria is written in the style galant that was radical and cuttingedge in the 1730’s, boldly looking forward to the classical style that was to emerge fully some half a century later. Finally, the congregation are invited to join in with the final verses of the hymn, now presented in a simple and non-embellished style. Let’s consider what Bach has done here. Rather than merely compose music for the liturgy he has constructed a work of the type which, then as now, might be more readily accepted in the concert-hall rather than a church service. He has sought to draw the congregation into an appreciation of elaborate and sometimes startlingly contemporary musical idioms by the subtle means of basing his cantata around a tune with which they would be instantly familiar. He has recognised the value of operatic and theatrical genres in communicating truth just as Jesus, in giving us the original parable, recognised

“Bach might have been forgiven for knocking out a mediocre piece and saying “it’s not a concert, it’s only worship”. And yet every one of his cantatas is a musical masterpiece.” INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

“For Bach, his performance, both as a composer and as a musician, was as much an act of worship as it was a means of earning a living. To give anything less would not image his Creator.” the value of story-telling as a tool with which to engage his audience. Crucially, Bach has involved the congregation in the performance, by including chorale verses that they sing, thereby reinforcing the message that Jesus’ teaching was as much for them in their time as it was in the first-century. The congregation are both listeners and performers, and become part of the narrative. It is highly probable that the majority of Bach’s listeners on that 27th Sunday after Trinity in 1731, distracted by snoring, chattering and paper dart-throwing, had little appreciation of the extraordinary display of compositional virtuosity before them. So what drove him to produce some of his greatest music in these unpromising circumstances? Was he merely entertaining his audience? In view of their renowned unruly behaviour, this would seem an unlikely motivation. Perhaps it is more probable that it was his belief in high ideals in the service of God. It is well-known that he appended the initials SDG - Soli Deo Gloria, meaning “to God alone be the glory” - to all of his church compositions, as well as to many secular ones, suggesting that he saw his art as both deriving from and pointing back towards a divine creator. He could not contemplate a mediocre standard of workmanship for a mediocre audience; his work needed to demonstrate excellence because God had granted him talent, and was worthy of receiving the highest standard in return. Although there is no record of it, we might imagine Bach, along with King David in 2 Samuel 24:24, saying “I will not offer to the Lord a sacrifice that costs me nothing”. For Bach, his performance, both as a composer and as a musician, was as much an act of worship as it was a means of earning a living. To give anything less would not image his Creator.

5. New Century Version

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A living sacrifice At LST we encourage our Music and Worship students to pursue excellence, not that they might prove themselves better than others, nor that they might make themselves more acceptable in God’s eyes, nor that the congregations of their churches might be entertained by their skills and artistry. We do it because we are created beings, made in the image of a creator God, whose supreme creativity is imaged in one form or another in each one of us. We do it as our natural response to God’s grace. As Paul says in Romans 12:1: So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.5 For the musician, this, taken together with the doctrine of the Imago Dei, is a call to compose to the highest standard, to perform to the utmost, to pour oneself out in ernest endeavour in creating art, both because we are made to do so, and because we choose to do so in response to what God has done for us. Soli Deo Gloria. RICHARD HUBBARD Lecturer in Music, and Director of Music & Worship Evening Classes and Summer Schools Taken in part from a paper presented at the conference on Popular Performance Cultures and Christian Worship in the Eighteenth Century and Beyond at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, in February 2014.

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or PhD Research degree in a Theology, Music & Worship area of your choice. Research a topic under the supervision of one of LST’s leading thinkers.

“LST offers something that I believe is unique and very needful; Music and Worship Programmes that develop and equip students to a high level in three key areas by integrating the study of music, worship and theology. I commend it highly.” Dr. Graham Kendrick, Songwriter & Worship Leader

“I am passionate about seeing the church coming together to worship God and enjoy great music. If you are looking to develop your skills as a musician and to be equipped for worship ministry, there may be no better place to study than LST.” Tim Jupp, Big Church Day Out, Delirious? “I’ve seen many people move on from LST with a richer faith, a deeper conviction of their calling, and greater equipped to serve Jesus and His Church.” Beth Croft, Soul Survivor

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I have been reflecting on the importance of empathy and our human need for connection. Choosing to be with another person in their pain, loss and confusion, and to journey with them, is an honour. Whether you are a professional psychotherapist or a friend armed with little more than a cup of tea and tissues, there is one critical tool which is required; empathy. Research professor and bestselling author Brené Brown has helpfully explored the difference between empathy and sympathy in one of her lectures, saying, “empathy fuels connection, sympathy drives disconnection”. This ability to forge a connection with someone requires us to be able to: recognise someone’s perspective as their truth, to refrain from passing judgement on them or their situation, to recognise their emotion and, more than that, to feel it with them. Sympathy responds, often, in Brené

Brown’s words, by “silver-lining” the situation. Empathy is the vulnerable choice to enter that ‘sacred space’ of another person’s pain, and to acknowledge it without diminishing it; to connect and journey with them.1 Choosing empathy when working with people is key to enabling them to feel understood and truly cared for, which is inevitably hope-bringing. Empathy flows deeply throughout each of the aspects of the REMA model. REMA is the unique model taught on the professionally accredited and academically validated Theology and Counselling course at LST.2

1. Brene Brown’s great RSA Short video can be found on YouTube by searching, “Brene Brown on Empathy”. 2. Theology and Counselling BA at LST is accredited by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapist and The Association of Christian Counsellors. It is also validated by Middlesex University. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

“Empathy helps the counsellor shine the light of hope, so that even in the darkest night the counselee knows they are not alone.” REMA is an acronym for four foci: Relationship, Embodiment, Meaning Making and Agency. The four elements of REMA encompass features of human experience, as well as key characteristics, needs and longings. Let’s start with Relationship and Empathy…

Relationship

Insights gained through neurobiology reveal how the quality of our relationships is crucial to our sense of wellbeing. Empathy within a caring relationship is vital as true connection with another requires mutual sharing and giving of self. As such, empathy is a necessary precondition for all true relationships. For those engaging in Counselling and Pastoral care this presents the challenge of not just authenticity but deepening levels of selfawareness. Empathy, therefore, becomes the vehicle by which the counselling relationship goes beyond a one-stop-shop for fixing some problems. It invites openhearted exploration of self and self-expression, with the assurance of being journeyed with in the company of another who is safe to navigate the, at times, difficult terrain of life.

Embodiment

Empathy is not just a cognitive or verbal exercise; it is a way of being physically with the person in the room. It is important to consider how we communicate non-verbally that we are listening to, caring for and understanding the counselee.

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We recognize that the biblical illustration of our bodies as the limbs of Christ in the world was not just metaphorical. The New Testament ecclesia was very much with each other in body and spirit, by virtue of their sharing in the Holy Spirit of Christ who encourages relationships and unity. 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:1-16 extol the virtues of difference, developing the concept of difference not as independent parts but as pieces intimately connected and necessary to create a whole. As Philippians 1:8 so well conveys, a Christ-like empathy is an embodied state, where the word ‘compassion’ is referred to as felt experience in our ‘gut’. Advances in neurobiology inform us of mirror neurons that fire when engaging in the story of another, causing us to feel the pain of others in our bodies. There is something about being physically with each other that embodies empathy. It is worth noting at this point that Counselor/pastoral worker self-awareness and active recognition of the need to have good boundaries while working within a clear ethical framework is of utmost importance. As an embodied tool, appropriately used empathy can enable the counselee to start to explore and practice new ways or relating to others, themselves and God. It forms a safe cocoon where vulnerability is welcomed and held as a precious jewel where the counsellor expresses the loving care of God the Father for them.

Meaning Making

This addresses the all-important ‘Why?’ question. Our ability to deal with all that life brings requires us to arrive at a place of understanding. It is natural then that a core part of the therapeutic journey involves telling our story.

Part of our story may well be to acknowledge our deepest fear that our lives may not make sense! It is in that moment of existential uncertainty we need empathy as the bridge to trusting the other person in the room that they can cope, even in darkest of times. As well as trusting the empathic ability of the counsellor, the counselee needs to be able to trust the process; ultimately believing there is hope or even a point to telling their story. So empathy needs to be strong, be able to face the hardest places of another’s humanity and hold it without running away. The dialogue between empathy and meaning making keeps the counsellor in tune with their own need for answers in the face of pain, loss and uncertainty. Empathy helps the counsellor shine the light of hope, so that even in the darkest night the counselee knows they are not alone. In Pastoral terms this is known as “paraklesis”. ‘Paraklesis is the mode in which God comes to people in their situations of dread, suffering, sin, despair, error, and insufficiency’,3 emphatically identifying with and caring for them.

Agency

As the counsellor/pastoral worker empathically engages with the world of their counselee, the counselee feels safe enough to consider how their life may have been affected through their own action. When the counselee’s story is told and explored, meaning leads to a sense of being able to reframe what was and explore the possibility of responding to life events differently. Agency is the active response to meaning. Once the ‘Why?’ has been faced, felt and understood, the ‘What now?’ can be considered. Empathy at this stage keeps the counsellor away from the role of judge/jury/critical parent/disapproving teacher and keeps them in touch with the need for grace in their own lives.

As Rowan Williams says so well, citing Matthew 23:13, ‘to assume the right to judge or to assume that you have arrived at a settled spiritual maturity which entitles you to prescribe confidently at a distance for another’s sickness is in fact… to cut them off from God… But the plain acknowledgment of your solidarity in need and failure opens a door: it shows that it is possible to live in the truth and to go forward in hope.’ 4 It is this hope which creates a sense that change is possible. In the context of empathy, the action of empathy towards oneself could be a key component to healing and change. The internal voice or voices that were once critical, pained, lost or hopeless can change to become similar to the loving empathy experienced by the counselling relationship. External empathy experienced by the counselee becomes an internal reality applied to themselves. Even if the circumstances which surround them change very little, the experience of empathy can give clients the courage to explore how they can change their approach to, and view of, all those seemingly insurmountable or unchangeable events of the past, present or future. As we sit in the room with another person, whether as a friend or trained counsellor, choosing empathy as we guide them through the REMA model, is a profoundly prophetic and metaphorical act. In this choice we implicitly mirror the paraklesis we encounter in the presence of our incarnate Lord, Jesus Christ. There is no greater empathy available to us than the understanding and feeling of Jesus for us and with us when he took on our vulnerability, death, pain, loss, confusion and despair on the Cross. Out of compassion, out of empathy, he forges that connection with us in our struggles, which turns into our connection with him in his resurrection and eternal life. KIRSTY ANNABLE Lecturer in Counselling Theology & Counselling Level 4 Leader Student Pastoral Support Manager

3. Jacob Firet, Dynamics Of Pastoring, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986, p. 68 4. Rowan Williams, Silence And Honey Cakes - The Wisdom Of The Desert, Lion Hudson 2004, p. 31

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THE MIND IS MULTIPLE.. 34

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The mind is multiple.. Yes, it’s true! It’s a fact that has long been acknowledged by psychologists of various approaches and philosophical orientations, as well as the self aware among us who are familiar with the different parts of our minds that sometimes are in harmony with each other and sometimes at odds. For example, have you ever been aware of the part of you that wants to study or mark exam scripts whilst another part of you would rather be out socialising with friends? Or the part that feels irritated with someone while another part wants to keep peace? Or the part that wants the pudding and the part that says ‘no’! Sound familiar? Even the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans acknowledged the internal conflict of the personality when he said: ‘I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’ (Romans 7:15). And again, in Galatians 5:17, he says that ‘the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other’. So, the mind is multiple. Furthermore, it appears that multiplicity is normal. However, until not so very long ago, we might not have been so willing to admit to there being different parts of our personalities, or to make public the internal dialogue of our minds. The stigma attached to mental disorders, such as ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’1 , which lie at the extreme end of the multiplicity continuum, may have prevented us giving this normal phenomenon voice. But thanks to two planets colliding in the form of ‘Internal Family Systems’ (IFS) and the Disney Movie ‘Inside Out’, it now appears to be okay to admit that our minds are full of sub-personalities.

If this idea still seems a bit far out, let me share a little of the plot of the ‘Inside Out’ movie, which has made sense of IFS theory in a popular and accessible way and makes the concept of multiplicity come alive: Basically the protagonist of the animated film, a young girl called Riley, shares her personality with some very endearing and funny parts of herself, who live in the ‘headquarters’ of her mind. There’s ‘Joy’, ‘Sadness’, ‘Anger’, ‘Fear’ and ‘Disgust’. All these parts or sub-personalities seem to be living in relative harmony, until one day, out of the blue, she and her parents move from their happy home in Michigan to San Francisco. This means leaving behind all that is fond and familiar, and as a result, the stress activates the different parts of her personality to take on some extreme antics that are not particularly helpful. Ultimately, the story teaches us that all parts are welcome and valued, and together they contribute to the richness of Riley’s personality. The simple message of ‘Inside Out’ completely resonates with IFS thinking, albeit the theory is much more complex than the film conveys. Essentially, though, IFS theory proposes that the mind is naturally multiple, and when Self is in the lead all the sub-personalities in the mind, known as ‘parts’, take on worthwhile roles that allow the internal system of the individual to function well. The Self then, is a bit like a conductor leading an orchestra, where all parts are prized and the overall effect is harmonious.

Formerly known as ‘Multiple Personality Disorder’. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

“The simple message of ‘Inside Out’ completely resonates with IFS thinking, albeit the theory is much more complex than the film conveys.” In IFS theory, the problem arises when significant events or traumas occur in childhood. Often in order to protect the Self, parts of the mind take up the extreme ideas, feelings and negative messages adopted from such events or the people involved in those events. These are known as ‘burdens’. As a result, these burden carrying ‘parts’ can become frozen in time with the memories, feelings and messages as live as the day they arrived. So that these wounded parts won’t trouble the Self and cause problems for the functioning of the internal system, they are often exiled out of consciousness (repressed, might be another more familiar word for this). However, the burdens still continue to govern the parts behaviour. In the absence of Self-leadership, other parts of the personality then take on a ‘manager’ role and lead the system. Unfortunately, in periods of stress, the manager and exile parts are triggered, and as seen in ‘Inside Out’, chaos can ensue because of the different messages they carry and the polarities between them. In a nutshell, then, the task of therapy is to enable Self to take back its leadership of the internal system and to deal with the polarities that have arisen. Also, the parts carrying the wounds and messages of the past need to be empathically witnessed and unburdened, so that reintegration of the personality can occur.

This unburdening process is at the heart of IFS, as it is at the heart of the Gospel. Likewise, a spirit controlled temperament/mind (or Self under the operation of the Holy Spirit) is the message of Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 3:5-3:15. Multiplicity, too, is a theme throughout Scripture and within the Christian worldview, evidenced in the various books of Scripture that make up the canon, the various ministries of the body and the Trinity of the Godhead, etc. For this reason, Richard Schwartz, the American founder of IFS was invited to speak at LST’s 2014 counselling conference, entitled, ‘IFS: A Christian perspective’. Here, participants were invited to discuss IFS’s theoretical basis and applicability to their practice as Christian counsellors. Following the interest generated by that, Level 1 IFS training has been instituted at LST, with a final week of the training which ran in January 2016. As at least a quarter of the participants were Christian, hopefully this and other IFS trainings will firmly put IFS in the hands of Christian counsellors and be another effective tool in our body ministry to a hurting world. Beyond that, we pray that our witness shown through our hospitality and caring attitude (noted in all the evaluations) will continue to be something that will impact the delegates and speak of the love of God. Because, borrowing from IFS lingo, in Christ all parts (people) are valued and welcome! IRENE DAVIES Theology and Counselling BA Programme Leader.

Images courtesy of the Disney Pixar film ‘Inside Out’

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a nutshell, then, the task of therapy is to enable Self to take back its leadership of the internal system and to deal with the polarities that have arisen. â&#x20AC;&#x153; INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

Spirit Inspired Praise in Iraq Dust covered the faces and instrument cases of a dozen extremely white, American worship leaders and musicians crammed into the back of a Chinese pick-up truck in the middle of northern Iraq. Decades earlier this Kurdish village had some of the most fertile soil in the region. Sadly, Saddam Hussein, in partnership with Ali Maji (Chemical Ali), not only destroyed over five hundred Kurdish villages and executed thousands of people, but these two despicable men also unleashed a scorched-earth policy to destroy the agriculture of the Kurdish region. Instead of the lush fertile fields ripe with economic potential, there was a land filled dust, dirt, depression, and death. As we pulled up to our destination, armed guards with Kalashnikovs at the ready began to search our Chinese pick-up truck and musical cases in order to ensure that our agenda was a peaceful one. After the guards were satisfied, we drove a little further and saw what looked

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like the walls of an ancient fortified castle. We entered the massive, well-guarded gate and saw that this was not a castle; it was a former Iraqi military base where IranianKurdish refugees now lived and worked. These Kurds had been allowed to live in this base that was previously used years earlier by Saddam as he attempted to destroy their people. As our Kurdish hosts took us on a brief tour of the military base, we saw hundred of photos of men, young and old, lining the walls. They told us that these pictures were the fathers, uncles, and brothers who had died as martyrs fighting for freedom. Every day those living in this former military base are reminded of their loved ones. The combination of high protective walls, cinder-block military architecture, pictures of loved ones killed in years of fighting, and the knowledge of Husseinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genocide against the Kurds unleashed from this very place caused me to feel an indescribable sense of loss and death. It felt like standing on the fields of Gettysburg or walking across the beaches at Normandy. These Kurds, who have made it through decades of atrocious circumstances, now try to survive and build homes and futures in this former military base.

“There is no home, village, city, or nation too dark, too lost, or too evil for God’s Spirit to invade and bring transformation. There is no tribe, people, community, or family too far from the reach of the saving and transforming work of Christ. “ We were there because we had been invited, along with our local hosts, to provide English placement examinations for young adults attending an upcoming language course. The Kurdish community leaders have a passion to see their children succeed and prosper in life. Gaining English language skills gives this new generation a competitive advantage in the region. We expected a few dozen students. Instead, over a hundred Kurds, hungry for a better future, began pushing, shouting, and shoving to get a seat for the exams. We realized that unless something was done immediately, we were going to have a massive problem. A few of us grabbed our instruments and started worshiping. We moved to the other side of the facility and began to pour out worship to God. Suddenly, the crowd stopped fighting for a space at the exam and instead gathered around the musicians and singers. As the exams continued in an orderly fashion, sounds of worship and prophetic declarations of God’s love for the Kurds and the hope of freedom found only through Christ echoed throughout Hussein’s former facility of death and destruction. After about an hour of worshiping, the Spirit of God began to fill these precious people with supernatural joy and hope as they began to sing, dance, and play their native drums. Indigenous sounds of freedom, joy, and hope began to rise up to the heavens. We stopped playing as these Kurds, who were being touched by the Spirit, took over and began to erupt in passionate, fresh, indigenous songs. As we were packing up at the end of the day, one of the young emerging leaders of the community gathered us into a room to thank us. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stated, “Thank you so much for helping us with our English, but we would really like to thank you for your music.” He continued, “This castle (their name for the military base) is solemn but with your sounds, songs, and music it became a new shape with life. It was a place of death and now is a place of life.” Stunningly, this young Muslim leader, who later became a follower of Jesus, was able to identify

the power of Spiritinspired music to transform even the toughest of places. There is no home, village, city, or nation too dark, too lost, or too evil for God’s Spirit to invade and bring transformation. There is no tribe, people, community, or family too far from the reach of the saving and transforming work of Christ. During our first trip to Northern Iraq, Spirit-inspired songs of joy and hope were released from a group of people that some governments would call terrorists, but as the Spirit was poured out, they became worshipers. In these challenging contexts, trained worship leaders and musicians are desperately needed to partner with the Spirit and local musicians to birth new indigenous songs of worship. At LST, we are committed to equipping our students with innovative musical skills to help lead communities into the kingdom vision of ethnically and culturally diverse worship. If you desire to develop skills and understanding of music in a range of culture, then consider joining us for our next Ethnomusicology Intensive at London School of Theology. Learn musical skills to partner with the Spirit as he inspires diverse praise in the nations. JEREMY PERIGO Director of Music & Worship Programmes, LST (Portions of this article taken from “Indigenous Praise Goes Up as the Spirit Comes Down” in Burn 24-7: A Collision of Vertical Worship and the Great Commission)

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Reviews

bookS :

41 THE ATHEIST WHO DIDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EXIST ANDY BANNISTER 42 THE RECKLESS LOVE OF GOD ALEX EARLY 43 SOME words for another time ken benjamin 44 digital world - analogue church david snelling 45 on my way home deborah armin FILMS : 46 captive (a tale of redemption)

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The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist by Andy Bannister Many Christians in the 21st century have had the ‘pleasure’ of being ridiculed for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember throughout sixth form, I was labelled ‘irrational’, ‘narrow-minded’, ‘deluded’ and sometimes referred to as ‘a child that simply needs to grow up’. Many of my peers were influenced by New Atheist thought, which although has died down a lot, is still a big influence in the way many perceive faith today. It often feels that we are helpless to respond against these Atheist accusations. Andy Bannister’s book ‘The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist’ is a great remedy for such helplessness. His smooth writing style and clear presentation of great intellectual arguments, makes this book a must-read. Not only is it smooth and clear, it is also incredibly funny. I struggled often to contain myself as I sat reading it in the LST library (apologies to the students that I disturbed!). I was reminded, whilst reading of Professor Lupin from Harry Potter, releasing a Boggart into the classroom, which takes the form of the viewers worst fear. However, Lupin taught his class a spell called ‘Riddikulus!’ which turned the Boggart instead into something funny. Bannister has managed to give us a ‘Riddikulus’ spell against the ‘Boggart’ atheists: with humour and clever arguments, he makes easy work in deconstructing some atrocious arguments. The book starts each chapter with a small story, which displays the point of the chapter in a sharp and clever way. From this, Bannister goes on to write a more detailed response to atheistic arguments, with a good few jokes along the way (if you do read the book, do not skip the footnotes, I promise, you will laugh!). Dealing with a range of arguments, including meaning, ethics and the historical Jesus; without delving into ridicule, Bannister manages to find amusing ways to counter atheistic arguments, in a way that will give confidence to the Christian reader, and may challenge the atheist reader. With reason, humour and wit, this book forces the reader to think well about the existence of God (and the existence of Atheists too). I’d recommend it as a gift to buy for the sceptic, agnostic or the devout evangelical, each has much to learn.

“Bannister manages to find amusing ways to counter atheistic arguments, in a way that will give confidence to the Christian readeR.”

REVIEW BY CAL DAVIE

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The Reckless Love of God BY Alex Early I’ve been looking for this book for ages! It’s the sort of book I can give my wife’s hairdresser who is seeking ‘truth’ but can’t quite find it! It’s a book on a simple but profound theme – the love of God! Yes – Jesus Loves Me, the Bible Tells Me So! Consequently, Alex – one of our own MA graduates – unpacks his answer to the question, “Does God love me?” by a series of chapters based on the Jesus Loves Me theme. Simples! The book is for all Christians, for sure, and especially for those who have become jaded about their relationship with the Father. It is also for people wanting to find ‘more’ – and Alex has the credentials to offer this rich and yet easily accessible presentation of the gospel – the good news that we are indeed loved by God. This is not theory - someone who turns out to have been quite headstrong from birth peppers it with great little insights from even greater theologians as well as down-to-earth personal testimony! I liked the stories – I liked even more the gospel stories Alex uses again and again to turn the reader’s attention to Jesus who becomes very meaningful through these pages – meaningful in relation to the struggles we all go through, the disappointments that contour our lives and the hopes we harbour. Alex’s Jesus is compassionate – someone wired to love and compassion then and now. Alex’s God is also compassionate – reaching out to people searching for authenticity in the messy business of life. This is a book about the One who is consistent, authentic and compassionate – where love is to be experienced and not merely believed. The heart of a pastor-theologian resonates throughout the book’s pages and makes it so inviting and readable. And, of course, at the very centre is a belief that we know Jesus loves us to the degree we have a robust understanding of the cross. What I particularly appreciated in reading this book was the way in which Alex marries divine Fatherly compassion with a strong presentation of the cross.

“This has all the makings of a classic.. a book you can return to again and again, a witness to which you can point seekers and non seekers alike.” 42

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Finally, because it is the Bible that tells us about Jesus, Alex homes in on the fact that such knowledge requires disciplines in order not only to be discovered but also to be maintained. I’d like to go off with him to the retreat he has tucked away – no doubt with North American comforts – and join him in his own discipline of taking time out. Here is advice from a practitioner, someone who not only has put in the hard graft of study but the even harder graft of planting a church in a bar – yes, a bar – pub, place you consume alcohol - which turns out to have been rather ‘off-centre’ in its clientele – but who then came to discover the God who loves them – and you – and me. Really – can’t recommend this highly enough! This has all the makings of a classic – a book you can return to again and again, a witness to which you can point seekers and non-seekers alike, and have confidence that they, too, will indeed discover the reckless love of God! REVIEW BY GRAHAM MCFARLANE Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology Alex Early (MDiv, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; MA, London School of Theology) is a pastor who has planted a church in a bar, served as a theology professor, created the Acts 29 West Academy, and launched the Acts 29 podcast. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree at Western Seminary, Alex lives with his wife and children in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at www.alxegesis.com

SOME WORDS FOR ANOTHER TIME by KEN BENJAMIN As I’ve been overseeing LST’s work with Alumni, it was a privilege to be given the opportunity to review this helpful booklet by LST Alumnus, and pastor of Chichester Baptist Church, Ken Benjamin. Drawing on his experience as a local pastor, Ken decided to jot down some words, words for another time. The ‘other time’, in Kens words, is that time after someone has been bereaved. These are not words for the initial shock, or even for a funeral or thanksgiving, rather they are words for a time after that, when many have forgotten, but grief still exists and affects. This is a nicely produced, carefully thought through, and eminently readable little booklet. Clocking in at just under 40 pages, this is a powerful blend of pastoral reflection, prayerful advice, encouraging quotes, and the power of a personal story. This is not an abstract book - this is the direct result of reflection on the coalface of pastoral ministry. Though not a piece of academic theology, there is depth to the reflection here, on both the authors own experience of bereavement, but also what - and, crucially, when - words are best used to the person who is missing a loved one. I would recommend this little booklet as a resource for pastors, particularly new pastors, as well as those involved in pastoral care but without formal training. If just one person was spared the anguish of ‘being assumed to be ok’, as a result of reading this little booklet, that would be wonderful. Written with a pastors heart, and a human perspective, ‘Some Words for Another Time’ is a welcome addition to the list of useful publications by LST/LBC Alumni.

“If just one person was spared the anguish of ‘being assumed to be ok’, as a result of reading this little booklet, that would be wonderful.”

REVIEW BY THOMAS CREEDY

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Digital World Analogue Church by david snelling In the 60s Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, “The medium is the message”. Somewhat self-explanatory, this concept that the medium of a message necessarily influences, shapes, and limits both the content of the message and how the message is received and perceived, is actually most profound when one takes the blanket off the subconsciously accepted normalcy of the world around us and peers at what lies behind it. To ask whether a magazine article or a book is best as the scene for an idea to be presented is one question. To ask whether that idea would be formed differently if one were to use a phonetic alphabet, such as English or Greek, rather than a logographic system, such as Mandarin or Japanese, is another one altogether; one favours sequential and linear constructions of ideas, while the other favours a wholeness capable of expressing an idea in itself. In “Digital World - Analogue Church”, Snelling asks these underlying questions of the medium of technology, of musical technology, and of ecclesial corporate worship, seeking to explore if the message of corporate worship is helped or hindered by the use of technology. Questioning the usefulness of technology in worshipping contexts could easily resort to a technophobic critique of alleged ‘smoke and mirrors’ employed by some churches; however, Snelling consciously maintains a determinedly even-handed discussion. This is encapsulated by his use of two wholly believable yet differing hypothetical churches which serve as contextualising examples for his examination of the (changing) use of technology in each. Having illustrated the subtle but surprisingly significant impact of ‘Time’ on western culture and technology, Snelling tackles an array of topics from ‘homogenisation’, to the nature of progress; from changing attitudes about music, to the relationship between artistic creativity and spirituality, and how technology can facilitate or diminish either. Snelling’s prose is enjoyable to read, his voice clear as he deftly weaves between the academic works of McLuhan, Drane, Dawn and Neibur while quoting Douglas Adams, Dave Grohl, and even UrbanDictionary to great effect.

“Questioning the usefulness of technology in worshipping contexts could easily resort to a technophobic critique of alleged ‘smoke and mirrors’ employed by some churches, however, Snelling consciously maintains a determinedly even handed discussion.” The main criticism which I would level at this book is that whilst the argument clearly and competently builds to the presentation of four different ways in which Churches can treat technology, before encouraging the Church to seek to build ‘real communities’ which are ‘vibrant and genuinely creative’, I worry that it will mistakenly only appeal to worship leaders and musicians. Don’t get me wrong, Snelling’s conclusions for the Church are most certainly helpful and should at the least be engaged with by those working in corporate worship contexts. However in a world where nearly a billion people log into Facebook on any given day, there is much in this book which would be profitable for: those who want to reflect on their personal worship experience, those who want to disciple others, those studying the interaction of faith and culture, those engaged in any kind of Christian ministry, and even, dare I say it, for those who lecture in or manage theological institutions. REVIEW BY SAMUEL S. THORP Pastoral Support Worker & LST Post-Graduate Student

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ONOne woman’s My WayjourneyHomein search of the unknown god

by Deborah Armin This is the story of an inspirational journey, of a woman’s spiritual quest which does not shirk the painful paths and personal backsliding through which she has to travel before finding salvation. A former student of LST, Deborah Armin grew up in South Africa and Kuwait, and has followed various careers in America and the UK. Now 50, she spent many years travelling through dangerous and dark times before reaching her ‘ground zero’, when she hit rock bottom. This is how her book starts, and Deborah then backtracks through her life via sexual abuse when she was a child (she glosses over this and yet the damage caused to her becomes obvious throughout the book), her parents’ divorce, and constant uprooting. Plagued by low self-esteem, she admits that she sought excitement in ‘all the wrong places’.

“The book is inspiring, but it also serves as a warning to those who would dabble in the sometimes friendly seeming activities of the New Age. It also testifies that becoming ‘born again’ is not necessarily a quick fix to salvation.” ‘Mr Right’ became her husband, at a time when she was searching for meaning through New Age practices, and seeking advice from astrologers and psychics. Encouraged by friends to seek God through Christianity, she began to trust God while carrying out her clinical massage practice, which subsequently flourished.

Much of the rest of the book is then a series of times of fragile enlightenment, and then backsliding as demons and temptations reared their ugly heads. She makes bad choices and experiences further abuse; financially struggling, she exchanges sex for favours. She continues to try to find answers through the Bible, being inspired by the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Drawn into Reiki healing, she seems unaware of the damage being caused to her by some of her spiritual practices. Divorce follows, and throughout her subsequent traumas, she prays to the ‘unknown God of the Universe’ to help her. She says ‘I felt overwhelmed by the absence of God.’ Eventually Deborah does indeed find the Lord, but her anguish does not end there as again and again, she makes further mistakes and gives into temptation when circumstances prevail against her. Ultimately she does dispense with all the paraphernalia involved in her New Age practices, she takes a course at LST, and enters a more stable period in her life, now mature in her faith and challenging her readers to come out of the darkness into the light. The book is inspiring, but it also serves as a warning to those who would dabble in the sometimes friendly seeming activities of the New Age. It also testifies that becoming ‘born again’ is not necessarily a quick fix to salvation. Deborah’s story may serve as an encouragement to those who have tentatively found the Lord and yet still cry out for second and third chances, and maybe more. It is a promise that God always watches over us, and even though we may slip, he will never fail us. REVIEW BY ISABELLA WELLS

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Captive

A TALE OF REDEMPTION

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A GROUP OF LST STUDENTS WENT TO THE CINEMA TO SEE THE FILM ‘CAPTIVE’. THESE ARE THEIR THOUGHTS.. Sarah Hobday

Matthieu Bhpoyroo

Based on true events, ‘Captive’ is a dramatic story where two strangers are each caught up in a life out of control. With some shocking scenes from the outset, single mum Ashley Smith (played by Kate Mara) and Brian Nichols (David Oyelowo) collide in a hostage situation. Facing their deepest fears and glimpsing a reflection of hope in Rick Warren’s book, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, they help each other break free from what binds and blinds them. This film seeks to portray a story that hit the headlines but some scenes add little to the telling. However, Kate and David work hard to give the viewer a taste of the traumatic events that night.

In the opening few minutes we are able to see two contrasting lives. One of a young woman who playfully loves her daughter. And the other of an alleged rapist who is making his way to a court hearing to decided his future conviction. From these scenarios a shock is enforced upon the viewer as a quite graphic turn of events all based on the own characters’ choices , lead them on a path to collide. There is a sense of poetry about the story, when looking at the two characters, two broken people and a trail of bad decisions have led them to a night together where they both find some form of subtle restoration.

Alyshia O’brien

David Oyelowo’s performance as the desperate suspect on the run, was powerful and tense. Due to the actions of the character in the opening scene, a ruthless, selfish persona is portrayed. Rather volcanic, Brian Nichols shows his eruption in the revealing scene and goes on throughout the film making choices to survive and save himself, yet the underlying lesson that he has to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Throughout the film, you were held in a suspense tension of “What’s going to happen?” Was her addiction for drugs stronger than her love for her little girl? Was he really a killer with no conscience? Slowly throughout the film some questions were answered, some you had to decipher for yourself. I found Brian interesting as he made the wrong decisions that he thought were for the right reasons, and Ashley, facing her own demons, was able to make him make one right decision which saved his life. There are a few things that tie these people together, in a remarkable way God had used these two, in the darkness, to be a light and source of strength. If Brian had not held Ashley captive and threatened her life, she would probably have never found the strength to give up the drugs to get her daughter back. And Brian would never see his son. I think the book ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ was also a great source for both of them too, as it carried a hope for them. That there was more to life. They could be forgiven and redeemed. Over all, a shocking story line, full of tension.

Ashley Smith shows a contrasting journey in order to reach the same conclusion. From a loving mother, to a drug addict, Kate Mara brings real colour to the more subdued storyline. The audience can appreciate the choices Smith takes, and is also left stunned by her lack of choices. In one scene where Smith sees a possible opportunity to save herself, to defend herself, when she uses the bathroom alone and tries to escape. The audience finds themselves rooting for her and Mara’s depiction of this victimised desperation after choosing not to take drugs, really ties the concept of this film together. Sometimes life is unfair and as much as we want to save ourselves, sometimes we just need a bit of grace to make things go our way.

INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

James Roberts

Ramsay Stewart

I have always been very sceptical when it comes to films based on real life events, in my experience they tend to heavily exaggerate their source material or warp it entirely. Perhaps I am just hoarding a lot of bad memories from this genre, but it is the attitude I take. So of course I enter into them with a pinch of salt and coming into Captive, I already had that doubt in the back of my mind.

The movie had a very simplistic plot. That is not automatically a bad thing. It’s all about how the premise is shown and how the idea is executed. A prime example of a simple plot being successful would be in Hitchcock’s 1948 thriller ‘Rope’. However, with this film I couldn’t help but feel like very little had actually occurred. The simplistic structure of ‘man shoots and runs and eventually turns himself in’ left me feeling rather underwhelmed.

But Captive wasn’t that. The performances of the two lead characters were solid and gave a real taste of the drama that must have unfolded. There was something especially unsettling about watching Brian Nichols near the beginning of the film commit a series of terrible crimes, all without flinching or a shred of human emotion. This is a man who is completely in control of his situation, which is precisely what I took away. Captive is all about control; who has control of our lives? There is room for a gospel narrative and a discussion on grace here, but I will leave that to interpretation. What is very clear to me, is that there is a very powerful juxtaposition here between the two leads in that Brian is in complete control of his situation, while Ashley Smith is helpless. That seems fairly obvious, because in a hostage situation that is always going to be the case. But what I am talking about here is how they react to tragedy and their lives in general, not just the captivity that the film depicts. Ashley’s dependence on drugs and inability to cut the habit, as well as her struggles to keep her commitments with her daughter show a lack of self control and real struggle. On the other side, Brian is cold, calculated and isn’t afraid to take the reigns of life into his own hands. He is thrown several curve balls and challenges, not just through the course of the narrative, but also in his past that he does not allow to take that control away. All of this is shown in just the opening twenty minutes or so, and by the end things are much different and show a real depth of character that isn’t immediately obvious. This was my big take away from Captive, and I left feeling satisfied that a story about humanity had been done justice.

INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

The film suggests that the reading of Rick Warren’s ‘Purpose Driven Life’ influenced Nichols to release Ashley Smith (his hostage) and to give himself up. The actual reading of the book in Smith’s apartment and the impact which it is suggested to have had on Nichols is nowhere near explored enough to be believable. Again, as the plot for the film comes largely from Smith’s testimony of the real life events, I would suggest that the dialogue is too vague here and that the plot and film as a whole suffers for that. The key theme in the film is without doubt one of redemption. This theme is apparent not only in Nichols’ life but also in Smith’s fight against drug addiction and in her struggle to gain back that which her addiction has stripped her of. This theme is fairly well executed but I feel that there was a lack of depth and exploration in the plot which stumps the growth in the theme.

Linnea Arvedal I would describe Captive as a documentary drama that succeeds in humanising a drug addict and a murderer so that we might identify with them. And this is essential to the movie, because without that identification it cannot bring us to question whether we have purpose, nor give us hope that we might be able to live a purpose driven life which seems to be the main message. The movie could be called Christian but the hopeful message is too vague to be as specific as that, and it stirs to a search for purpose rather than tell you what that purpose might be, though it’s hinting through Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ at finding it in God. As a thriller I’m afraid that it’s no more than okay – because of its slow pace and rather anti-climactic ending – and that the real story is more compelling than the movie.

Lisa Johnson The crux of this film is a depiction of how two people connecting through their brokenness can change the course of each other’s lives. A motif of a mirror is used throughout the film suggesting that each character is changed through seeing themselves reflected in the situation of the other. As each looks at the other, they see someone who is trying to break free from the prison that enslaves them with both of them finding hope and purpose through being a parent. The film is based on the true story of Ashley Smith who was held hostage by Brian Nichols for seven hours on one night in March 2007. The majority of the storyline shown on screen is set within that 24hr period with wider context only being given briefly at the beginning. Some further details are filled in through the conversations between Smith and Nichols, however because of this lack of context it is hard to decide whether it appears ‘realistic’ that a mere one night could alter two lives so significantly. More context is given in the ‘viewer’s guide’ where it is explained that a key element in transforming their situations was Ashley reading from ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ to Brian. However this is not something that comes across in the film. Whilst the book is read briefly, it isn’t a vital part of the storyline and the story as it is shown on screen could work just as well without the reference to ‘The Purpose Driven Life’.

Rather, the transformation seems to occur as a consequence of each individual finally feeling listened to. One of their earlier conversations revolves around Brian lamenting that “no-one wants to listen” and Ashley responding that “my family don’t listen to me either”. Over the course of the night it appears to be that it is this connection that evolves between the two broken lives that ultimately gives each other hope. In this way the film has subtly pointed towards the gospel as being relationship and connection with God that gives us hope, and elaborated on the quote that is shown right at the beginning ‘Romans 5:20 – But where sin increased, grace increased all the more’. Yet this reference to the gospel is so subtle that it is easily missed. The few quotes that are read out from ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ are along the lines of ‘your life has purpose and meaning’ and whilst this is true, it only scratches the surface of what the gospel really is for humanity and creation. The Christianity portrayed in this film could therefore be mistaken as being extremely individualistic. However, despite this, the issues that the film raises are extremely interesting, and engaging with this film is well worth it. In today’s culture of every film being so similar to the previous one, it is refreshing to see a film that has broken some of the expected conventions and with an ending that will leave you surprised. INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

Afiya Riley Romans 5:20 ‘Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more’. All films carry with them a message. Whether subliminal or not, you can be sure that the message is most definitely there. The same can be said for the new release ‘Captive’, which stars David Oyelowo (Brian Nichols) and Kate Mara (Ashley Smith). Based on a real life hostage encounter with quotes from ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ and The Bible, the film gives us an insight into the lives of two strangers whose paths unintentionally collide. Opening with Romans 5:20, Captive is a true depiction of the hope we all often find ourselves searching for; but of course, in the wrong places. The film begins with Ashley (one of the main characters), a recovering drug addict who just cannot seem to find the strength within to actually kick the habit. The opening sequence shows herself and her young daughter in an almost utopian scene where they are fitting the roles of the ideal mother and daughter as they play dress up and Ashley allows her daughter (Paige) to do her make-up. However, we soon realize that this scene is far from reality as it is only a memory that she is sharing in her self-help group. Whilst this is taking place, we are introduced to Brian (the other main character), and we follow him as he escapes from custody, killing two people and leaving another in a serious coma. After another senseless killing and grand theft auto on Brian’s part, the main characters finally meet when Ashley leaves her apartment to get a cigarette from her car and Brian follows her inside, taking her hostage. The time they spend together is very interesting because in a way they are both very similar. They’re both desperately trying to escape from the realities that they have come to know. For Ashley, it’s the mental chains caused by substance abuse and for Brian, it’s the actual physical chains of handcuffs and a prison cell. An almost-friendship is formed as the hours pass and Ashley decides to read ‘The Purpose Driven Life’. Reluctant to allow her to read, Brian tells her to read aloud. ‘He shaped you for a purpose, and he expects you to make the most of what you have been given’. Brian responds bitterly by saying “I haven’t been given anything”, but Ashley reminds him that he has a son.

INSIGHT - T H E W I T N E S S I S S U E

At this moment in the film, you can sense that something has shifted in both characters. It’s almost as if they come to the realisation that there is so much more to live for and they were created for much more, even though their current situations are less than ideal. Brian allows Ashley to leave the house under the impression that she is going to meet her daughter, although he is probably well aware that she’s going to run to the police. Once she gets in contact with the police, they surround the apartment and attempt to coax him outside. However, it’s only when Ashley speaks to him through the megaphone and reminds him that it’s not too late if he would only surrender, that he comes outside waving his white flag (a t-shirt). Throughout the film this is probably one of my favourite scenes because it shows real strength and courage on both parts. Ashley has decided once and for all that it’s time to get her life together for her daughter’s sake and Brian is holding onto the hope that he will one day be able to see his son. As the police cuff him and walk him to the car, Brian and Ashley share a lingering glance at one another, but it’s not one of anger or contempt. Somehow it seems to almost be a thank you, a mutual understanding that they, (both lost and broken) have managed to help one another to become somewhat better. Overall, I felt that it was a good and thought-provoking watch. God has given us all gifts, but what are you using them for?

WIN A COPY OF CAPTIVE ON DVD! Win a free copy of this challenging film on DVD. Simply email editor@lst.ac.uk by 01/04/16 with the subject: “Captive Competition” and your name, age and address, and 5 people picked at random will be sent a copy.

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