John Davies - Notes From a Small Vicar

Missing preaching

Augustine said that a sermon must teach, delight and persuade, writes Christopher Burkett in the latest issue of The Preacher. It's an encouraging article because it affirms what I also feel: that preaching is a live art, not at all passe, as some people would have it. And he cites the popularity of the TED talks as an example of this. TED challenges 'the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers' (originally in Technology, Entertainment, Design but now with far wider scope) '... to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less)', and posts videos of these talks online for free. They are examples of what we'd call great sermons, writes Christopher, oral events which show how, with exacting preparation, practice and personal presence, each TED speaker '(doesn't) sell themselves, but the ideas they are passionate about'.

And after three weeks without a pulpit, I'm missing preaching. Especially because my passion for sharing Girardian perspectives on biblical passages (his mimetic theory has informed my preaching for well over a decade) is currently being excited by my reading of James Warren's Compassion Or Apocalypse?: A comprehensible guide to the thought of Rene Girard which is almost certainly the best of its kind I've yet read. In a world riven by violence and rampant with rivalry Girard's insights are so, so, relevant, and to me they offer the best answers available to the crucial question: Is God violent? and its corollaries: Is there a necessary relationship between violence and religion? Why are there so many violent stories in the Bible? Why did Jesus have to die? Are we living in the 'end times'? 

As they say over at Teaching Nonviolent Atonement, 'it’s our view that mimetic theory is the most powerful tool currently available to answer this question in a way that is faithful to the Bible and to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What emerges from a mimetic analysis is simply this: God does not use violence to redeem us from sin. Rather, God submits to human violence in order to enable humanity to participate in God’s nonviolent renewal of all of Creation.' So no sermons from me for a little while, but a few pointers in the direction my teaching will continue (with enthusiasm and excitement) to be heading.

A letter from Nairobi

In light of recent events in Kenya, I thought I'd share in its entirety an email letter received today from a friend in Nairobi, Peter Nyende, who was at Ridley Hall with me 1998-2000:

Dear all,

The mood of the nation as I write this e-mail is on of depression, anger, and, even, fear. As I am sure many of you may have picked up from the media, on Saturday at about midday, terrorists invaded with machine guns and grenades Westgate shopping mall (a four storied mall popular with well to do Kenyans and the international community) killing indiscriminately and holding an unknown number of people as hostages. 68 people are confirmed to have died and over 175 hospitalised. We are fearful that the numbers of injured and dead may rise once the full scale of this heinous invasion is known since the terrorists are still holed up in the shopping mall with an unknown number of people they have taken hostage.  

Al Shabaab, a terrorist group based in Somalia and linked with Al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for this attack. Now, Al Shabaab has been in existence since 2006 and up till last year, controlled most of southern Somalia. In October of 2011 the Kenyan government sent forces into Southern Somalia to free the region from Al Shabaab because their operation were now in a very direct way affecting Kenya. (They were actually successful in liberating all the towns in southern Somaila including the port city of Kismayo).   For this reason Al Shabaab vowed to retaliate and this they have done. Since October 2011 Kenya has suffered grenades being thrown into churches on Sundays, in buses, bus stops, and markets to maim and kill.  On one occasion, two churches in the north eastern town of Garrisa on a Sunday morning last year were attacked by gunmen who shot at worshipers indiscriminately killing several. In total and hitherto now, Al Shabaab have killed two to three of dozens of Kenyans. But the Saturday terrorist invasion is the worst in scale and second only to the 1998 bombing of the American embassy which was matermined by Al Qaeda and left over 250 Kenyans dead. 

These events and the Saturday one which is still with us are very painful and bring to fore a world which is nowhere close to the one that God designed and is working to restore; his Kingdom characterized by Shalom – peace, love, unity. Justice, delight and fulfilment, abundant life etc. For this reason we who have come to know the love and grace of our God through his Son Jesus Christ, mourn and groan in hope and not despair. We not only hope and long for God's kingdom, we are compelled to seek to live it and to promote it as citizens of heaven but residents of this world.

But still pray with us that God would help us and those trying to bring this assault to an end. Remember those who are still either held by the terrorists in the shopping mall or for fear still locking themselves in the same.

In Christ,

Peter

-- 

The Revd Capt. Peter Nyende, PhD

Principal, Carlile College for Theology & Business Studies

P.O Box 72584, City Square

00200, Nairobi, KENYA

www.carlilecollege.ac.ke

On leaving church

'The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you [...] by the grace of God.' Walter Brueggemann quoted by Barbara Brown Taylor in Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith. And very appropriate for me today, the day I announced my resignation to two congregations I've hardly started to get to know, but who I've understood enough to realise that we are poorly-matched, and my overstaying here might cause unneccesary further pain all round.

So I am now a free agent, a priest without portfolio, a Jobseeker for Jesus, still as enamoured of the grace and love of God as ever before, and whilst not totally disillusioned with the church, much wiser to its imperfect ways. Seeing Barbara Brown Taylor at Greenbelt last weekend and now reading her memoir of her similar journey, I'm encouraged that however uncertain things look right now, the future holds great promise.