Over the years I’ve come to really appreciate the liturgical calendar. I grew up in a church that didn’t emphasise the seasons of liturgy, but at some point during university I began to practice its rhythms. It gave context to the holidays I absentmindedly celebrated as a child. Over the last year, it has created a sense of movement and change during a year where the rest of life feels like it’s moving in slow motion.
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With this month’s instalment of Sprachspielen, I would like to introduce a “mini-series” of sorts, where I deal with six different concepts over the coming months, which have a clear connection to each other and are seen by us as all being parts of a whole. I am referring to what we call our “Six-Fold Incarnational Strategy,” (hereafter, “6fis”). I realise that this title is a mouthful and sounds quite lofty and cerebral at first hearing, but I can assure you that there is no “rocket science” here, but a simple guide that we use in our personal and local ministries here in our various areas. You will have undoubtedly heard us speak about the 6fis on numerous occasions, and you can find it mentioned on our website in various places. Because the 6fis is so foundational to our work, I will be dealing with these six elements of the 6fis over the next few instalments of Sprachspielen.
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Have you ever had a dream that appeared to be both amazing and yet unrealistic? A dream that both excited and terrified you at the same time. If I dream, I don’t typically remember what it is unless it’s a nightmare. So when I have a dream that I remember (and it doesn’t frighten me), I spend the next couple of days wondering if it means anything.
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Jesus stories are a daily part of our life and ministry here in Wales. We earnestly believe that God transforms people as they experience Jesus through His parables, miracles and teachings. When it comes to sharing our faith with others, Jesus stories are a great way to give someone a glimpse of God’s family, a taste of what it means to be reconciled and welcomed home. But sometimes the stories surprise us on our own journeys with God.
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A month ago I tested positive with Covid-19. One of the questions that I was often asked was, “Did you lose your sense of taste and/or smell?” Originally, the answer was no. However, with each day that passed my symptoms changed, and I did ultimately lose these senses.
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For most of you, who have been following my Sprachspielen articles since they began last summer, you have seen that in these articles I have been addressing certain terms or vocabulary that have direct impact and applicability to who we are and what God has called us to do in missions. These terms have missiological, theological, spiritual, and even practical applicability to who we are and what we do, and I have been taking the time to explain the specific significance of these words to our vision and ministry in order that you might understand better what we mean, when we use these terms. Last month, as it was Christmas time and the end of 2020, I took the liberty of deviating ever so slightly from my normal approach by looking at the word “incarnation,” which was more general but obviously appropriate for the season. Hopefully, I was also able in this general way to bring the theme of “incarnation” back to a missiological understanding and application of that important theological concept.
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